Description
This paper examines how Kurdish documentary cinema functions as a form of memory activism, contributing to the shaping and reclaiming of Kurdish cultural memory. It positions Kurdish cinema as a transnational, decolonial practice that challenges dominant historical narratives. Through the preservation and sharing of individual and collective histories, memories, and stories of trauma and resilience, Kurdish documentary films serve as critical tools against cultural erasure and provide a platform for marginalized voices. In the context of minority and indigenous filmmaking, memory activism becomes not only an aesthetic choice but also an ethical and political commitment to honor the voices of those systematically silenced. This research uses critical visual analysis (Rose, 2022) and Veysi Altay’s film Bîr (The Well, 2018) and Berke Gol’s film Dargecit (2024) as case studies to explore how Kurdish documentaries construct alternative memories that resist colonial perspectives. Rather than focusing on trauma and victimization, these films build narratives of struggle for human rights and resilience. The analysis situates Kurdish cinema within broader concepts of memory studies, including stateless memory (Hirsch, 2019), visual or mediated sites of memory, and the role of audio-visual archives (Brunow, 2015) in preserving histories when no official state record or recognition exists.
