We’re very proud that Fish for Life has got selected for the Rojava International Film Festival. This is the first festival of this kind in Northern Syria. Unfortunately, a sad message reached us last month: the town has been attacked again since October 9th, although the end of the war against the Islamic State was announced this March. Consequently, the festival organizers thought of canceling the festival first. But then they had the great idea to send a worldwide call to host opening night screenings of the festival in various cities around the globe. This is what they wrote to us:
We will do all that is in our hands to celebrate the festival. We believe that now, more than ever, it is necessary that the Rojava International Film Festival is celebrated to prove that culture and dialog are a path to freedom. They might occupy our lands, but they will never conquer our thoughts and spirits.
What a powerful message! We support the idea of the power of cinema to rebuild society. We definitely need to restore broken bridges of trust among people and communities.
The Rojava International Film Festival is a celebration of life, arts, and cinema. This year’s themes are cultural sovereignty, women’s emancipation, and resistance which are at the core of the Revolution of Rojava.
The 13th of November is the date on which the festival starts every year, in memory of the massacre which occurred in Amude, a town in Rojava, where a cinema was burned down in 1960.
So, let us also think about all the victims. Our team also hopes and wishes that peace will finally come to North Syria.
