Cinema and the Kurdish Question

[Anthea]

Cinema and the Kurdish Question

Cinema is one of the most powerful tools of modern humanity for recording and transmitting history. In the past, the history of nations was primarily conveyed through oral storytelling, poetry, or written documents. In the modern era, however, cinema has been able to immortalize history through the language of images

The power of cinema lies in its ability to engage both the emotional and cognitive dimensions; the viewer not only “understands” but also “feels.” This unique capability has turned cinema into a form of “living collective memory,” residing not in archives or universities but in the minds of millions of ordinary people across the world.

For this reason, any nation that seeks to escape cultural annihilation, historical denial, or the erasure of its suffering inevitably turns to cinema. Unlike specialized books or political reports, cinema is accessible to all and can rapidly cross geographical and linguistic borders.

For instance, although thousands of books have been written about the Holocaust, the impact of films such as Schindler’s List or the documentary Shoah has been far greater and more widespread. These works not only convey historical information but also awaken the global conscience. From this perspective, cinema is not merely an art form but a “machine of resistance against forgetting.”

Generational Connection through Cinematic Narratives

One of the main challenges faced by nations subjected to oppression and genocide is transmitting historical experiences to new generations. Individual memory often disappears with the death of witnesses, but cinema can transform personal memory into collective and enduring memory.

Films are living narratives that can remain impactful decades or even centuries after a tragedy occurs. For the Kurdish people, this issue is particularly significant. Today’s Kurdish youth are no longer direct witnesses to tragedies such as the Republic of Mahabad in 1946, the Anfal campaign and Halabja massacre in the 1980s, or the uprisings of the 1990s in Turkey.

However, cinema can recreate these catastrophes in such a way that the new generation not only knows what happened to their nation but also feels it. When a film about Halabja is screened and the images of children killed by chemical attacks appear, the younger generation realizes that their history is not merely a subject in textbooks but a living wound that continues to affect their nation.

In addition to these historical tragedies, the Kurds’ struggle against terrorism and ISIS forms an inseparable part of the contemporary collective memory. In Iraq and Syria, the Peshmerga and the People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) not only fought for the survival of their own people but also represented a global fight against the terrorist organization ISIS. The resistance in Kobani became an international symbol, and Kurdish forces were recognized in international media as the “freedom fighters of the Middle East.”

This chapter of contemporary Kurdish history must be depicted alongside Anfal and Halabja so that future generations understand how the Kurdish nation stood at the forefront of the battle against one of the world’s most dangerous threats. This generational connection through cinema also contributes to the reproduction of identity. Kurdish youth, when watching the visual narrative of their ancestors’ resistance— both against past genocides and in the fight against ISIS— rediscover their collective identity and continue the struggle.

From this perspective, cinema is not only a tool for historical awareness but also a means of strengthening unity and sustaining the national struggle.

Cinema: A Nation’s Power on the International Stage

The power of cinema is not limited by national borders. A film made in a small village can be screened at an international festival and reach the eyes and ears of millions. This is what allows nations to become actors on the global stage. A nation may be politically weak, without an army or formal state, but if it can present its cinematic narratives to the world, it can become a significant force internationally.

The Jewish experience is a clear example. Before World War II, Jews lacked a strong national state and lived scattered across various countries. Yet after the Holocaust, they were able to use cinema to transform their suffering into a global subject. Today, the Holocaust is part of humanity’s shared conscience, largely thanks to cinema. For the Kurdish people, a similar path is conceivable.

Although Kurds remain divided across four countries and are politically marginalized, cinema can bring them to the global stage and transform their suffering and resistance into an international concern.

The Successful Experiences of Jews, Armenians, and Catalans

Examining the experiences of other nations demonstrates the immense role cinema can play in reviving a nation. Jews, through cinema, transformed the Holocaust from a “historical tragedy” into a “global symbol.” Films such as The Pianist or Life is Beautiful not only represented events but also became part of global popular culture.

Armenians, despite political pressures and denial of the 1915 genocide, were able to use cinema as a tool to combat forgetting. Films such as The Promise or the documentary Aghet are examples of this effort.

These works not only reconnected younger generations of Armenians with their history but also raised global awareness about their tragedy. Catalans, although not victims of large-scale genocide, have used cinema and media to preserve their language, culture, and political identity. Catalan documentaries and films have given legitimacy to their struggle for independence and autonomy, transforming it into an international subject.

These three examples illustrate how nations can use cinema as a tool to represent suffering, revive identity, and strengthen their struggle. For the Kurds, these experiences can serve as successful models.

The Economic and Cultural Dimensions of Cinema

Cinema is not only a cultural and political tool but also a large and profitable industry. Countries such as India, the United States, and South Korea have shown that cinema can become a cornerstone of national economies. A thriving film industry not only creates jobs for artists and filmmakers but also develops tourism, promotes cultural exports, and strengthens national identity.

For the Kurdish people, who have often been economically marginalized and subjected to anti-development policies imposed by central governments, investing in cinema could break this cycle. Kurdish films that achieve international recognition would not only convey the message of Kurdish suffering and resistance but also become sources of income and employment.

This could enhance the Kurds’ economic independence, allowing them to rely on their own art and culture rather than oppressive central authorities.

Cinema and the Kurdish Question

For over a century, the Kurdish nation has been divided among four countries and continuously subjected to oppression, genocide, and denial of identity. From the Republic of Mahabad in 1946 and its brutal suppression, to Khomeini’s fatwa of jihad against the Kurds, from the chemical bombing of Halabja and the Anfal genocide in Iraq, to policies of language and cultural denial in Turkey and Syria— the history of the Kurds is filled with tragedies, each of which could alone have become a global concern.

Yet in the world’s collective memory, these tragedies are almost entirely absent. This absence is primarily the result of insufficient cinematic representation. Although many Kurdish directors have sought to depict the suffering of the Kurdish people, these efforts, due to financial limitations and political restrictions, have never reached the necessary global scale.

For the Kurds to make their voices heard, they need a broad cinematic movement— one that not only records history but also transforms it into shared global memory.

Preliminary Conclusion

Considering the above, it is evident that the Kurdish people currently face a major gap in global memory. Despite enduring repeated genocides and oppression, they have yet to achieve a place in humanity’s conscience comparable to that of Jews or even Armenians.

This gap is primarily due to the lack of sufficient cinematic and media representation. Cinema can play the same role for the Kurds that it did for Jews or Armenians: transforming scattered suffering into a shared global memory and resisting the politics of forgetting.

If the Kurdish people embrace cinema as their central tool, they will not only save their history from annihilation but also make their voice heard worldwide, integrating it into humanity’s collective memory. This path allows for the revival of identity, the strengthening of struggle, and the establishment of the Kurdish nation’s rightful place in global history.

Aso Qaderi, Filmmaker and political Activist

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/895129