What The Wind Took Away

A poetic approach to the very personal stories of two Yazidi women, Hedil & Naam, and a lyrical journey through their everyday lives in the refugee camp.

“We, the Yazidis, became doves. Doves without wings”, says Hedil. Stranded with her family in a Yazidi refugee camp in Eastern Turkey, she reminisces about her former life in Northern Iraq and recounts the horrors of her escape. The film follows two families’ attempts at normality in an otherwise miserable place. (This Human World 2017) – deutsch

As a tribe of Kurdish nation, Yazidis never had an official land and had to suffer oppression from other countries since the beginning of their existence. Yazidi women additionally have to endure the hegemony of men and it’s strict customs. During the IS attack in August 2014 in Sinjar (Northern Iraq) – the main settlement area of Yazidis – plenty of men were killed and thousands of women kidnapped. What the wind took away shows the destiny of two Yazidi women and how violence and oppression affected their lives. It aims to achieve an intimate insight into their personal experiences during the IS war. This poetic documentary makes the audience travel in time and become a part of the nostalgic stories of these young women. By illuminating their stories concerning their gender and their origin it tries to give them a voice that is loud enough to be heard in the western world. (Ethnocineca 2017) – deutsch

Beete anlegen, um neuen Grund zu kultivieren, Verschläge zimmern, um Raum zu gewinnen: Anbau am monotonen Zwischenort. Die jesidischen Mütter Hedil und Naam sind mit ihren Familien vor dem IS in ein südosttürkisches Camp geflüchtet. Stolz pflegen sie Bräuche und Erinnerungen, halten aus und säen Zukunft. (Duisburger Filmwoche 2017)

Duisburg-Protokoll: “What The Wind Took Away” (German / deutsch)