JITEM, or the reality of disappearances and unsolved murders
JITEM, or the reality of disappearances and unsolved murders
Kurds launched an organized fight after a long-period of slavery and captivity. Since then, Kurdish people have been living in a time of enormous tragedy. Ignoring this tragedy is a crucial mistake". Director Umur Hozatlý sums up in this way the reason which moved him to make the film shown today at the London Kurdish Film Festival.
Kayýp Özgürlük (Lost Freedom) tells of a young Kurdish man, Deniz Şahin, kidnapped by a group of plain cloth gunmen in the early hours of the morning. He is taken to a secret interrogation centre of the JİTEM (Gendarmerie Intelligence and Fight against Terrorism), a unit within the structure of the Turkish military which has never really been officially accepted (up until recently) by the Turkish state. Deniz is badly tortured by JITEM members to give information about his political affiliations. Deniz’s father Mürşit has a heart attack when he hears that his son has been kidnapped. At the hospital Deniz’s sister Selvi meets a man called Kemal: she is unaware of his true role (he is in fact head of the JITEM unit that kidnapped her brother. Kemal, a torturer and brutal killer in the interrogation centre seems to be a warm and tender person in his daily life and he falls in love with Selvi. This film is based on personal stories of victims and provides information on JITEM’s activities. It is a true story of counter-guerilla unit which is still committing horrific crimes against the Kurdish people.
Director Umur Hozatlý says "I cannot be one of those who turn a blind eye on this issue. When making this film, my wish was to be able to translate for the world the trauma Kurds are facing. At the same time I try to keep in mind that art, like people and states, can be fascist too.”
Kayýp Özgürlük / Lost Freedom
Director: Umur Hozatlý
Screenplay: Umur Hozatlý
Music: Nail Yurtsever
Cinematography: Hüseyin Mazlum Karaman
Editing: Aytekin Birkon
Cast: Serdar Kavak, Vedat Perçin, Öznur Kula, Musa Yýldýrým
Year: 2010
Runtime: 92'
Kayýp Özgürlük (Lost Freedom) tells of a young Kurdish man, Deniz Şahin, kidnapped by a group of plain cloth gunmen in the early hours of the morning. He is taken to a secret interrogation centre of the JİTEM (Gendarmerie Intelligence and Fight against Terrorism), a unit within the structure of the Turkish military which has never really been officially accepted (up until recently) by the Turkish state. Deniz is badly tortured by JITEM members to give information about his political affiliations. Deniz’s father Mürşit has a heart attack when he hears that his son has been kidnapped. At the hospital Deniz’s sister Selvi meets a man called Kemal: she is unaware of his true role (he is in fact head of the JITEM unit that kidnapped her brother. Kemal, a torturer and brutal killer in the interrogation centre seems to be a warm and tender person in his daily life and he falls in love with Selvi. This film is based on personal stories of victims and provides information on JITEM’s activities. It is a true story of counter-guerilla unit which is still committing horrific crimes against the Kurdish people.
Director Umur Hozatlý says "I cannot be one of those who turn a blind eye on this issue. When making this film, my wish was to be able to translate for the world the trauma Kurds are facing. At the same time I try to keep in mind that art, like people and states, can be fascist too.”
Kayýp Özgürlük / Lost Freedom
Director: Umur Hozatlý
Screenplay: Umur Hozatlý
Music: Nail Yurtsever
Cinematography: Hüseyin Mazlum Karaman
Editing: Aytekin Birkon
Cast: Serdar Kavak, Vedat Perçin, Öznur Kula, Musa Yýldýrým
Year: 2010
Runtime: 92'
