Hiner Saleem
Encyclopedia
Huner Saleem also transliterated as Huner Salim, (born 9 March 1964), is an Iraqi
–Kurdish
film director
. He was born in the town of Aqrah
(Akre) in Iraqi Kurdistan
. He left Iraq
at the age of 17, and soon made his way to Italy
, where he completed school and attended university. Later on, he moved to France
where he lives now. In 1992, after the First Gulf War, he filmed undercover the living conditions of Iraqi Kurds. This footage was shown at the Venice Film Festival
. In 1998, he made his first movie, Vive la marie ... et la liberation du Kurdistan. His second, Passeurs de rêves, came out in 2000, and his third film, Vodka Lemon
, released in 2003, won the San Marco Prize at the Venice Film Festival http://www.labiennale.org/it/cinema/storia/2000/it/4554.1.html. He wrote and directed all three. He was honored with the prestigious title Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by French Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
in 2005. His memoirs titled My Father's Rifle
has been published in French
, English
and Greek
.
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
–Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He was born in the town of Aqrah
Aqrah
Aqrah is a city and district in Iraq which is located in the Ninawa Governorate. The total area of the district is km2...
(Akre) in Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
. He left Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
at the age of 17, and soon made his way to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he completed school and attended university. Later on, he moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where he lives now. In 1992, after the First Gulf War, he filmed undercover the living conditions of Iraqi Kurds. This footage was shown at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. In 1998, he made his first movie, Vive la marie ... et la liberation du Kurdistan. His second, Passeurs de rêves, came out in 2000, and his third film, Vodka Lemon
Vodka Lemon
Vodka Lemon is a 2003 film directed by the Kurdish director Hiner Saleem.-Plot:The story is set in a Yazidi Kurdish village in Armenia, still suffering economically from the Soviet collapse. Hamo, a Kurdish widower with three sons, visits his wife's grave everyday...
, released in 2003, won the San Marco Prize at the Venice Film Festival http://www.labiennale.org/it/cinema/storia/2000/it/4554.1.html. He wrote and directed all three. He was honored with the prestigious title Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by French Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres , often known as RDDV, is a French politician, France's Minister of Culture from 2004 to 2007...
in 2005. His memoirs titled My Father's Rifle
My Father's Rifle
My Father's Rifle: A Childhood in Kurdistan is a book by Kurdish film director Hiner Saleem . The book is a fictionalized account of Saleem's childhood in Kurdistan....
has been published in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
.
Filmography as director, writer
- Vive la mariée... et la libération du Kurdistan (1997)
- Passeurs de rêves (2000) (English Title: Beyond Our Dreams)
- Absolitude (2001) (TV)
- Vodka LemonVodka LemonVodka Lemon is a 2003 film directed by the Kurdish director Hiner Saleem.-Plot:The story is set in a Yazidi Kurdish village in Armenia, still suffering economically from the Soviet collapse. Hamo, a Kurdish widower with three sons, visits his wife's grave everyday...
(2003) - Kilomètre zéroKilomètre zéroKilomètre zéro is a 2005 film written, produced, and directed by the Kurdish director Hiner Saleem. Kilometre Zero is the first Iraqi film chosen for the official Cannes competition.-Plot:...
(2005) - DolDol-Places:* Dol-de-Bretagne, a commune of the Ille-et-Vilaine département in France* Dol pri Borovnici, a village in Borovnica municipality, Slovenia* Dol pri Hrastniku, a village in Hrastnik municipality, Slovenia...
(2007) - Les Toits de Paris (2007) (English Title: Beneath the Rooftops of Paris)
Books
- My Father's Rifle: A Childhood in Kurdistan, Translated from FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
by Catherine Temerson, 112 pp., Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Jan. 2005, ISBN 0-374-21693-2. - To doufeki tou patera mou Translated from FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
by Efi Koromila, 181 pp., Okeanida,Athens, Feb. 2004, ISBN 960-410-324-5.