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Coexistence converges at film festival in Iraqi Kurdistan

The films at the Duhok International Film Festival in Dahuk, Iraqi Kurdistan, show how conflict and trauma are hallmarks of collective memory in the region, from Tunisia to Palestine to Iraq.
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Now in its seventh year, Iraq's Duhok International Film Festival (DIFF) has become Iraq’s preeminent event that brings cult films from the Middle East to the region's multicultural city, Dahuk. Between Sept. 9 and Sept. 16, the festival features 110 films and six panels.

The theme of this year’s festival is coexistence and acceptance, with a focus on films from across the Middle East. Shawkat Amin Korki, the festival’s artistic director and a well-known film director, told Al-Monitor, “[Dahuk] is a city situated in a region that has been the cradle of various religions, ethnicities and languages. With this theme, we want to underline that genuine coexistence is possible yet fragile.”

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