Director: Halime Aktürk 
Canada, 2024, 14’, DCP, color 
Kurdish with Turkish, English subtitles 

Ezda is the story of Besime, a young Yazidi mother and survivor of ISIS’s genocide against the Yazidi community. When ISIS invaded the town of Kocho, Yazidis, including most Yazidi men and elderly women, were horrifically murdered by the terrorist regime, while younger women and children were taken as slaves and sold amongst ISIS members. Besime’s husband and many of her family members were murdered, while Besime along with her two sons, were taken and sold as slaves.  

Ezda allows Besime to tell her story in her own words, using animation to visualize the trials and horrors she faced at the hands of ISIS, as well as her long journey to safety. Now living in the relative safety of Canada, she and her children reside in a basement apartment devoid of much sunlight, and reminiscent of her experiences while forced to live in ISIS tunnels. Surrounded by photographs of lost loved ones, Besime is constantly faced with her trauma and the reminders of her experiences. 

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