Translating Ulysses

70 min., Netherlands/Turkey, 2023

Directors
Aylin Kuryel, Fırat Yücel

Producers
Özgür Doğan, Aylin Kuryel, Fırat Yücel

Editing
Fırat Yücel, Aylin Kuryel

Participants
Kawa Nemir, Armağan Ekici, Şener Özmen, James Joyce Society, Cemil Yıldız, Ceren Kuşdemir Özbilek, Theater RAST, Şanoya Bajer a Amade, Celil Toksöz, Dodan Özer, Margreet Dorleijn, Sadık Daşdöğen, Çetin Daşdöğen

Cinematography
Aylin Kuryel, Fırat Yücel, Şener Özmen, Roy van Egmond

Sound mix
Metin Bozkurt

Poster design
Şener Özmen

Kawa Nemir is like a walking dictionary of Kurdish language. He incessantly records new words and idioms of his mother tongue. He considers language his home as he wanders from one exile to another. With its vast, infinite range of words, symbols and anti-colonial resonance, translating James Joyce’s Ulysses into Kurdish becomes a burning passion for him. Leaving political turmoil and his loved ones behind he moves from Turkey to the Netherlands. Kawa takes refuge at Anne Frank’s former house in Amsterdam, where she started writing her diary, now serving as residence for exiled writers. Will he be able to publish the translation of Ulysses?


The full film is available on Mubi Türkiye for members.

Screenings and awards

    WORLD PREMIERE and AWARDS
  • 38th DOK.fest München, May 2023 World Premiere
  • 1st FIC.UBA International Film Festival, International Feature Film Competition, Buenos Aires, July 2023 Special Mention
  • 14th Hamburg Kurdish Film Festival, November 2023 Special Jury Prize
  • Bloomsday Film Festival, Dublin, June 2023 Best Joycean Feature Film Award

      • OTHER SCREENINGS
    • Goethe Institute, Amsterdam, May 2023
    • 3rd Amsterdam Kurdish Film Festival, May 2023
    • 16th Documentarist - Istanbul Documentary Days, June 2023
    • Documentarist Documentary Screenings, Karaçay Social Center - Antakya, July 2023
    • Bogazici University, BÜ(S)K/BÜED Kurdî open air screening, Istanbul, June 2023
    • 2nd St. Moritz Art Film Festival, International Feature Film Competition, August 2023
    • 30th Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, September 2023
    • 8th Mîhrîcana Belgefîlman a FîlmAmed, September 2023
    • 13th Kurdish Film Festival Berlin, October 2023
    • Kıraathane - Istanbul Literature House, October 2023
    • MACA Moving Arts Center Amsterdam, October 2023
    • 11th Antakya Film Festival, October 2023
    • 4th Orient Express Film Festival/James Joyce Foundation/Looren Translation House, Zurich, November 2023
    • 4th Orient Express Film Festival/James Joyce Foundation/Looren Translation House, Zurich, November 2023
    • 10th Zeugma Film Festival, Antep, December 2023
    • 14th Human Rights Documentary Film Days - TİHV, İzmir, Van & Diyarbakır, December 2023
    • 10th Duhok Film Festival, World Documentaries Competition, December 2023
    • Batman Yeni Sahne, December 2023
    • Şaneşîn Performans, Mardin, December 2023
    • Anka-Der, Ankara, Ocak 2024
    • Sound Idea, Istanbul, December 2023
    • Anka-Der, Ankara, January 2024
    • 35th Trieste Film Festival, January 2024
    • 6th Festival des Monteurs Associés, Paris, March 2024
    • De Appel, Amsterdam March 2024
    • 18th Tüpisch Türkisch, Köln, March 2024
    • 9th InScience Film Festival, Nijmegen, March 2024
    • 35th Türkische Filmtage München, April 2024
    • 3rd Festival des films kurdes de Paris, April 2024

Interviews

Articles