Kurdish director elated with response to his film at ALIIFF

Kurdish filmmaker Shakwan Idrees's directorial debut "Face of the Ash" was well received when it was screened here at the All Lights India International Film Festival (ALIIFF). The debutant filmmaker is thrilled with the response.

"Screening it before such a large audience is very encouraging and the response has been very positive. The film will next be screened at International Film Festival of Kerala and I hope we get similar response there too," Idrees told IANS.

Set against the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the film revolves around a Muslim family that receives the body of their son who was killed in the war.

As they prepare for the funeral, they realise the body is not circumcised. The news reaches the neighbouring Christian family that claims the body as that of their son.

"The film shows the effects of the war on the Kurds in a satirical way. I deliberately made it partly funny to keep the audience entertained but at the same time ensured the message is not diluted," Idrees said, adding that films can play a vital role in bringing people from different cultures together.

The film stars Taha Aghajan, Naser Hasan, Anwar Shekhani, Hero Hasan and Tahsen Bolbol among others.