Showing posts with label Kurds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kurds. Show all posts

27 November 2009

Film review: Carnet d’un combattant kurde, by Stefano Savona, ****

Synopsis
Akif left Germany to join up with the PPK guerrilla fighters. His diary records the doubts, dreams and political discussions that the fighters share as they march through the mountains, and in the meetings where the women criticise male prejudices.

You can watch a trailer of the movie here.


Review
Stefano Savona proposes a unique opportunity to look at the Kurdish fighter groups from inside. We see how they train, eat, sleep, study and organize their society on the run. While one may feel some sympathy for young idealists trying to gain a homeland for their nation, I was rather appalled at how the commanders both indoctrinate these fighthers and send them to a hopeless death against the Turkish army.

Buy it on Amazon.fr, or Amazon.co.uk in both English and French.






La versione italiana è disponibile qui.

18 November 2009

Film Review: Kurdish Yezidis (2009) by Florence Gavage, *****


Synopsis
According to ancient legend, in the beginning God created a white pearl and a bird. He then created seven angels including Melek Taus, the peacock angel whom he made the greatest of them all. To make land, He threw Lalish into the water which made it solid. And so the seven Angels went ashore at Lalish.  These people, the Yezidis, believe that they were the very first inhabitants on earth when the world was created. Yezidism is one of the most unusual and unknown religions on earth. It has survived during the centuries despite its status as an unrecognized religion under Islamic rule, and through many onslaughts against its Kurdish followers. 

Review
This is a unique documentary on a little known people. The director has done thorough research and has traveled not only to Iraq to document the life of contemporary Yezidis, but also to various countries to meet Yezidi diaspora.

You can view Part 1/2 here:



You can vew Part 2/2 here: