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World’s oldest inhabited city to host world’s newest
cinema conference in Hawler (Erbil), Kurdistan,
Northern Iraq, from April 28-30
HAWLER (ERBIL), KURDISTAN, IRAQ (ANS) -- An
historic Kurdistan Cinema Conference with the theme
of "Opening the Mind Through Cinema” will be held
April 28-30 in the country’s capital city of Hawler,
also known as Erbil, which is the oldest continually
inhabited city in the world."
Kalat, the castle that sits on a plateau in the
center of the city, has been occupied for 8,000
years.
The conference will draw delegates from across
Europe, Japan, and also from the United States and
will take place in the Sheraton Hotel – Erbil Palace
--in Hawler, Kurdistan which is 15 minutes (5
kilometers) by car from the international airport.
(Pictured: Map showing capital city Erbil).
A spokesperson for the festival said, “All guests
will be traveling under the protection of the
Kurdistan Regional Government who guarantees
constant support and assistance with all guests. In
Kurdistan, ground transportation and security will
be guaranteed by the Ministry of Culture, Sami
Shorish and the Prime Minister, Nichervan Barzani.”
The spokesperson added, “English, Russian, and
Kurdish Translators will be provided at all
meetings.”
ANWAR SINDI
Helping to organize the conference is Anwar Sindi, a
Kurdish director who born in a cave in 1970 in Zakho,
Kurdistan, where his family along with about 300,000
other Kurds, were hiding from Saddam Hussein.
(Pictured: Anwar Sindi).
“After the attack of Saddam in 1974, I left to Iran
with my family and other struggling families to
escape persecution and death. I was four years old
when we left.
“I continued with my studies and completed secondary
school in 1988 Thereafter I joined Peshmarga. I was
a partisan from 1988 until 1991.
”Throughout my life I was always interested in a
career in film, specifically camera and directing.
”In 1992 I left Iran for Russia to study camera as
well as directing and to pursue my dream. I attended
VGIK University in Moscow. I graduated from this
university with a Master's degree in Directing. In
1997 I presented the short film Ice Cream as my
final master's project and received the highest
marks in my class of study. During my study at the
university, I completed 6 short films and 2
documentaries.”
He went on to say, “In just a few years, the Kurdish
people have opened the eyes of those in the Middle
East. In the past couple of years, we have had
journalism conferences, and others, but this will be
the first cinema conference. We had one in ethics in
journalism just two months before now. We also had
one for business, with investment people coming to
look at opportunities. We have been trying to
encourage conferences to try and bring people to
look for opportunities in Kurdistan.
“This cinema conference will be different from the
business and the other conferences that have been
held in Kurdistan because this one will be bringing
in international professionals from the outside who
are volunteering their time to come and build cinema
in our country. But they will not just be giving
information, but actually work on building cinema in
Kurdistan, which will affect the whole Middle East.
“The Prime Minister and I have been working on Kurd
film projects since 1998, but then came the idea
that was it was time to show the Kurdish people to
the outside world – their culture and language; that
they are different than those around them. My people
have been practicing democracy and living in freedom
since 1991 and they want to be able to show that to
the people of the world.
“We did not specially invite people from the Middle
East to come this time because we wanted to bring
international standards that are not used in the
Middle East at this time. For instance, Panavision
is not being used in the Middle East at all. This
time Panavision will be attending the conference.
“People in the region are already aware about what
has been going on with Kurdish culture for not just
the last 35 years, but the last 8,000 years. They
have not been able to bring up the level of cinema
to the level that they want it to be and what the
Kurds believe it can be now, which includes building
studios – a big studio is being built now.
“We are doing something brand new not only in
Kurdistan, but also in the Middle East. It is a very
historical moment.”
CANDACE WHITESELL
Also involved in helping to organize the conference
is American-born Candace Whitesell is Vice
President/CIO of KurdFilm, which is a Kurdish film
company. (Pictured: Candace Whitesell).
“Our company is the first registered film company in
Iraq, not just in Kurdistan, and my job is
facilitate between all the international people so
that they understand what I understand – that
Kurdistan is a beautiful place, as well as a very
safe and secure place.
“The people there have incredible intellect and
drive. If you put a task in front of them, nothing
is daunting to them. They take it and they will be
on it. If feel and want it, it is done. That is what
my experience has been living there for two years.
“What I hope this conference will achieve is the
beautiful exchange of real ideas and real commitment
between the international cinema community and the
cinema community that is just growing and is just
now being birthed in Kurdistan. By doing this and by
building the cinema in the Middle East, Sindi and I
believe, that it will not only open the minds of the
Kurdish people, but also it will open the minds of
the people outside to what is happening with the
Kurdish people and also it is going to start that
ripple and open thinking in the region . Then we can
only hope and pray what will happen after that! Our
Mantra is that we can make some great changes in
that area of the world.”
USA DELEGATION FROM HOLLYWOOD
Among the 30 guests who will be traveling from Los
Angeles, will be many leading figures from
Hollywood’s film community, including Dr. Ted Baehr,
President and Founder of Movieguide® and the
Christian Film and Television Commission.
In an interview, Dr. Baehr told ANS, “This is the
very first film festival they have ever held. Almost
every year, an important movie has come out of the
suffering Middle East such as A TIME FOR DRUNKEN
HORSES about the plight of the Kurds under some very
oppressive regimes, But this is the very first time
these people have had the freedom to pursue creating
their own stories through the mass media of
entertainment. They are being forgiving, positive
and gracious, and they want the world to know the
stories of their people.
“The people of Kurdistan have been historically
devastated by the surrounding countries for many
years. Now they are looking to proclaim their
identity and reach out to the world through the mass
media, such as film and television. They are
prosperous and gracious, and this is an opportunity
to minister to them, so the reason myself and others
of strong faith are going there is to reach them and
minister to them."
Dr. Baehr, who will be one of the speakers at the
conference, went on to say, “I am going to talk to
them about the worldwide audience and what that
audience wants. The reason they want me there was
they saw my presentation at the recent Movieguide®
Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to
Hollywood. So they want to know about faith and
values and what the people of the world want, which
is redemption, salvation and moral virtues.”
The Kurds are one of the few nations that have been
subjected to Genocide. In 1988, Saddam Hussein’s
army carried out one of the most horrendous attacks
in history called Anfal. During Anfal, 182,000
Kurdish men, women and children were massacred.
Chemical weapons were used. The whole world
witnessed the chemical attacks on Halabja. Over 4000
villages were razed to the ground. Millions of
livestock were destroyed. The environment and rural
Kurdish existence were eradicated.
Assist News Service
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