The documentary feature ROJEK, was written and directed by Zaynê Akyol (Gulîstan, Land of Roses), produced by Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre, Sylvain Corbeil and Zaynê Akyol. ROJEK features interviews with some of the most important members of the Islamic State (ISIS), who are currently being detained in Syrian Kurdistan. As a backdrop, a country is trying to stay vigilant as it struggles to recover from years of war.
The film will have its World Premiere in the International Feature Film Competition at Visions du réel, taking place April 7-17 in Nyon, Switzerland. The screening will happen on Wednesday, April 13 at 8:30 p.m., in the presence of the filmmaker. A second screening is scheduled on Friday, April 15 at 8:15 p.m.
ROJEK will then have its North American Premiere in the official competition of the “Canadian Spectrum” section at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, which runs from April 28 to May 8. The film will be eligible for the Audience Award. The screenings will happen on Saturday, April 30 at 3 p.m. at the Isabel Bader Theatre, and on Thursday, May 5 at 4:15 p.m. at the TIFF Bell Lightbox 3, in the presence of the film crew.
Distributed by Maison 4:3, ROJEK will be in Quebec theatres in autumn 2022.
About the filmmaker Zaynê Akyol
Zaynê Akyol graduated from Université du Québec à Montréal, where she obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Communication, with a specialization in film. Her first feature documentary, Gulîstan, Land of Roses (2016) was selected by 80 international film festivals, earning 50 nominations and winning 12 awards, including the prestigious Doc Alliance Award given at the Locarno Film Festival. In her free time, she is a photographer whose exhibitions have been widely seen. ROJEK is her second documentary.
ROJEK
Documentary feature. Quebec/Canada. 128 minutes. 2022.
Original Arabic, English, French, and Kurdish version with French or English subtitles.
Directing: Zaynê Akyol | Screenplay: Zaynê Akyol | Cinematography: Nicolas Canniccioni, Arshia Shakiba | Sound: Arshia Shakiba, Sylvain Brassard | Editing: Mathieu Bouchard-Malo | Music: Roger Tellier-Craig | Producers: Sylvain Corbeil, Zaynê Akyol, Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre | Production: Metafilms | Distribution (Canada): Maison 4:3
Facebook: facebook.com/rojek.film
Instagram: instagram.com/rojek.film
Website: rojek-lefilm.com
Visions du réel 2022: visionsdureel.ch/en/film/2022/rojek
Hot Docs 2022: hotdocs.ca/whats-on/hot-docs-festival/films/2022/rojek
