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A Former refugee has brought a Kurdish
legend to life in animation
22.6.2008
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June
22, 2008
LONDON, — Havi Ibrahim, who fled Kurdistan,
worked with British animator Stuart Palmer to create
the first Kurdish animated film.
Working as Splash Animations, they created The
Legend Of Kawa The Blacksmith using British and
Kurdish actors.
The 55-minute film was previewed at The Octagon in
Walker Street, west Hull, on Sunday for the start of
Refugee Week.
Mr Ibrahim, 28, an art student, of Harley Street,
west Hull, arrived in Britain six years ago, via
Germany.
Mr Ibrahim, now a British citizen, said: "It's the
first film of its kind - the first Kurdish animated
film.
"It was very important it was a Kurdish story. But
it's not just a Kurdish film for Kurdish people. I
believe many British people are going to like it as
well."
The film features 11 Kurdish and 11 British actors,
who provide the voiceover for the film.
It tells the story of Kawa, a blacksmith, who kills
King Zohak, the ruler of Mesopotamia, with his
hammer.
The legend is one of most famous folk tales in
Kurdistan, a region that covers parts of Iraq,
Turkey, Iran, Syria and Armenia.
Kawa's triumph over Zohak is celebrated with the
annual festival of Newroz, the Kurdish new year, on
March 21.
Mr Ibrahim and Mr Palmer approached the Goodwin
Trust,www.ekurd.net
which helps communities
across the city, and the trust agreed to pay them a
wage to create the film.
They researched traditional Kurdish housing, clothes
and scenery, using contacts in Kurdistan to ensure
the animation was accurate.
They then created the animation at home on
computers.
The film took more than a year to make. Every second
of the animation is made up of 25 frames, each of
which had to be individually rendered.
Splash is putting finishing touches to the Kurdish
and English versions of the film and intends to
release it on DVD later this year in Europe,
Kurdistan, the US and Canada.
It also hopes to sell the rights for broadcast on
Kurdish television.
Mr Palmer, 40, of Spring Bank, west Hull, said: "I
didn't know much about Kurdish culture and it was a
chance to explore something a bit different."
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
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