FILMS
THE TRUE LIFE FUND 2021 SELECTION: SABAYA
THE ARABIC WORD SABAYA can be roughly understood to mean “a captive woman.” While the exact translation may be elusive, the concept is all too familiar. Men in times of war use women and girls as trophies, bargaining chips, and worse. Here, Yazidi women who survived massacres in their home villages find themselves enslaved by Daesh (ISIS) holdouts in the labyrinthine tent city of al-Hol, a refugee camp in northeast Syria. But all hope is not lost. Yazidi women bravely enter the camp, going undercover to try and locate those still trapped there. Then the Yazidi Home Center, a loose-knit group led by everyday heroes Mahmud and Ziyad, springs into action. Swooping into the camp, driving SUVs and rickety vans, these men spirit the women to safety—sometimes pursued by angry insurgents. These are acts of extreme bravery. And the payoff? They themselves become the targets of the extremists. Through the True Life Fund, True/False acknowledges the risks, sacrifices, and contributions of documentary subjects—those who appear in front of the lens and share their lives. Director Hogir Hirori, an Iraqi Kurd himself, is uniquely positioned—not only to tell this story but, through his Swedish production company, help make sure that every dollar raised by the TLF goes toward supporting the efforts of the Yazidi Home Center and the subjects of Sabaya. The genocide perpetrated by Daesh against the Yazidi people is almost unfathomable in its brutality. But by telling a story that, on the surface, seems impossible to capture, Sabaya allows us a window into the aftermath and encourages us to not turn away but reach out to support the heroes and heroines we meet on screen. 6
