The Kurdish short film Dying Among the Living, directed by Rekar Barzan, has achieved a major success in Iraq after winning the Best Film award at the International Iraqi Youth Festival in Baghdad.
The festival, organised by the Iraqi Artists Syndicate, featured strong competition from filmmakers across the country.
Rekar Barzan said 100 films took part in the festival, with only 10 selected for final award nominations.
“Fortunately, Dying Among the Living earned the jury’s confidence and was named the best film of the festival,” he said.
The film explores one of the most pressing issues of the modern era: irregular migration. It follows the story of a young man who, faced with hardship and limited opportunities, is driven to choose a dangerous path in search of a better future.
Along that journey, only three outcomes await him: survival, death, or return.
Through a powerful artistic approach, the film highlights the emotional and human struggles many young people face as they seek hope beyond their borders.
Barzan, who has written and directed four short films, said his work has regularly appeared at local and international festivals.
He added that Dying Among the Living has previously earned recognition at several screenings, contributing to the growing presence of Kurdish cinema on wider platforms.
