Kurdistan: Last News

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Rojek, writer-director Zaynê Akyol’s documentary that attempts to trace the beginning, rise and fall of the Islamic State through the personal stories of its members and their wives incarcerated in prison camps, was selected Thursday by Canada to represent the country in the 2024 Oscar Best International Feature Film race.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The lineup for Docu Talents From the East – a showcase of standout documentary films from Central and Eastern Europe that are in post-production – has been unveiled. Eight documentary projects will be presented on Aug. 13 at Sarajevo Film Festival.

It is summer in Erbil, Iraq, and all day, the dusty streets have been baking. In the punishing 40 degree heat anyone who can stays inside, and those who are out can only move with the pace the day allows.

On a dry, dusty minefield in northern Iraq, mine detection dog Jota is hard at work.

Millions of people live with the reality that one wrong step could kill them - and you can understand their experience like never before.

Naman Ramachandran Sony Music and Music Women* Germany (MW*G), the nationwide umbrella music organization of all female-identifying and non-binary individuals, have revealed the 2023 winners of the Female* Producer Prize. The prize aims to support and promote the careers of emerging female-identifying producers from across the country. The winners include Mimski, who broke through via the Novembars competition and is currently working on her first album, which will be released on the RUNTLIFE Records label; Evîn, a German/Kurdish singer and producer in alternative R&B who combines elements from different genres like soul and hip-hop with her Kurdish roots; and Kota No Uta, who works mainly in jazz, soul and neo and has recently released a song, “Autumn Leaves.”

Evil ISIS rigged games controllers and mobile phones with lethal explosives in order to target children, it has been revealed.

A dad-of-three says he was booted out of Turkey and forced to fly back to the UK because he shares the same name as a man from Manchester who had terror charges against him dropped.

Two brothers, who are part of a notorious criminal group referred to as 'The Family', are fighting to hold on to a luxury house years after they were locked up.

A behind-closed-doors trial is being held in Tehran for an Iranian journalist on charges resulting from her coverage of Mahsa Amini, whose 2022 death in custody by Iran’s morality police sparked months of protest.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International A long-anticipated adaptation of the 2003 bestselling novel “Reading Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi is hitting the Marché du Film at Cannes this month. Directed by award-winning director Eran Riklis (“Lemon Tree”) and written by Marjorie David, the film stars an ensemble cast led by Golshifteh Farahani (“Pirates of the Caribbean”), Zar Amir-Ebrahimi (“Holy Spider”) and Mina Kavani (“Red Rose”). Set in post-revolution Iran as extremism took hold, Nafisi’s book tells the autobiographical story of a fearless teacher who secretly gathered seven of her female students to read forbidden Western classics.

Naman Ramachandran Red Zed Films and October Films’ documentary “My Name Is Happy” will have a limited U.K. theatrical run from May 21. Directed by Ayse Toprak (“Mr Gay Syria) and Emmy and BAFTA nominated Nick Read (“Bolshoi Babylon”), the film follows Mutlu Kaya, a Kurdish woman and promising singer from southeastern Turkey whose dreams were about to come true in 2015 when she reached the finals of “Turkey’s Got Talent.” Days before the final she was gunned down by a man whose marriage proposal she had refused. She survived – with a bullet in her brain. After years of rehabilitation from life threatening injuries, the family was again struck by violence. This time, Mutlu’s carer, her sister Dilek, did not survive a murder attempt by another jilted suitor.

Jennie Punter The producers of “Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story,” which follows a nail-biting stretch in the Dalkurd soccer club’s pivotal 13th season, have released a clip (below) in advance of the film’s world premiere at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, which kicks off April 27. Dalkurd was founded in 2004 by Kurdish refugees in Sweden as an activity for Kurdish youth in a working-class town. The team immediately and swiftly rose through the country’s professional soccer ranks, its unprecedented success attracting media attention in Europe and abroad—despite notably lackluster local attendance—and making the team a symbol of victory and unity for Kurdish people around the world.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in Belgium’s A Team Productions the indie outfit behind hit drug gang drama “Patsers” by directorial duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah and standout short “ “Baghdad Messi.”  The company, which was founded in 2009, is headed by Kobe van Steenberghe and Hendrik Verthé and scored its first major international in 2011 with the short “Land of the Heroes” which won the International Jury Prize at the Berlinale that year. They are also behind short “Baghdad Messi,” by Belgium-based Kurdish director Sahim Omar Kalifa, which won prizes at dozens of international fests and was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2014.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent March 20 marks the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. It’s Iran’s first Spring festivities since the death of Jina “Mahsa” Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in police custody for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf. On Nowruz, which means “New Day,” Iranian activist Naza Alakija is paying tribute to Iran’s “Woman. Life. Freedom.” movement with the release of a powerful short film titled “Rise” about a young woman who, like Amini, pushes back agains Iran’s morality police and is kidnapped from the streets of Tehran. Alakija, who is the founder and CEO of London-based Evoca Foundation, produced the short – which features British-Iranian actress Yasaman Mohsani (“Secret Invasion”) as the victim – with partners who have chosen to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from Iran’s security forces, as has the film’s female director.

Sharareh Drury administrator “Woman. Life. Freedom.” “Zan. Zindagi. Azadi.” These words have been chanted around the world for months in support of Iranian women who are demanding freedom of expression and an end to the country’s oppressive rules for women. This inspiring female-led movement was sparked by the death of Jina “Mahsa” Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in custody of morality police for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf. Iran is now experiencing its biggest wave of demonstrations in decades, with acts of protest by female demonstrators including publicly removing their hijab or cutting their hair. The cry for change has even won awards. Shervin Hajipour’s “Baraye” – Iran’s unofficial protest anthem – made history by becoming the first award-winner for a new Grammy Award category, “Best Song for Social Change.”

Former Premier League footballer Christian Atsu is amongst those trapped under rubble in Turkey after a massive earthquake, reports have claimed. A major search and rescue operation is underway after Atsu, 31, who formerly played for Chelsea and Newcastle United, was caught up in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

At least 1,300 people have died and 6,000 are injured after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday. Several buildings were destroyed during the 40-second tremor, with thousands of rescue teams working to free people still trapped under rubble.

Six people were injured in an unprovoked attack at the busy Gare Du Nord train station in Paris early Wednesday morning.

Iran’s Supreme Court has accepted the death sentence appeal for Iranian Kurdish rapper Saman Seydi Yasin, which was issued in connection with ongoing widespread anti-government protests, the country’s judiciary said Saturday as reported by Reuters.