What Lisa Challan thought when she received the ‘Spirit of Cinema’ award at the inaugural function of the 26th Kerala International Film Festival. Could it be about the pains she went through … or about her survival …. Anyway, Kerala was applauding in front of that woman with full respect …. The most beautiful moments of this film festival …
Lisa Challan is a Kurdish director who lost both her legs in a bomb attack by IS militants in Turkey. Kerala honored her with the ‘Spirit of Cinema’ award in recognition of her work in the field of cinema and social service with her prosthetic legs.
It was June 5, 2015, that changed Lisa’s life. Two days before the local elections, the HDP, a Kurdish rights group, organized a massive campaign rally. Lisa also attended the rally.
An explosion erupted in the middle of the crowd as one of the party’s top leaders, Salahaddin Demirtas, was about to address a public meeting that day.
Five people were killed in the blast, which was carried out by ISIS suicide bombers. More than a hundred people were seriously injured. Lisa’s legs were scattered. Scattered legs could not be sewn together. Lisa’s legs were buried near her father’s grave.
Lisa underwent eight surgeries in Turkey and Germany. The prosthetic leg was implanted in the next surgery performed in Australia.
So Lisa did not give up. They went ahead with legal action against the government. The government agreed to pay 1.6 million lira (Turkish currency) in compensation, but Lisa refused. The case is still pending.
Meanwhile, Lisa was active in the film industry again with the film ‘Dilop’. They started traveling around the world with their own movies. Their politics was his life and attitudes. Filmmakers and audiences around the world enthusiastically embraced Lisa. Like-minded people waited to see them everywhere they went.
Lisa Chalan, a representative of the oppressed Kurdish community in Turkey, has been active in filmmaking since 2013.
Fighting through art for her own people, Lisa is active in various fields of film technology and creativity, including director, editor, screenwriter and actor.
‘Cinema is the solution to unsolvable problems’. – Lisa, who received the Spirit of Cinema Award, made her point clear in these words. Because cinema is the solution to all their pains and crises …. they will still fight …. with his weapon of camera ….