Bêmal - homeless: Reports of Yazid women about the genocide 10 years ago in the ARD Mediathek

Bêmal - homeless: Reports of Yazid women about the genocide 10 years ago in the ARD Mediathek

"Memal - homeless: 10 years after the genocide of the Yazidis" - A touching documentary about survival and hope

August 3, 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the genocide of the Yazidis in northern Iraq by the so -called “Islamic State”. In an attempt to wipe out the religious minority, killed, enslaved and distributed thousands of Yazidis. This documentary by Düzen Tekkal and David Körzdörfer now gives young Yazid women a voice that survived the genocide. In moving reports, four pairs of siblings tell of violence and captivity, but also about courage to live, hope and departure. The film "Memal - Homeless" will be available in the ARD Mediathek from August 2nd.

One of the stories is about Jihan and Sawsan Alomar, who have been prisoners of IS for years. Through an initiative of the state of Baden-Württemberg, they came to Germany with more than 1,000 Yazidi women and children. Jihan Alomar wrote a book about her traumatic experiences, while Sawsan Alomar recently recently returned to her family in Tübingen in Swabia.

Layla and Tahsin Mirza fled the Northern Iraq over the Mediterranean and found a new home in North Rhine-Westphalia. Layla works as a model and wants to show that women can live their dreams. Tahsin is a theater teacher and comedian.

also Bascal and Jana Kheyri fled to Germany. They are currently completing training in geriatric care in Bavaria. While they have a residence permit, their parents and younger siblings were deported to Iraq because their tolerance was not extended.

aiham and Anas Azad were sold as toddlers on IS families. Aiham was even trained as a child soldier. The return to their Yazidi family is difficult for the two boys, and Anas hardly speaks to this day.

The stories of the four siblings are the focus of this film. They are closely connected to the development of the narrator, the war rapporteur Düzen Tekkal. She becomes a chronicler of the genocide and finally a human rights activist.

"Mal - homeless" is a touching documentary that focuses on the longing for a safe home and future. He treats the desire for peace and freedom as well as respect for the dignity of every person. Production was realized by German Dream Productions Berlin on behalf of Radio Bremen (Editor Thomas von Bötticher) and SWR (Esther Saoub editorial team) for the 2024 ARD Mediathek.

For photos please visit ARD Photo.