An arts organisation has been continuing its efforts to develop Kurdish cinema in North and East Syria, with the establishment of new training workshops organised in Kurdish controlled territories, ANHA reported on Saturday.
The Culture and Art Movement of Northern and Eastern Syria’s (TEV ÇAND) activities have been mainly concentrated in Kurdish-controlled Rojava’s Qamishli (Qamişlo) and Kobanî (Kobanê) towns.
The workshops aim to train aspiring filmmakers in a variety of fields including scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, production, and costume and make-up. The workshops last for three months and culminate in the shooting of short films.
One of the films produced through these workshops is “Kobanê,” which has become very popular among audiences of all ages and has been broadcasted on several television channels.
Other notable productions include “Darên bi tenê,” (Lonely Trees) “Şengal,” “Ji bo Azadiyê” (For Freedom), “Evîna Kurd” (Kurdish Love) and “Tava Sor” (Red Hill).
Egîd Nûman, one of the managers of the cinema workshop, emphasised the importance of making films in the mother tongue and training young people to become filmmakers.
“Mostly young people from Kobanê and Serêkaniyê [Ras al-Ayn] attend the workshops. This shows that young people know the consequences of the war well. Young people also show great interest in cinema and want to express their dreams through cinema,” said Nûman.
The organisation’s long-term goal is to establish a cinema academy in northeast Syria, where aspiring filmmakers can receive formal training and education, and to pave the way for a new generation of Kurdish filmmakers.