Iraq Director Hassan Cancels Miami Fest Attendance
(released
1/28/2017)
By Kimberly Burke
 Director Hussein Hassan
The Miami Film Festival has been notified that filmmaker Hussein Hassan the director of the film Reseba - The Dark Wind will not be attending. The filmmaker has withdrawn his Visa Application to the United States Consulate for clearance to attend the film's North American premiere.
The producer of the film Mehmet Aktas issued the following statement: "Hussein Hassan shot his film RESEBA – THE DARK WIND at the front line of the war between the Kurds and the so called Islamic State. Hussein Hassan risked everything to present the true face of the war. Hassan is not a fighter at the front line, he fights with his artistic soul against terrorism and crimes. The US are the closest and most important allies for Kurdistan. Now it seems to be impossible for a Kurdish artist to visit the US to present his work. As an act of peaceful protest, Hussein Hassan decided to withdraw from his visa application. We as Kurdish filmmakers hope that Donald Trump will acknowledge the Kurdish people."
The 34th edition of the Miami Dade College's Miami Film Festival will screen the film as planned. The Miami Film festival director Jaie Laplante stated, "One of Miami Film Festival’s core values is to bridge cultural understanding, to provoke thought and discussion, and The Dark Wind is one of the most timely, moving and important films in this year’s Festival. It is essential that roadblocks not be put in place that will prevent artists from the free discussion of their work, and equally essential that the world’s artists are made to feel welcome in the United States."
Print this article
|