Kut al Amara – From Tale to Truth | Documentary Film Screening & Q&A

Yunus Emre Enstitüsü – London, in collaboration with Birkbeck, University of London, presents a special screening of Kut al Amara – From Tale to Truth on Friday, 28 November 2025, at 6:30 PM at Birkbeck University Cinema.

Kut al Amara – From Tale to Truth, written and directed by Koray Demir, uncovers a lesser-known yet pivotal episode of World War I — the Siege of Kut. The documentary tells the story of how a past superpower fell to one of the weakest communities, combining years of research, field trips to battlefields, and interviews with Turkish, British, and Arab historians, journalists, and descendants of tribal leaders. Filming took place over three years across seven countries: Türkiye, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the USA. Despite the dangerous conditions of the war zones, the production team successfully filmed all battlefields, creating a visually compelling and historically rich documentary.

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with director Koray Demir, moderated by Prof. Nezih Erdoğan. They will discuss the historical context, the film’s visual language, and the process of revisiting collective memory through cinema.

Koray Demir is a Turkish filmmaker and historian known for his documentaries exploring history, identity, and collective memory. Prof. Nezih Erdoğan teaches Film Theory, Film History, and Storytelling at Istinye University, Istanbul, and has published extensively on cinema, colonial discourse, national identity, and the reception of Hollywood in Türkiye.

Event Details
Date: Friday, 28 November 2025
Time: 6:30 PM (Doors open at 6:00 PM)
Duration: 100 minutes
Location: Birkbeck University Cinema, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD

Don’t miss this thought-provoking screening — reserve your spot here