Tag Archives: movement

BAKUR: Inside the PKK

Shot in secret, BAKUR: Inside the PKK is the worlds first documentary made with inside access to the Kurdish separatist group, who are considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and NATO. The result is an inside look at the undeclared war going on in Turkey for decades. This was the first time any film crew had ever accessed these camps.

To date, the PKK has lost over 30 thousand of its members in combat against the Turkish State. What is the PKK’s perception of the state, justice and authority? What constitutes the foundation of their relationship to the people? How did the Kurdish movement evolve over the years into a battle for freedom founded on the women’s rights movement? How do the guerrillas who have been living under wartime conditions for 40 years manage to survive all year-round in the harsh outdoor living conditions in the mountains?

In search for answers to all of these questions, BAKUR: Inside the PKK introduces the audience to men and women who have chosen to join the armed resistance in order to create a new future. We witness life in three guerrilla camps located in three different regions of Kurdish territory within the Turkish borders.

Beautifully shot over months, we follow the lives of guerrilla fighters including the training and graduation of new recruits, their justice system and the progressive philosophies that guide them.

 

BAKUR: Inside the PKK from Sideways Film on Vimeo.

Diary of a School Under Siege

During the student demonstrations in Chile, a group of High-School students break in to one of the most emblematic schools of the capital city, the Darío Salas high school, and occupy it for six months.

The camera is locked in with them as this group of idealistic young protesters take on the authorities in a battle to draw attention to their governments brutally destructive new education policies.

Barricaded inside, the situation intensifies as their struggles to maintain unity and political influence vie with the problems faced by teenagers the world over, all the while under the constant threat of police raids.

Hunger strikes and tear gas attacks clash with attempts to organise lessons and cleaning rotas. Press conferences and raids punctuate days of political debate over their direction, while girls fall pregnant, the school falls into disrepair and arguments emerge over the future of their protest.

By the end of this transformative period, our inspiring protagonists have changed forever. Diary of a School Under Siege is a bittersweet coming-of-age story, set against and reflecting a global movement that echoes throughout every corner of the planet.