Het Puntje x Movies that Matter: Daughters of the Sun
This summer, we’re teaming up with beach pavilion Het Puntje to present a mini film festival at the northernmost tip of Scheveningen! In collaboration with Amalna Collective, we have selected three films that invite reflection, dialogue, and connection.
On Saturday, 22 August, we will screen Daughters of the Sun (2023). In this documentary, Kurdish-Dutch filmmaker Reber Dosky follows nine Yazidi women as they return to their community after being freed from ISIS fighters, who held them in captivity and subjected them to years of sexual slavery. With each other’s love and support, and inspired by the wisdom of theatre maker Hussein, they find the strength to look towards the future.
About the film
In 2014, Islamic State attacked the Sinjar region in Southern Kurdistan “like hungry wolves.” Sinjar is home to a large Yazidi community. Many Yazidi girls—some as young as ten years old—were abducted and forced into sexual slavery. Today, many of them are free, but they must find a way to live with the deep trauma they endured.
In a refugee camp in Kurdistan, a group of Yazidi women and girls come together to heal. Their group sessions are led by “Uncle Hussein,” a wise theatre maker who supports them, cries with them, and makes them laugh. Together, they begin to realise that a future is still possible. “We were enslaved, sold in markets and raped,” one of the girls says. “But they could not extinguish the light in our hearts.” A moving and inspiring documentary by Reber Dosky (Sidik and the Panther).
Special programme
After the screening, director Reber Dosky will join moderator Sam Heeremans for a conversation with the audience.
Portraits of Hope
The film programme is inspired by the themes explored in the Portraits of Hope exhibition by Amalna Collective, on view throughout August in De Komma. In this exhibition, photographer Ferdows Faghir portrays residents of an asylum seekers’ centre using analogue portraits made with his Kamra-e-Faoree (Afghan Box Camera). The portraits are complemented by personal audio stories in which the participants reflect on what hope means to them. Like the exhibition, the films explore themes of hope, migration, and resilience. The exhibition opens on 1 August, and during the film weekend you are welcome to visit it at your own pace.
Amalna Collective brings together socially engaged artists who contribute to positive social change through exhibitions, events, and community arts projects. Portraits of Hope is the foundation’s first project.
Practical information
Date: Saturday, 22 August, 8:00 PM
Language and subtitles: Dutch
Admission: €10.20
Tickets: buy your ticket via Het Puntje
Location: De Komma (the annex of Het Puntje), Strand Noord 3N, 2586 ZZ The Hague. Find directions here. If you’d like to have dinner at Het Puntje before the screening, we recommend arriving at least an hour in advance so you can enjoy your meal without rushing.
This screening is made possible by Fonds 1818.