In 2012, in the wake of the Syrian civil war in northern Syria, the Democratic Federation of Rojava emerged. Its main objective was not the establishment of a Kurdish state in Syria, but rather a society based on gender equality, protecting nature and grassroots democracy. This utopian attempt was accompanied from the beginning by the artistic medium of film. A screening of films from the region, accompanied by discussions about art & revolution.
Until a few years ago, the city of Serê Kaniyê was a region in northern Syria shaped by peaceful ethnic and religious diversity. Since the beginning of the civil war in Syria, the city has been divided into regions based on religion. A class photo as an artefact of peaceful coexistence takes Ekrem Heydo from Germany back to his native city to recount his classmates’ tragic stories. This film My Paradise is the artistic documentation of a journey in search of the point when friends became enemies.
After the film screening: Artist talk with Ekrem Heydo.
