BECAUSE WE ARE KURDS

Director: Niaz Lajani
South Kurdistan (Iraq) 2003 / 90m / English / PG

Academic and political figures in Russia, America, Britain, France, Germany and Kurdistan examine the struggle of the Kurdish people during the period of 1961 to 2003 and its international context.

A PEOPLE FROM A COUNTRY WIPED OFF THE MAP

Director: Haco Cheko
United Kingdom 2007 / 20m / English / PG

This documentary explores the values of Kurdish heritage in London and portrays the work of the Kurdish community and Hackney Museum in their attempt to create an awareness of the Kurdish heritage and culture through visual education and arts. Cultural activities, events, festivals, interviews and activities related to the Kurdish Heritage Project 'Opening the Kurdish Box' are shown in this documentary. This film accompanies the 'Opening the Kurdish Box' educational resources produced by Hackney Museum in 2007. The project was funded by London Museums Hub as part of their Refugee Heritage project.

THE BOX OF LANZO

Director: Sami Mermer
Canada 2007 / 100m / English, French, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Turkish with English subtitles / PG

This documentary is about director Sami Mermer's struggle to make a film about the homeless people that litter the streets of Grand Rapids - a city that thousands of Kurds were taken to following the Gulf War in 1991. A stateless and displaced Kurdish refugee himself, Mermer fled from Turkey to North America in fear of persecution for his involvement in Kurdish cultural activities. After September 11, his hopes of being granted political asylum were crushed. However, gaining refugee status would not be his only challenge. Paranoid citizens called the police saying that "an Arab looking man with crazy hair is filming a bridge and airplanes", and consequently the FBI began monitoring his movements as he tried to make his film. An emotional film made under extremely difficult conditions.

CIGERXWIN - A KURDISH PATRIOT

Director: Kawa Akreyi
South Kurdistan (Iraq) 2007 / 60m / Kurdish (Kurmanji) with English subtitles / PG

Documentary about the great Kurdish poet, writer, journalist and lexicographer Cigerxwîn who died in exile in Stockholm in 1984. His most famous collection of poetry was published under the tile of 'Kine Em?' (Who are we?). His son Keyo Hasan, takes us on a journey into his father's life and poetry from Stockholm to his father's birth place, Hasare in Mardin province in North Kurdistan (Turkey).