“A cinema in Amuda”: A project commemorating the memory and symbolism of the Amuda Cinema fire

Preparation and editing: Sardar Mulla Darwish and Perwer Midi
ASO News Network

Recently, news spread about a project to build a “cinema theater” in the city of Amuda, and this announcement sparked widespread controversy on social media. Opinions varied between supporters and opponents, and the most prominent question among observers was: “How can a movie theater be built at a time when residents suffer from a shortage of water and electricity?” These questions naturally reflect the reality of the difficult life that Syria has been experiencing since 2011, where priority is given to basic services and living improvements at the expense of cultural and entertainment projects.

Despite these criticisms, those interested in cultural and cinematic affairs stress the necessity of presenting such projects to society, considering that culture and cinema play an important role in confronting the effects of war. They believe that building a cinema expresses the other side of the ongoing war, as it contributes to building knowledge and promoting hope.

In addition, this project is also considered a service project, and it will, if completed, provide job opportunities for a segment of the population, in light of the difficult economic conditions of the region. In addition, it will enhance community awareness, contribute to expanding people’s cognitive horizons, and introduce them to On the details and experiences of the lives of various peoples of the world over the years.

Project idea
On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Autonomous Administration in Al-Jazeera District announced the launch of a “cinema theater” project in the city of Amuda. According to a source in the People’s Municipality in Amuda, the project area is 1,162 square meters (1,162 dunams), and the first phase of implementation is expected to take about six months. Dorin Daqouri, a technical supervisor in the People’s Municipality in Amuda, explained that the project is fully funded by European parties, at an estimated cost of 346 thousand US dollars.

report published in the German newspaper “Frankfurter Rundschau” on January 8, 2019, entitled “Cinema for Northern Syria,” we find that the “Frankfurt Association” “Germany supported the idea of building a cultural center in the city of Amuda within the province of North-East Syria, with the aim of “overcoming shocks.” The project goes back to the symbolism of “Amuda Cinema”, which burned in 1960 and claimed the lives of about 300 children. Since then, the anniversary of the fire has become a symbolic event that is commemorated every year.

The importance of cinema in wartime
In the same report, doctor and film enthusiast Nils von Hentig says: “When people long for culture during war, it expresses an attitude towards life, contact with the rest of the world, or simply: hope”.

Numan Yigit, a member of Kommune Fîlm A RojAva, reinforces the idea of Dr. Nils, by saying that life does not stop in war, stressing that the idea of building cinemas is an idea that began with the founding of Kommune Film Rojava, by saying that There will be cinemas to watch Kurdish films in the Kurdish language, and to learn about international cinema for the purpose of knowledge.

He considers that culture and arts are part of the struggle of every people, describing that “spreading culture and arts are basic needs for the future”.

Choosing of Amuda
Numan Yigit, a member of Kommune Film Rojava, told ASO News Network that choosing Amuda to build the idea of a “cinema house” is linked to the symbolism of the Amuda Cinema incident, which burned down in 1960.

On November 13, 1960, Amuda Cinema was subjected to a fire that resulted in the loss of about 300 children’s lives. The fire turned into a political issue, and the Syrian government at the time was accused of starting the fire in the cinema, especially since children were attending and the proceeds did not go to the Algerian Revolution”.

Von Hentig believes in the report of the German newspaper that Amuda Cinema fire left a deep shock to the people of Amuda, and that the goal of building the cinema was to deal with this shock. He said that the cinema should contain a memorial room.

In an interview with the German newspaper, Hentig confirmed that the project is to build a cultural center that includes a cinema, and he says: “As the project is a cultural center, it should not only contain a cinema with a capacity of about 250 seats, but it should also provide spaces for other events.” Here he may be referring to a memorial room about Symbolism of the Amuda Cinema fire.

Project leaders and motivations
The idea of the project dates back to 2015, when it was proposed by the German doctor “von Hentig” in cooperation with “Commune Film Rojava”. Although the project was supposed to see the light in 2018, according to the report published in the German newspaper, collecting the necessary funding was delayed until 2024. The Rojava Film Kommune agreed with the People’s Municipality in Amuda to carry out the project.

Von Hentig, one of the German supporters of the project, explained that North-East Syria is the only region in which uncensored films can be shown, according to what he reported in the Frankfurter Runschau newspaper.

Community reactions on social media
Reactions on social media were not without criticism, with most opinions focusing on the fact that difficult living conditions make providing basic needs a priority. Some considered that building a cinema at this time was inappropriate.

The Kurdish writer Abbas Musa, who specializes in cinema and translation, pointed out that linking society’s service needs to the establishment of a cinema is illogical, and that cinema is an essential part of cultural life, even in light of crises, stressing the importance of cinema as one of the basic arts like literature and other arts.