One of the special things about the NaFF this year was the introduction and blending of the Kurdish film industry with Hollywood. For several years now, the Academy has used its powerful resources to spread the knowledge and culture that comes with the personal creativity of film with others around the world. It is no surprise then that Nashville is the perfect place to cultivate such talent within the Kurdish community, since Nashville is a first stop destination city for various immigrants and is also the home to the largest Kurdish population in North America.
As a result, I made it my personal mission to attend at least one of the films that would showcase some of the raw talent that this country possesses. I can successfully admit that I was not disappointed. In the Lion’s Den was a gritty exposure to the inner (and outer) turmoil that forms when a generation of people are thrown into the pits of a war they don’t understand but are forced to choose a side and ultimately believe in what they are fighting for.
Hinged on the Biblical semblance of relying on faith to continue living and fighting for a moral stance, Director Fekri Baroshi, uses the deconstruction of basic binaries to complicate what we as humans try to simplify on a daily basis. He poses the idea of right and wrong against each other and creates the question of what actually exists within ourselves when we are thrown into uncertain circumstances that depend on one moral versus another. When these lines are blinded within a war, Baroshi looks at who the real enemy is and whether or not freedom is a mere euphemism for the justification of our actions.
Despite the underwhelming acting and the over-staged violence, this was most certainly a noteworthy solid film. I also gave In the Lion’s Den three out of five stars because it was overall well-done. Given the appropriate tools, outlets, and opportunities, I truly believe that the Kurdish film industry will knock us out of the water with what they will be able to create. I am honored to have been a part of its initial construct.
