Award-winning Kurdish film now shown in 25 cinemas in Netherlands
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The award-winning documentary “Sidik And the Panther” by Dutch-Kurdish filmmaker Reber Dosky is now being shown in 25 cinemas in the Netherlands as coronavirus restrictions are being eased around the country.
Dosky’s “Sidik and the Panther,” filmed in the magnificent mountains of the Kurdistan Region, follows one man, Sidik Barzani, and the dedication he pours into his attempt to find a Persian leopard in the genocide-scarred mountains of the Kurdistan Region. If he can capture one of these magical creatures on film, he reasons, the rugged region will be declared a national park and the bombs will never fall again.
Read More: Dutch-Kurdish filmmaker wins award for ‘Sidik and the Panther’
In 2019, Dosky won the Best Dutch Documentary at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
On Sept. 2, 2020, his movie was awarded two prizes at the Italian Trento Film Festival. This included the main award, the City of Bolzano Prize - Golden Gentian for the best film on exploration or adventure, and the MUSE - Trento Museum of Science award for the most original work dealing with themes such as nature, environment, sustainability, and climate change.
“The movie was supposed to be shown in theatres on March 20, 2020, but due to the coronavirus, it was only shown in theatres from Sept. 10,” Dosky told Kurdistan 24.
The Dutch government has eased coronavirus measures since June, allowing cinemas to re-open for a maximum of 30 people, including staff, seated 1.5 meters apart and by reservation only.
Concert halls were also allowed to re-open, allowing the well-known Kurdish artist Aynur to perform in the Netherlands this month.
“Now, the movie will be shown in 25 cinemas (in the Netherlands), and at the Movie that Matter Film Festival and a film festival by Amnesty International.”
So far, the movie reviews in the Dutch newspapers such as Trouw, NRC, and Volkskrant have been very positive. “All newspapers really appreciated the movie and most reviews rate the movie with four stars,” Dosky said.
“I am very happy as a filmmaker with the reviews. Art is not only made for yourself, but for everyone, and should be accessible for everyone.”
Dosky added that the movie exposes Western audiences to Kurdish nature and the Kurdish issue. “We have shown, with this movie, in a subtle way through the Kurdish mountain, the situation (in Kurdistan), and that’s fantastic!”
Dosky was born in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province. He has lived in the Netherlands since 1998 and graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in 2013.
His short documentary, “The Sniper of Kobani” (2015), earned awards at multiple festivals. His full-length film debut, entitled “Radio Kobani” (2016), premiered at IDFA where it won the national competition, eventually racking up 14 awards at numerous other festivals.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany