Rojhelat, USA diaspora, short fiction
Date: 2024
Running time: 15 minutes
Country of origin: Rojhelat
Country of filming: USA
Language: English, Kurdish
Synopsis
An Iranian Kurdish Interpreter working in a court hearing tries to sway the immigration case of a refugee by giving him legal advice. Kaman, a Kurd from Rojhelat, is an Farsi-Kurdish interpreter. In a courtroom hearing, he is interpreting for the defendant, an Iranian refugee. The refugee mentions that before he fled Iran, he assaulted a police officer with a stone. Kaman does not translate the man’s words but pretends to spill water on his notes and asks the judge for some time. He then secretly advises the refugee to omit mention of the assault on police. The waiting judge realizes something is not right and interrupts them. Kaman tells another story, not approved by the refugee, which causes him to speak out. The judge cuts off the testimony and sends Kaman to his supervisor. Kaman faces the prospect of losing his job. Did he do the right thing?
Director: Hamoun Dolatshahi
Director's Bio
Hamoun Dolatshahi studied at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. His work focuses on the humanist projection of Iranian Kurdish identity and the navigation of cultures in the diaspora. He has directed three short films, one TV pilot, and two music videos, most recently as an assistant on the A24/Netflix show Beef. He is also a community advocate, dedicated to organizing politically within refugee and immigrant communities to support social justice. He sees media as a vital tool to tell important stories about people’s day-to-day struggles.
