Our office is proud to support the 2022 edition of the New York Kurdish Film Festival and present the documentary film “Gefängnis oder Exil” (Prison or exile), by filmmaker Şerif Çiçek.
Join us on Sunday, October 16th at 1:00 PM for the screening of “Gefängnis oder Exil” and a Q&A with the director.
Village East by Angelika Theater, 181-189 2nd Avenue New York, NY 10003
Reserve your tickets here
Gefängnis oder Exil (Prison or exile), 2021
Director: Şerif Çiçek
Writers: Şerif Çiçek, Ayse Bengi Yildiz
Cast: Firat Anli, Nursel Aydogan, Zülküf Karatekin
Synopsis: In Turkey since 2016, the AKP government has been targeting Kurdish elected officials by lifting their immunity, imprisoning them, and replacing them with “administrators” loyal to the government. Today 20 former MPs and mayors live in exile.
About the director: Şerif Çiçek was born in Amed, Northern Kurdistan (Turkey) in 1992. During his studies, he worked on numerous film projects in Istanbul as an assistant to the production designer and as assistant to the director. In 2017 and 2018, he worked in Northern Syria as part of the Rojava Film Commune. He then moved to Germany and worked as a director and producer for Art Records Production. With Art Records, he already directed and produced numerous music videos and TV programs. He recently published his first documentary “Prison or exile”, which was screened all over Europe. At the same time, he also functions as the European representative of the Rojava Film Commune.
About the Festival: The Kurdish Cultural Center was founded in 2017 to provide a safe space for diaspora Kurds in New York to reclaim and celebrate their cinema, poetry, literature, and music—and to introduce non-Kurds to the rich breadth of Kurdish culture and art. The festival, directed by the Center’s founder Xeyal Qertel, places a special emphasis on cinema. By representing a culture shared in all parts of Kurdistan, Kurdish cinema can unite Kurds across their divisions. It often portrays the harsh reality of discrimination and segregation that Kurdish people experience daily. Kurdish cinema can also enhance understanding on the part of non-Kurds. It shows how much people have in common with each other while preserving the uniqueness of Kurdish culture. The festival screens feature films, short films, and documentaries. It also offers live music and dance performances, and author talks.
Learn more about the Kurdish Cultural Center and the Film Festival at kurdishculturalcenter.com
