Rojava Film Series, January 5
Rojava Film Series, January 5 As Turkey continues its brutal campaign of aggression in North-East Syria (Rojava), Kurdish communities remain on the frontlines of resistance. In defiance of occupation, violence, and systemic oppression, the people of Rojava continue to build an egalitarian society rooted in principles of direct democracy, women emancipation, and social ecology. This […]
Pirtûkzade
Pirtûkzade Merheba gelî xwînerên ezîz û hêja, Em wek komeke xemxurên zimên, bi armanca belavkirina xwendina kurdî, li ser navê Pirtûkzade dest bi projeyeke online dikin. Em dixwazin ji edebiyata cihanê pasajên bi kurdî bişînin e-maila we ku hûn dê bikaribin di nav 5 deqîqeyan de bixwînin. Ji bo abonetiyê nav û e-maila xwe li […]
Leyla Yenirce, painter
“Eye Level,” paintings by Leyla Yenirce, October 30-December 14 Leyla Yenirce, born in 1992 in Qubîn, Basur, is a painter, musician, performer and installation artist, currently based in Berlin. Combining portraiture of female Kurdish freedom fighters with a spectral sonic landscape, Yenirce explores themes of resistance and dominance. Leyla Yenirce, Tigris (2024), oil, acrylic spray, […]
“Sacred Music of Kurdistan,” Ali Akbar Moradi and Pejman Hadadi
“Sacred Music of Kurdistan,” Ali Akbar Moradi and Pejman Hadadi Ali Akbar Moradi and Pejman Hadadi, two renowned musicians from Rojhelat, made a rare New York appearance on November 23, 2024. Moradi is a virtuoso of the tanbur, an ancient two-stringed long-necked fretted lute traditionally used in religious ceremonies. Hadadi is an innovative percussionist (tombak, […]
Kurdish Language’s Historical Narrative by Kamal Soleimani
Kurdish Language’s Historical Narrative by Kamal Soleimani Kurdish language, poetry, and literature in general are filled with enduring stories of Kurdish communal life—marked by hardships, struggles for survival, and rebellion against despair and injustice—that reflect Kurds’ tenacity to live and resist the conditions of a securitized existence under colonizing sovereign powers. In the north, the […]
“Mountain Language” by Harold Pinter; guest Aysel Çürükkaya
“Mountain Language” by Harold Pinter With guest speaker Aysel Çürükkaya On November 6 the Book Club discussed Mountain Language, a short play by Harold Pinter. Mountain Langauge is set in a prison in an unnamed country. The prisoners are not permitted to speak their mother tongue. The name of their language is not given. Harold […]
“All the Mountains Give” by Arash Rakhsha, November 15 and 21
“All the Mountains Give” by Arash Rakhsha, November 15 and 21, 2024 Film title: All the Mountains Give Director: Arash Rakhsha (also cinematographer, editor, and co-producer) Running time: 91 minutes In Rojhelat, due to discrimination, many Kurdish people live in poverty. In one Kurdish village, a young Kurdish man, Hamid, wants to leave for Germany, […]
Nuveen Barwari, artist
Nuveen Barwari, Kurdish artist Nuveen Barwari is an artist who gathers and repurposes artifacts from her community, such as worn Kurdish clothes, fabric, and used rugs, alongside materials from America, to explore their inherited histories and cultural meanings. She explores shapes and symbols that emerge from living between clashing cultures and languages. Through a combination […]
“Daughters of Smoke and Fire” by Ava Homa
“Daughters of Smoke and Fire” by Ava Homa Ava Homa, Daughters of Smoke and Fire: A Novel. Overlook Press, 2020. Daughters of Smoke and Fire was one of the first novels written in English by a Kurdish woman. It tells the story of two generations of a political Kurdish family living in Iran, a place […]
Book Talk: “Statelet of Survivors” by Amy Austin Holmes
“Statelet of Survivors” by Amy Austin Holmes Statelet of Survivors: The Making of a Semi-Autonomous Region in Northeast Syria (Oxford University Press) tells the remarkable story of the people who not only triumphed over ISIS but created a model of decentralized governance in Syria that empowers women and minorities. The Autonomous Administration of North and […]
