DUBAI: The preservation of the intangible cultural heritage of the Iraqi Yazidi community is the focus of a ‘groundbreaking’ new video series created by Yazda.
The community-led organization, which is dedicated to aiding and empowering survivors of genocide in Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria, is rolling out 45 videos that showcase Yazidi heritage. The collection includes everything from practices and expressions to recipes and songs and hopes to promote global awareness of the plight of the Yazidi: thousands are still missing following Daesh’s genocidal campaign against the ethnic and religious minority.
Mem u Zeen. (Supplied)
Two years in the making, the series is the work of Yazidi filmmakers, who were trained and supported by the US-based Antiquities Coalition. Funded by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the collection covers diverse aspects of the Yazidi community in Iraq.
“Songs, stories and dances are all integral parts of Yazidi culture,” says Elise Jensen, USAID’s mission director to Iraq. “Capturing these practices on video gives the world a glimpse into these unique and intangible cultural practices.”
Chele Haji Wso. (Supplied)
“This is a groundbreaking project, a unique database of videos that captures the Yazidi community’s heritage,” adds Peter Herdrich, co-founder of the Antiquities Coalition. “The documentation of Yazidi culture allows us to digitally preserve it for future generations.”
The initiative follows last year’s launch of the Yazidi Cultural Archives, which consists of four online exhibitions designed to act as a permanent digital repository of Yazidi culture. The exhibitions were created by 16 female survivors of Daesh’s genocidal campaign against the Yazidis. Among those women were Malaeen Luqman Khalaf, who was 14 years old when Daesh swept into Sinjar, taking her and thousands of other Yazidi women into slavery.
Bayta Mir Meh. (Supplied)
Ten videos were launched earlier this month, including “Salfa Streeko”, a Yazidi folktale, and “Bayta Dne”, a religious hymn. All will be available on Yazda’s website and YouTube channel, with two new videos from the collection to be released each week.
“I can still vividly recall the evenings spent at my grandmother’s house, listening to her captivating stories,” says Ismail Issa, Yazda’s culture preservation project manager. “Although I struggle to remember all the details, preserving this precious folk treasure stands as an invaluable community service.”
