Memories On Stone
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Memories On Stone |
| Original title | Bîranînen li ser kevirî |
| Country of production | Kurdistan Autonomous Region (Iraq), Germany |
| original language | Kurdish |
| Publishing year | 2014 |
| length | 97 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Şewket Emîn Kurkî |
| script | Shawkat Amin Korki, Mehmet Aktaş |
| production | Mehmet Aktaş |
| camera | Salem Salavati |
| cut | Ebrahim Saeedi |
| occupation | |
| |
Memories On Stone ( Kurdish title: Bîranînen li ser kevirî ) is a German-Kurdish feature film by the director Şewket Emîn Kurkî from 2014. It was produced by mîtosfilm in coproduction with mîtosfilm Iraq. The film shows the difficulties that school friends Hussein and Alan had in making a film in liberated Iraq (today's Autonomous Region of Kurdistan ) about the crimes of the Saddam government during the Anfal genocide . The film received many awards and nominations at international festivals and was Iraq's 2016 Oscar submission for best international film.
action
After Saddam's system in Iraq collapses, school friends Hussein and Alan decide to produce a film about the Al-Anfal genocide. But making a film in post-war Kurdistan is not easy and it soon turns out to be an odyssey. The most difficult task of all seems to be to cast the female lead. When they have almost given up hope, Sinur auditiones for them for the role. She is young, pretty and very interested in the project as her own childhood was overshadowed by this genocide. But the decision is not up to Sinur alone: Her cousin Hiwa and her uncle Hamid have to give their consent. Something seems to bind Sinur so strongly to this film that she even agrees to be engaged to her unloved cousin Hiwa. The shoot begins, but the problems increase. While money and time are getting tight, Hussein and Alan try everything they can to end the film. The main problem, however, revolves around Sinar's family. Hiwa's jealousy and frustration at Sinar's devotion to the project is only increased by Hamid's accusation of defamation and the threat of being expelled from the family. In a tragic twist, Hussein is shot while shooting the final scene. He survived seriously injured, but production came to a halt again. The biggest question remains: will the film ever hit the big screen?
Reviews
“… A dark tale of an inescapable past told with expected dollops of absurdist humor. Presumably full of semi-autobiographical touches, the film fits snugly into director Shawkat Amin Korki's body of work ("Kick Off", "Crossing the Dust") and the long line of pics dealing with the social and personal pressures of making a relevant movie . ”
“Though the gentle humor of his previous films is there, it's dominated by the angst of the fictional filmmakers as they battle to find actors and resources in a poverty-stricken landscape. Not as easy or charming a picture as the director's Kick Off, it will likely find most positive response from informed festival audiences interested in recent Kurdish history. ”
" Memories on Stone is [...] not only an attempt to heal the wound of the past (a tragic story that threatens to repeat itself especially today), but also a clever and always surprising commitment to an extraordinary vocation: filmmaking. "
Awards and nominations
- 2014: World premiere: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
- 2014: Best Film from the Arab World - Abu Dhabi Film Festival
- 2014: Unesco Prize - Asia Pacific Screen Awards
- 2014: Best Director (Shawkat Amin Korki) - Cinedays Skopje International Film Festival
- 2015: Best Film, Best Screenplay, Special Mention of the Critics - Fantasporto Film Festival
- 2015: Best Feature Narrative - Peace on Earth Film Festival Chicago
- 2015: Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor (Hussein Hassan), Special Jury Prize for Editing (Ebrahim Saeedi) - RiverRun International Film Festival
- 2015: Best Kurdish Director, Duhok City Award for Best Feature Length Film filmed in the Bahdinan Region - Duhok International Film Festival
- 2015: Special Jury Award - Asian World Film Festival (Los Angeles)
- 2015: Best International Film - Antalya Film Festival
- 2016: Iraqi Oscar entry
Web links
- "Official Website"
- Memories On Stone in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Memories On Stone at filmportal.de (with photo gallery and trailer)
- Iraq's 'Memories on Stone' Oscar Entry . In: Financial Tribune , September 3, 2015, accessed January 8, 2016
Individual evidence
- ↑ Release certificate for Memories On Stone . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF).
- ^ Film Review: Memories on Stone. (English) accessed on January 8, 2016
- ↑ 'Memories on Stone': Abu Dhabi Review (English) accessed on January 8, 2016
- ↑ Kino gegen Tradition (German), accessed on May 11, 2016