Ayşe Polat, filmmaker
Ayşe Polat, Kurdish filmmaker Ayşe Polat (1970- ) is an internationally acclaimed German-Kurdish film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Given her Kurdish heritage, her films often deal with themes of identity and belonging. She was born on November 19, 1970, in Malatya, Bakur (Turkish Kurdistan). In 1978 her family moved to Hamburg, where her father […]
Aram Tigran, Armenian musician (1934-2009)
Aram Tigran, Armenian singer (1934-2009) Aram Tigran (1934-2009) was an Armenian musician who sang primarily in Kurdish, giving life to many beloved songs like “Bilbilo, Dîlberê.” By singing Kurdish songs, he earned an eternal place in the hearts of the Kurdish people. Fırat Anlı recalls: “Tigran is almost the first name that comes to mind […]
“Bridging Identities”
“Bridging Identities”: Kurdistani Jews “Bridging Identities” is a permanent online exhibition created by the Oriental Museum at the University of Durham. It tells the poignant narrative of Kurdistani Jews and their migration to Israel. The project shows how Kurdistani Jews and their descendants navigate their diverse religious and ethnic identities while establishing a vibrant transnational […]
“My Father’s Rifle” by Hiner Saleem
“My Father’s Rifle” by Hiner Saleem Hiner Saleem, My Father’s Rifle: A Childhood in Kurdistan. Translated by Catherine Temerson. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004. Originally published in French as Le Fusil de mon père. Hiner Saleem was born in Aqra, in Iraqi Kurdistan in 1964. His counterpart in this fictionalized autobiography, Azad, He […]
“Lojman” by Ebru Ojen
“Lojman” by Ebru Ojen Ebru Ojen, Lojman, translated from Turkish by Aron Aji and Selin Gökcesu. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 2023. The Kurdish Book Club discussed Lojman on June 4, 2024. The co-translator Selin Gökcesu was present—she livies in Brooklyn and has a Ph.D. in psychology and an MFA in writing from Columbia University. […]
Kurdistan Center for Arts and Culture (KCAC)
Kurdistan Center for Arts and Culture (KCAC) On a day in January 2024, speaking via Zoom from his office in Erbil, Muhammad Fatih told the NYCCC that Kurdistan must do a better job of preserving its written heritage. In the KRG alone, he said, some 100,000 old manuscripts exist, scattered across numerous private and public […]
“Whispering Walls” by Choman Hardi
“Whispering Walls” by Choman Hardi Choman Hardi, Whispering Walls (Afsana Press, 2023). In the tense weeks leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, three siblings—two in London, one in Slemani—recall their troubled past. They have a complex history, from Kurdistan to the Diaspora. Each sibling confronts their ghosts and tragedies in their own way. […]
NYKFF on CUNY-TV, May 10-12
NYKFF on CUNY-TV, May 10-12, May 17-19 On May 10-12 and May 17-19, CUNY-TV’s new film forum CUNY-TV Presents features the New York Kurdish Film Festival—for its premiere episode! Watch it here. (Note that the presentation has been extended to a second weekend!) CUNY-TV is airing an interview with four leading voices on Kurdish film: […]
“I Flew You Stayed” by Mizgin Müjde Arslan
“I Flew You Stayed” by Mizgin Müjde Arslan Original title: “Ez Firiyam Tu Mayî Li Cî” Mizgin Müjde Arslan Documentary, 2012 80 min. Kurdish and Turkish, with English subtitles Synopsis In 2009 director Mizgin Müjde Arslan set out to search for her father, whom she never knew. He participated in the Kurdish guerrilla movement shortly […]
Burhan Sönmez Book Talk, April 16, 2024
Burhan Sönmez Book Talk, April 16, 2024 On April 16, the NYKCC had the honor of hosting Burhan Sönmez, president of PEN International and a distinguished Kurdish author originally from Central Anatolia. The book talk took place at the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung’s New York Office. With his captivating storytelling, Sönmez filled the evening with inspiration […]
