DIFF FILMS

FOR THE YEAR 2010

THE FIRST MOVIE

United Kingdom, Canada / 2009 / Kurdish, English dialogue with English subtitles / Colour / DigiBeta / 76 mins

Genre: Documentary

Cast & Credits

Director: Mark Cousins
Producer: Gill Parry, Trish Dolman
Scriptwriter: Mark Cousins
Cinematographer: Mark Cousins
Editor: Timo Langer
Composer: Melissa Hui

Synopsis

This very special documentary was shot in the sun-baked village of Goptapa, in Iraqi Kurdistan. Travelling through the region in 2008, British writer and filmmaker Mark Cousins discovered in Goptapa, a community thriving, yet still haunted by Saddam Hussein's genocidal massacres, twenty years ago. Wishing to try and somehow capture impressions of the village's collective memories of war and suffering led Cousins to tap the fertile imaginations of the village's children. This he did by assembling a makeshift open-air cinema and screening five classic childrens' films and then, giving the youngsters video cameras and inviting them to make their own films. In 'The First Movie' we witness the joy and excitement of the children as they encounter cinema for the first time and then, turn to their own stories. From the whimsical to the profound, the short films unleash a torrent of creativity and expression, which fit in perfectly with Cousins' own sensitive cinematography and narrative. Having drawn huge critical acclaim across the festival circuit, 'The First Film' resonates with life, imagination, beauty and inspiration.

Contains: Parental Guidance (PG)