Kae Bahar                                                                          که‌ی به‌هار

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Karzan’s love of films started at the age of five when he first went to the cinema to see Hercules, Tarzan, Superman, King Kong, Spaghetti Westerns, Pirates, James Bond and many more. To learn about filmmaking, was out of the question as in his hometown Kirkuk, there were no film schools. But Karzan managed to get hold of a Super 8 camera, unfortunately it was almost impossible to buy film in the local markets nevertheless with no film stock, he would go out with the Super 8 to pretend filming his friends acting scenes from films seen at the cinemas.

When Karzan was 15 he decided to go to Baghdad to study filmmaking, but his family refused. Kirkuk had only five cinemas, and Karzan spent all of his free time visiting them, going at least five times a week, and if he were to have gone to study in Bagdad a city with more than 25 cinemas, the family believed Karzan would not study at all. After many discussions, a compromise was reached between Karzan and his father, as soon as Karzan finished his schooling, he would be allowed to leave Kirkuk for Italy, to study at film school.

This promise was fulfilled, but unfortunately, the Iraqi government, had good relations with the west, and were insisting that he should study Chemical Engineering at the University of Naples. Karzan tried desperately to change this decision and with thanks to the rector of the University, Karzan was given a chance to move to Architecture, in which he achieved his BA at the University of Venice.

However, whilst Karzan studied for his Architecture degree he also started a film and Television course and in the summer of 1987, he directed his first short, The Passport, a film made on a shoestring and shot on the beaches of Lido in Venice. 30 Italian members of cast and crew and two Kurds slept on the beaches and worked without payment for an entire week.

In 1993 Karzan directed his first documentary film The Kurds are not Beggars. It might be considered the first ever-documentary film shot by a Kurd in Kurdistan. The film was shown on several Kurdish channels, and distributed on VHS and DVD. In 1996 Karzan worked as presenter/ assistant director on the BBC’s documentary film, Karzan’s Brothers, escape from the Safe Haven, directed by Claudio Von Planta. Karzan is very happy to have had the opportunity to work as a reporter with Claudio on many more documentary films, Claudio not only being a great director and filmmaker, but also a great friend. Karzan and Claudio have made many films together, amongst them also Word of Warriors, where Karzan worked as reporter and second cameraman. They travelled to El Salvador, Congo Brazzaville, Sudan, and the Philippines to make the film produced by the ICRC.

His long lasting love of making feature films is stronger than ever and Karzan hopes that it will not be too long before he will make his debut.

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