Çayan Demirel

Çayan Demirel (born 1977, Istanbul) is a Kurdish film director best known for his documentaries about the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. His film Prison Number 5 (1980-1984) on the Diyarbakir prison won several awards and he was prosecuted for the documentary Bakur, which focuses on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Early life and education Demirel was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1977 to parents hailing from the Dersim region. After he had studied economics, his interest in movies appeared from 2000 onwards.

Professional career In 2006, the documentary 38, focusing on the Kurdish Dersim rebellion against Turkey, was released. In October 2007, the Turkish Directorate General of Copyrights and Cinema refused to grant 38 official certification. The film focuses on the lives and motivations of members of the PKK to rebel against the Turkish Government and presents the right for self-determination as a n universal right. It was the first time a professional camera was able to film in the camps of the PKK in Turkey and Iraq. The two appealed the verdict and in February 2022 the sentences were annulled and a new trial was to be held in Batman. During the first time of his trial, Demirel was in intensive care due to a heart issue. whom he got to know while directing the documentary 38. Bakur was his last movie to date, as he became severely ill and since September 2020 was granted a pension for disability, for which the Turkish Government appealed. A short movie on him called Our friend Cayan was released in 2020.