Mervan Berekat is Syria’s most prominent Kurdish poet. Displaced from his hometown of Afrin in 2018, Mervan became a refugee within his own country, trekking for three consecutive days and covering nearly 500 kilometers to escape armed fighters who relentlessly pursued him and his family.
Now residing in Qamishli with only an old laptop and a phone as his possessions, he documents his surroundings in his unique style. “I don’t care about the material things looted from my home for the second time; I only care about the fate of my 5,000 books,” he tells journalist Thomas Sideris.
Thomas Sideris, who has worked with Mervan Berekat on two films, meets the distinguished Kurdish poet once again. Together with international relations expert Triantafyllos Karatrantos and journalist of Syrian descent Rafin Abdin, they attempt to define Syria’s path forward.
Research–Documentation–Presentation: Thomas Sideris
Broadcast: Friday, December 13, 1:00 PM (Athens time)
