On August 6, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Yezidi Genocide, the Consulate General of the Netherlands, the Consulate General of Germany, the Embassy Office of Canada, and the Kurdistan Film Commission organized a screening of Daughters of the Sun, a film directed by Dutch-Kurdish filmmaker Reber Dosky that follows nine female Yezidi survivors as they rebuild their lives after their liberation from ISIS.
The film screening also commemorated the Yezidi Genocide perpetrated by ISIS in August 2014, in which more than 5,000 Yezidis were killed and over 6,000 Yezidis were kidnapped.
During the event, Dosky said the film was made in 2021 and premiered in the Netherlands in March 2023.
In April, seven of the Yezidi women who were in the film visited the Netherlands and met with members of parliament from different political parties. “The film is important to tell the story of the Yezidis. We showed the film in 21 cinemas, and visited all the political parties,” Dosky said.
He told Kurdistan Chronicle that all the support is welcome. However, he added that it is important that Western countries continue to pay attention to this issue. “This case is not finished yet and this film sends a signal to the world.”
Attended a screening of "Daughters of the Sun," a film by Reber Dosky, marking the 10th Anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide. Hosted by @nlinkri @GermanyInKRI @CanadainErbil and Kurdistan Film Commission. Moved by the film and inspired by the strength of the surviving characters. pic.twitter.com/5URhzejdqb
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) August 5, 2024
He warned that ISIS fighters and their families will return to Western countries. “These countries should be aware of the dangers posed by these ISIS returnees, but also they should not forget about justice, as Yezidis have been living in camps for 10 years.”
The filmmaker hopes the film could serve as evidence “for countries to prosecute ISIS fighters. I hope that this film can bring more attention to the plight of the Yezidis.”
During the event, Dosky underlined that more should be done to remember the genocide, especially because around 1,700 Yezidi women and children remain missing. He told Kurdistan Chronicle that some of that number may fear to return or are unable to, even if their locations are known.
“One Yezidi girl ended up in Gaza. We should ask ourselves how this is possible. There are now Yezidi girls stuck in Urfa, in Turkey. I know their addresses, and I have their phone numbers, why don’t they come back?”
“Our civil society, government, and diplomats should do more to bring our people back.”
Dosky also thanked the Kurdish peshmerga fighters for their sacrifices in liberating Sinjar from ISIS.
Kurdistan Regional Government Department of Foreign Relations Head Safeen Dizayee also participated in the event. He posted on X that he was “moved by the film and inspired by the strength of the surviving characters.”
After parts of the film were screened, two of the survivors, Sarab Naif and Fawzia Bisar, spoke about the film and their efforts to rebuild their lives.
Naif underlined that “the documentary was something positive to shed more light on the genocide against the Yezidis; it shows the atrocities that our people suffered from and the hardship that our people are going through.”
“It also shows the resilience of our people, in a message to the world, that we are still strong, and that there is still hope, thanks to the consulates and everyone who was a part of this.”
At the end of the event, the Yezidi princess Mayan Khairy Saeed Beg and senior advisor to the Yezidi Supreme Spiritual Council Karim Suleiman thanked Reber Dosky for his film and the consulates for their support. “We thank all the countries and everyone that helped us,” Princess Beg said.
The Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Erbil Jaco Beerends underlined that storytelling is a very important way to reach audiences beyond Kurdistan. “This is a way to tell an important message to the world. I recommend that people see the full film, since it’s a really impressive piece of work.”
Beerends also thanked the Kurdistan Film Commission for their efforts and cooperation.
Read More: Kurdistan Film Commission Hosts First Event
The full film will be screened from August 6 to 9 at the Empire Cinema in Erbil.
Kurdistan Film Commission Director Kae Bahar previously told Kurdistan Chronicle that these screenings of the film will be free. He said the film “deals with a horrendous but very important subject matter, and is especially important during the 10-year anniversary of the Yezidi Genocide.”
During the event, Bahar, himself a survivor of torture under Saddam Hussein’s regime, also thanked Yezidi survivors Naif and Bisar, and the consulates for their support. “Your presence brings love, which is what we need tonight to combat the darkness of ISIS and terror. You bring light tonight; thank you for being here.”
