Yezidi
The Yezidi are members of a centuries-old Kuridsh religion that combines elements of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, ancient Persian beliefs and Hinduism. They believe in reincarnation and a strict caste system, christen and circumcise their children, consider Adam their forefather, with Abraham and Mahomet as prophets. There are no converts – you can only be born a Yezidi, and marriage outside the community is forbidden. There are about one million Yezidi, half of which live in northern Iraq, with the remainder in Turkey, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, Iran and Western Europe, including Norway. The spiritual centre of Yasidism is Lalish in the north of Iraq; it is a place of pilgrimage, a sanctuary in a verdant valley near Mosul.
Anja Breien visited Lalish in the autumn of 2007 right after the Islamic terrorist attacks in nearby Kurd villages in which many inhabitants were killed and many other forced to flee their homes. Confused spiritual leaders cancel an annual celebration in fear of another massacre, but pilgrims arrive nevertheless. The director examines the exotic rituals, wondering about the future of the Yezidi – those from Iraq and those from Norway.
Anja Breien
Anja Breien was born in Oslo in 1940. After her college exams she travelled to France, where she first studied French and then from 1962 to 64 attended IDHEC, the French film school. She has approached film making from various angles: production manager, continuity, assistant director. Her debut as director was the short film Vokse opp in 1967. Breien's feature film debut was in 1971 with Rape (Voldtekt). Since then she has directed several short and seven feature films, among them Next of Kin (1979) and the two outstanding comedies Wives (1975) and Wives Ten Years After (1985), the latter awarded an Amanda for best film in 1986. She also wrote the script for Second Sight (1994), and her films have represented Norway in numerous international festivals.
Selected filmography
1967 Dorastanie / Vokse opp / Growing Up
1967 Jostedalsrypa (short)
1969 17 maja – film o rytuałach / 17. Mai – En film om ritualer / 17. May – A Film about Rituals (doc., short)
1970 Dni z tysiąca lat / Dager fra 1000 år / Days From A Thousand Years (short)
1971 Gwałt / Voldtekt / Rape
1971 Twarze / Ansikter / Faces (short)
1972 Więzienne mury / Murer rundt fengslet / Walls round the Prison (doc., short)
1973 Bezdomni / Herbergistene / Homeless (doc., short)
1974 Witaj, mój bracie! / Mine søsken, goddag / Hello, My Sibling
1975 Starsi / Gamle / Old (doc., short)
1975 Żony / Hustruer / Wives
1977 Godziny miłości / Den allvarsamma leken / Games of Love and Loneliness
1979 Spadek / Arven / Heritage
1981 Polowanie na czarownice / Forfølgelsen / The Witch Hunt
1984 Papierowy ptak / Papirfuglen / Paper Bird
1985 Żony dziesięć lat później / Hustruer – ti år etter / Wives – Ten Years Later
1989 Góra / Fjellet / Mountain (doc., short)
1990 Złodziej klejnotów / Smykketyven / Twice Upon a Time
1996 Żony III / Hustruer III / Wives III
1997 Solvorn (doc., short)
2001 Zobaczyć łódź kołyszącą się na falach / Å se en båt med seil / To See a Boat in Sail (doc., short)
2005 Bez tytułu / Uten tittel / Untitled (short)
2009 Kontur / Riss / Etching (doc., short)
2009 Jazydzi / Jezidi / Yezidi (doc., short)