Iraqi filmmaker Adnan Osman, who has depicted Islamic State’s (IS) atrocities on women in his latest film “Kingdom Of Ants”, says the Kurdish movie could be a tool to counter terrorism.
“For me the most important issue is the human and social aspect but yes of course, it could be an instrument against terrorism,” Osman told the media here on Tuesday at the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival. The film is part of the Asian Select (NETPAC Award) competition in the fest.
The title denotes instability and the film revolves around a Yazidi girl who is a victim of IS atrocities.
“After 11 months of captivity, she gives birth to an illegitimate child whose father is unknown. The girl is then saved by a human trafficker, but her illegitimate daughter causes social problems since no one in the community accepts them,” said Osman.
Shot in several locations in Kurdistan region, the film represented Iraq at the 27th Carthage International Film Festival and was also screened in the Counter-Terrorism International Cinema forum in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Recalling the challenges during filming, Osman, who interacted with the media through a translator, said it was difficult to convince the families of the victims to talk to the filmmaking team.
“Since it was such a sensitive issue, we had to stay for three months with families whose daughters were victims of IS kidnappings,” Osman added.
