KILOMETER ZERO

Iraq, 1988. Young husband and father Ako is forced to join Saddam Hussein’s army. The unwilling soldier dreams of fleeing the country, but his wife Selma refuses to leave while her old bedridden father is still alive. Ako is sent away to the frontline of the Iran-Iraq War, where he experiences not only the reality of war, but also abuse due to his Kurdish background. The desperate man considers drastic measures for a fast ticket home. Ako thinks it’s his lucky day when he receives orders to escort the return of a fellow soldier’s corpse to his family. But his driver turns out to be an anti-Kurd Arab. With flag-wrapped coffin in tow, the mismatched duo prepares for an unexpected voyage across the majestic Iraqi landscape. Ako won’t miss his chance to trick the driver into heading north toward his native Kurdistan.

Directed by Hiner Saleem
Screenplay Hiner Saleem
Cast Nazmi Kirik Eyam Ekrem Belcim Bilgin Ehmed Qeladizeyi Nezar Selami
Music Nikos Kipourgos Yan Axin
Cinematography Robert Alazraki
Editing Anna Ruiz
Production Companies Memento Films Production La Cinefacture Hiner Saleem Production Dulcine Films TV5 Monde Yleisradio Kurdistan TV
Festival de Cannes
2005 | Official Competition
Busan International Film Festival
2005 | World Cinema
Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci)
2005 | Official Selection
Beirut International Film Festival
2006 | Official Selection
Cinémathèque québécoise — Odyssée du cinéma kurde
2006 | Special Programme

NAGA

MARTYR