İlham Bakır from the Cinema Branch of Cegerxwîn Cultural Center spoke on Filmamed Festival, which will be organized for the 4th time this year and dedicated to İslam Balıkesir who was murdered in the ‘basement of savagery’ in Cizre, stated that the festival brings together many critical filmmakers from Turkey and Kurdistan and seeks to answer the question of how a more genuine and alternative understanding could be created.

The 4th Filmamed Festival will have the theme of ‘resistance’ and take place on May 24-29. Bakır stated that the festival was born out of a necessity for documenting the reality of Kurdistan and helping the survival of Kurdish history, geography, language, faiths, and cultures.

'WE WANTED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR CRITICAL AND GENUINE CINEMA'

Bakır noted that the festival had been postponed for the past two years because of the massacres in Kurdistan, and brings together many critical filmmakers from Turkey and Kurdistan and seeks to answer the question of how a more genuine and alternative understanding could be created. Bakır added that the festival gives material and moral support to filmmakers that are in need of resources for producing documentaries.

'THERE IS NO TOLERANCE FOR DOCUMENTARIES'

Bakır noted that documentaries have an important role since they are more economically resistant to industrial cinema, but festivals such as Antalya Film Festival remove their documentary sections and censor films such as ‘Bakur.’ Bakır said that this trend adds to the importance of Filmamed, which has an emphasis on documentaries and offers support to documentary makers.

THE RESISTANCE AND THE MARTYRS NOT FORGOTTEN

Bakır reiterated that the 4th Filmamed Festival has the theme of ‘resistance,’ and recalled Kurdish people’s resistance for survival and culture. Bakır said that the festival is dedicated to İslam Balıkesir who was murdered in the ‘basement of savagery’ in Cizre. Bakır noted that Filmamed festival has an emphasis on supporting woman directors and films, and created the new branch of ‘woman films’ this year. Bakır listed the Armenian genocide, Roboski massacre and Soma disaster as some of this year’s topics.

THERE WILL ALSO BE FOREIGN FILMS

Bakır stated that there would also be nearly 10 foreign films from countries such as China, Pakistan and England at the festival this year. Bakır said that the festival will last shorter than usual this year, and the organizers will prepare a better festival next year.

'JOIN US FOR WATCHING FILMS AND HELPING US GROW’

Lastly, Bakır described documentary as a more critical, independent and privileged field of cinema, criticized the on-going opposition of critical voices in Turkey, and invited everyone to participate in Filmamed for watching the films and helping the festival grow.