Sîabend û Xecê is an adaptation of an old Kurdish legend about a tragic love. The young orphan Sîabend grows up with his uncle and aunt. he is intelligent and brave but full of mischief. He heads off into the world and befriends the girl Xecê. The two are threatened by powers from without: fate and Sîabend’s recklessness and lack of confidence.Good and evil are not opposites in Sîabend û Xecê, as becomes a fairy-tale, but are present in all people. Sahin Gök mixes this story with scenes from everyday Kurdish life. The legend forms the basis for a story which looks at the history and struggle of the Kurdish people.Most Kurdish cultural expressions are taboo in Turkey. The story which forms the basis for the film was originally published in German, because Turkey banned publication. The film was shot in very difficult conditions in the Turkish part of Kurdistan. Shooting was regularly held u because of more or less official obstacles. The sound was only added later, in Germany.Senar Turgut, producer of the film, was tortured for days on end and imprisoned for six weeks, only because he wanted to make an exclusively Kurdish film.
