DLI Productions   Vendetta Song
VENDETTA SONG
Directed by Eylem Kaftan
Produced by Abbey Jack Neidik (DLI), Irene Lilienheim Angelico (DLI), and Germaine Ying Gee Wong (NFB)
STORY

Eylem Kaftan gazes from her hotel window down over the bustling streets of Istanbul. She is preparing for a 1,400 kilometer journey into the heartland of her Kurdish ancestry. Armed with only a few contacts, a faded family photograph and a passionate urge to discover the truth, the Montreal filmmaker will travel deep into eastern Turkey to attempt to unravel the 30-year-old mystery of her aunt Guzide's murder.
Vendetta Song is the story of her incredible journey - a riveting account of a senseless vendetta killing, the antiquated customs that brought it about and one woman's search for connection and closure in an ancient culture she's never known.

Working against time, political instability and facing possible retribution for her investigation, Eylem follows a series of word-of-mouth clues, venturing from village to village as she pieces together Guzide's final days and closes in on the identity of her killer. Amazingly, Vendetta Song brings Eylem face to face with one of the men she suspects is her aunt's murderer. It is 30 years later. Can the vendetta finally be laid to rest?

 
 
Awards
CIDA Prize for Best Canadian Documentary on International Development at Hot Docs 2005

Quebec Film Critics Association Best Medium Length Documentary, Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois, 2005

Best Documentary Award, Female Eye Film Festival, 2005