The second Kurdish Film Festival in Düsseldorf is underway, offering audiences a programme focused on the Rojava region in northern Syria and the history of the Armenian genocide. The festival, which began earlier this week, will run until 27 April.
The festival opened officially on 23 April with the premiere of The Virgin & Child by director Binevşa Berîvan at the UFA-Palast cinema. Organiser Yilmaz Kaba explained that after a successful first edition in 2024, the decision was made to continue the festival annually. This year’s theme centres on the Rojava region, following a focus on the Yazidi community last year.
Around 350 guests attended the opening night, which included a discussion session with Berîvan and actress Hêvîn Tekin following the screening.
In an opening address on behalf of the Si Film Collective, actress Sevim Kesbir and film producer Adil Demirci highlighted the significance of Rojava’s political experiment. “Twelve years ago, one of the most remarkable developments in the Middle East began with the Rojava revolution – an attempt to create a new social model based on equality, ecological responsibility, and grassroots democracy,” they said. They also warned that despite the fall of the Assad regime last winter and a renewed sense of hope, the rise of a new Islamist administration poses serious threats to the region’s achievements.
Rojava, also known as Western Kurdistan, refers to a de facto autonomous region in northern Syria that has pursued a model of self-governance since 2012.
Throughout the week, the festival has presented a wide range of short films, documentaries, and feature films. Highlights have included the screening of the documentaries 980 and Unseen Photos of Anfal, followed by discussions with directors Nabard Fuad and Hewraz Mohammed. These films explored the Kurdish experience under Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.
A notable premiere was that of a documentary on the resistance in Ras al-Ayn (Serêkaniyê), directed by Olmo Couto. The film documents the period before and during the Turkish military operation in Rojava, with particular attention to women fighters and the impact of Turkish and allied Islamist forces. Couto, who lived in the city prior to the 2019 offensive, participated in a post-screening discussion.
On 24 April, the festival also held a memorial event for Bavê Teyar, a Kurdish theatre artist killed by a Turkish drone strike at the Tishreen (Tişrîn) Dam in Syria.
Further activities included the screening of Beriya Şevê by Ali Kemal Çınar, accompanied by a discussion about the Kurdish resistance in Sûr, the old city district of Diyarbakır (Amed). The evening concluded with the showing of Asadur, a documentary marking the 110th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Producer Onur Güler spoke about the film’s portrayal of deportations and massacres in the Malatya region.
Festival organiser Adil Demirci expressed satisfaction with the turnout, stating: “It is encouraging to see the Metropol and UFA-Palast cinemas so well attended. We will maintain this momentum through to Sunday evening, with many more films and discussions.”
On 25 April, the programme included a panel discussion with Fuad Ömer, representative of the Rojava Mission in Europe, at the Metropol cinema. This was followed by the screening of six short films and the premiere of the documentary Naharina by Ferran Domenech, who also attended. Additional short films were shown later in the evening.
Meanwhile, screenings of Hevî and Pirebok, both featuring post-screening discussions, are scheduled at the UFA-Palast.
