ANFAL CAMPAIGN
Anfal was a military campaign of extermination and looting perpetrated against the Kurds in 1988 by the Ba'athist regime and President Saddam Hussain. The Human Rights Watch described it as a genocide and estimated between 50,000 and 100,000 people died. The most internationally condemned event was the poison gas attack on Halabja on 16 March 1988, during which 3,200–5,000 Kurdish people were killed, most of them civilians.
More than 30 years have passed since the Anfal operations but, like the scars on their bodies, the painful memory of the systematic genocide lives on in the memory of survivors. And, in a world where the use of chemical weapons by regimes against their own or other people is still prevalent, this remains a current issue of huge concern.
This series of harrowing documentaries profiles Anfal from different perspectives, from victims and survivors to archivists and lawyers still battling for justice. These incredible contributors shared their stories of resilience, strength, and survival with us to document this part of history.
REKAR - THE ARCHIVIST
Rekar has made it his life’s work to document and preserve the atrocities committed against the Kurds. His hope is that one day the evidence he has collected can be used to bring justice to the victims and survivors.
Warning: These films contain images and themes viewers may find distressing
OMED - The Survivor
By age 14, Omed had survived two Anfal attacks including the dropping of chemical weapons on Halabja in 1988.
After witnessing his family die one-by-one, he was presumed dead himself upon arrival at a hospital in Iran. This film features incredible archive footage of the moment that Omed, wrapped in a white shroud for burial, comes back to life.
Omed now works as a curator at the Halabja Museum, dedicating his life to keeping the memory of Anfal, albeit painful, alive.
Meeting Omed & documenting his story was a humbling experience; one we will never forget.
HELIN - THE ORPHAN
Helin was 3 when Anfal came to her village. At the time she was unwell in a Mosul hospital with her aunt. The village was completely destroyed, and Helen ended up as the sole survivor. A handful of pictures are all the remains of her parents.
Anfal affected the lives of thousands, and Helin wants the world to know in the hopes that future genocides can be avoided.
ARAm & NERGEZ - MOTHER & SON
“The difficulties that Anfal women went through; I personally will never forget until I die.” A mother & son share their generational story of sadness, resilience & strength.
After watching the men of their family taken away by the Ba’ath regime, Aram & Nergez spent 6 months in a prison camp with other women & children.
Like many Anfal survivors, Aram keeps the radio his father gave him as a parting gift close to his heart. His body was never found, and each year, on Anfal Memorial Day, they still wish for his return.
HADAR - THE LAWYER
Hadar lost 7 members of her family to Anfal when it was decreed that all Barzani males over the age of 15 were to be massacred. She still has the execution order bearing their names signed by Saddam Hussain.
Having witnessed the atrocities firsthand, she decided to take back her rights by becoming an attorney. She was the first woman to participate in cases of genocide during Anfal.
All films are dedicated to the victims and survivors of Anfal.