Kurdish Theater Groups Unite Across Borders at Ziwiye Festival in Saqqez

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a powerful and deeply moving display of cultural resilience and cross-border unity, the third annual Ziwiye Festival of Religious and Traditional Theater concluded its activities in the city of Saqqez, Eastern Kurdistan (northwest of Iran), on Saturday after four days of vibrant performances that celebrated the rich tapestry of Kurdish heritage.

The festival, which brought together artists and audiences from across both eastern and southern Kurdistan, culminated in a poignant awards ceremony where a victorious theater group from Chamchamal dedicated its accolades to the "pure souls of all those children who were victims of the Anfal tragedies," transforming a celebration of art into a profound act of national remembrance and a testament to the enduring power of culture in the face of historical trauma.

The festival, which has quickly established itself as a cornerstone of the cultural calendar in eastern Kurdistan, served as a vibrant platform for the preservation and promotion of Kurdish art, language, and traditions.

Speaking to Kurdistan24, the festival's director, Amir Zarezadeh, expressed his profound pride in the event's growing significance and its deep connection with the public.

"This festival has found a place in the hearts of the people, and this is a source of pride for us," he said. "We are happy that through this festival we can serve our Kurdish art, language, customs, and traditions."

This mission of cultural servitude was evident in every aspect of the four-day event, which saw the city of Saqqez and its surrounding towns and villages come alive with the sounds and stories of a nation.

The competitive and prestigious nature of the festival was clear from the outset. A total of 103 theatrical works were initially submitted for consideration, from which a preparatory committee meticulously selected 23 of the most promising plays to reach the final festival stage.

These final selections were divided into two distinct but complementary categories: 16 plays in the traditional performance section, which delves into the rich wellspring of Kurdish folklore, history, and religious narratives, and 7 plays in the street theater section, a dynamic and accessible format that takes the art form directly to the public.

The decision to stage performances not only in the urban center of Saqqez but also in several of the smaller towns and villages in the surrounding area underscores the festival's grassroots ethos and its commitment to making art accessible to all segments of society.

One of the most significant and celebrated aspects of this year's festival was its powerful demonstration of pan-Kurdish cultural unity. The panel of judges appointed to adjudicate the performances was composed of experienced and respected theater artists from both southern and eastern Kurdistan, ensuring a diverse and expert evaluation of the works.

This cross-border collaboration was mirrored in the participation of the artists themselves, most notably by a theater group from the city of Chamchamal in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Their presence, and ultimate success, served as a powerful symbol of a unified Kurdish cultural space that transcends the modern political borders dividing the nation. Nejad Najm, a representative from the Kirkuk International Street Theater Festival who was also in attendance, praised the high standard of the event and the professionalism of the judging process.

"The committees evaluated the plays with expertise and distributed the awards among them," he told Kurdistan24.

It was the group from Chamchamal that provided the festival with its most emotionally resonant moment.

The troupe, a joint production of the Directorate of Culture and Arts of Chamchamal and the Center for Arts and Culture of Chamchamal, delivered a powerful and critically acclaimed performance that ultimately saw them win four separate awards at the festival's closing ceremony.

Idris Shawkat, a theater artist from the group, spoke to Kurdistan24 about their remarkable achievement. "Fortunately, we were able to win four awards at the festival," he said.

He then made a dedication that transformed their artistic victory into a solemn and sacred act of remembrance for one of the darkest chapters in Kurdish history. "We dedicate the awards to the pure souls of all those children who were victims of the Anfal tragedies," he declared, his words a powerful reminder that for the Kurdish people, art and history are inextricably intertwined.

The Anfal, a genocidal campaign waged by Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime in the late 1980s, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 182,000 Kurds and the complete destruction of thousands of villages.

The dedication of these cultural awards to the innocent victims of that campaign serves as a powerful statement that their memory will not be forgotten and that the cultural life of the nation, which the Anfal sought to annihilate, continues to flourish with defiant vitality.

The festival also served as an invaluable platform for a new generation of Kurdish artists to connect with their heritage and to hone their craft. Sima Kalantari, an actress from the city of Piranshahr in eastern Kurdistan, spoke of the profound impact the festival had on her and her young theater group.

"We are a group of young people from Piranshahr, and this is the first time we are participating in this festival," she said. "It was truly very interesting and beautiful for us. We learned many things from it, especially in the sections of Kurdish folk culture."

Her experience highlights the festival's crucial role not only as a showcase for established artists but as an educational and inspirational forum where the torch of cultural preservation is passed to the next generation.

As the curtain fell on the third Ziwiye Theater Festival, the sense of accomplishment and cultural pride was palpable. The event had successfully brought together artists, intellectuals, and the general public in a shared celebration of a heritage that has withstood countless attempts at erasure.

The awards, distributed for excellence in a wide range of theatrical disciplines including directing, acting, playwriting, music, and design, honored the immense talent and dedication within the Kurdish artistic community.

But more than that, the festival served as a powerful and defiant declaration. It was a declaration that Kurdish culture is vibrant, unified, and deeply rooted in its history, a history that includes both profound sorrow and indomitable resilience.

As the artists from Chamchamal demonstrated with their poignant dedication, the stage can be a powerful place not only to tell stories but also to honor the dead and, in so doing, to reaffirm the enduring life of a nation.