Lost in Translation? Kurdish Stories - A film screening + after talk

Join us for a special screening of the documentary Translating Ulysses (2024), followed by an in-person conversation with the filmmakers. This event offers a rare opportunity to explore the world of literary translation, creativity, and cultural exchange through the lens of one of the most influential novels ever written — James Joyce’s Ulysses.

About the film
Kawa Nemir is like a walking dictionary of Kurdish language. Whenever he hears a new word or an idiom, he records it and he never forgets. Considering the Kurdish language his home, he wanders from one exile to another. But how to transfer this collective memory into paper? With its vast, infinite range of words, symbols and anti-colonial resonance, James Joyce's Ulysses becomes an obsession for him. A translation that would encapsulate all the Kurdish words and idioms he collected throughout the years. Exhausted from political prosecutions and language ban, he flees Turkey and takes refuge at Anne Frank's former house in Amsterdam, now serving as residence for exiled writers. Will he be able to finish the translation of Ulysses and publish it?

After-Talk
After the documentary screening we will be joined by filmmakers, Fırat Yücel and Aylin Kuryel, who are visiting Groningen from Amsterdam to share the story behind the making of Translating Ulysses. The conversation will open a window into the creative process, the challenges of telling stories across languages, and the role of film in keeping Kurdish culture and voices alive. There will be ample time for Q&A from the audience as well. We hope to see you there!

Moderated by Zara Masrour.

This event is organised by the Middle Eastern Studies department and Film Studies department at the Faculty of Arts.

Free entrance, no registration needed.