Kurdistan24 Employee Wins Best Documentary Award in US
Jubrail Abubakr’s documentary “A Shattered Pomegranate” has won the Best Documentary award at the Orlando Independent Film Awards festival in Florida.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A Kurdish documentary exploring the human stories of Kurds across four countries has earned international recognition in the United States, with “A Shattered Pomegranate,” directed by Kurdistan24 employee Jubrail Abubakr, winning the Best Documentary award at the Orlando Independent Film Awards in Orlando, Florida.
Speaking to Kurdistan24 on Wednesday, Abubakr said the documentary approaches the lives of Kurds in Iran, Iraq, Türkiye, and Syria through a human lens, focusing on communities that have faced war, displacement, discrimination, oppression, and deprivation of some basic human rights over many years.
“The documentary ‘A Shattered Pomegranate’ approaches the life stories of Kurds in four countries, including Iran, Iraq, Türkiye, and Syria, through a human perspective; a people who for many years have faced war, displacement, discrimination, oppression, and deprivation of some basic human rights.”
Abubakr said the film goes beyond portraying the suffering experienced by these communities, seeking instead to show the people and dreams behind those hardships.
“The film does not only portray an image of the suffering of this community, but also tries to see the human being and their dreams behind that suffering; a person who, despite all these hardships, still carries in their heart the dream of a normal, peaceful, and safe life.”
Abubakr said the Kurdistan Region appears in the documentary as a comparatively more peaceful and secure area, offering a possible refuge for some Kurds who have fled war and instability.
“Within this narrative, the Kurdistan Region appears as a more peaceful and safer area; a place that, for some Kurds from the region who have fled war and instability, can become a refuge, a hope for a new life, and an opportunity to start again.”
Abubakr described the Orlando Independent Film Awards as an annual film festival held in Orlando, Florida, dedicated to supporting and recognizing independent cinema from around the world.
“The Orlando Independent Film Awards is a film festival held annually in Orlando, Florida. The festival is dedicated to supporting and recognizing independent cinema from around the world. Its aim is to create a platform for independent directors, writers, and producers to introduce their works to the world and receive the recognition they deserve.”
He said the festival presented awards across several categories, including Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Documentary, Best International Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
Abubakr said “A Shattered Pomegranate” was selected for the award from thousands of submissions.
“The festival presented various awards in different categories, including Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Documentary, Best International Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Fortunately, out of 4,650 films, of which only 100 films were selected, my film was able to win the Best Documentary award.”
Abubakr, a Kurdistan24 employee, has participated in several international film festivals and has received multiple international awards.
The recognition in Orlando adds another international distinction to a documentary built around the experiences, hardships, aspirations, and hopes of Kurdish communities across the region.