Peshmerga wins Special Mention Actor Award at Duhok Film Festival
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Hallo Ramshty, a Peshmerga who fought in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS), won the Special Mention Actor Award for his role in the movie Dirty Lands at the Duhok International Film Festival on Monday.
In the film, Ramshty plays a Peshmerga who loses his arm while disarming a mine in the war against ISIS.
Special mention actor award goes to Hallo Ramshty. pic.twitter.com/3jUSewUNGd
— Duhok IFF (@DuhokIFF) November 22, 2021
The film was directed by Kurdish filmmakers Ala Hoshhyar and Reza Alaei, both of whom are from Iran’s Kurdish region.
Hoshyar was also a Peshmerga for seven years before he moved to Norway. He later returned to the Kurdistan Region as a journalist and presenter.
In the film, Ramshty loses his hand and becomes a taxi driver to make ends meet. However, his car is seized by the police. Under pressure from his wife to leave for Europe, he is ready to do anything.
Ramshty told Kurdistan 24 on Monday that he was happy that he participated as “a Peshmerga in a real film about the tragedy and miseries in the life of a Peshmerga.”
“I am delighted to receive the Special Mention Actor Award,” he said.
“This film is about my real life, without any lies,” he added. “Unfortunately, it's bitter, but the movie is about this.”
“I have been injured eight times in war, and I lost my arm.”
After the interview, he showed pictures and videos from his Instagram page, where he also has video’s from when he was demining.
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He dedicated the award to all Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
“I kiss their hands, because if it was not for them, this safety and festival would not be possible,” he said.
“My message to those who are actors, directors or filmmakers for the festival is to work on more movies that show the new Kurdish generation that the current existing freedom (in Kurdistan) is the product of our martyrs’ blood,” he added. “This is very important.”
He also stressed that he is not an actor during his award speech and interview.
“I am Peshmerga; I just participated in a movie about my real life,” he said.
“I haven’t acted, I was myself as a Peshmerga where the miseries and difficulties of my life have been shown in the movie,” he added.
He does not want to compare himself to real actors.
“It’s my first time in a movie.”