A young Kurdish boy, Azad mistakenly arrives in Sweden on his way to Germany. Surrounded by a strange new culture and a language he cannot understand he is isolated and lonely. However with help from a spaced-out hot dog vendor, the coolest guy in school and world athletics champion Kajsa Bergqvist, he sets out to be reunited with his family.

Following the downfall of the Iraqi regime, Kurdish victims of the Iraq-Iran war decide to take legal action against the politicians who caused them so much pain. One of them, a handicapped young man, travels throughout the border region to let other victims sign a petition which he wants to personally bring to Bagdad. During his travels he meets an Iranian woman who was also a victim of the war. Both of them try to cross the border to Iraq, but it’s a hard winter, and the rain and the snow prevent them reaching their goals.

This film is one of the most famous Kurdish legends and tells the story of the Kurdish New Year, (Newroz) and the birth of a nation. King Zohak, ruler of Mesopotamia is tricked by the evil demon Ahriman and cursed. Two large black snakes grow from his shoulders and he is wracked with terrible pain, a pain that will only go away if the snakes are fed the brains of children.

Khazar starts a journey through the mountains of Kurdistan to find her beloved, Horam who has left medical school to work in a clinic and help the war-struck people of his homeland. On her journey she has to pass through the magic tunnel of rituals and fabulous beliefs of this ancient land. Khazar's guide on her journey is a cassette that Horam left her on which he explains the reasons for his departure and sings her love songs.

CHANGE IN THE PROGRAMME: NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THE PERSIAN CATS

We regret that due to new developments regarding the distribution of the film in The UK we are unable to screen NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THE PERSIAN CATS at our festival. Although festival confirmed the screening of the film with the world distributor earlier and printed in official festival programme, the film’s UK distribution rights later (after festival started) has been sold to a company in the UK that is not willing to screen film at the festivals before the general release. As a result of this new development we will not be able to screen the film at our festival. Festival is programming another film from the programme for the same time (29th of November Riverside Studios 4.30pm). Please check riverside Studios web site http://www.riversidestudios.co.uk/ and our website www.lkff.co.uk

Yusuf is a Kurdish Pharmacist from Germany working for an international aid organistion in Kurdistan. He falls in love with a school teacher, Sara, who suffers from a lung disease for which he is suplying her with medicine. Rizgar is a restless young teenager who lost his family during the chemical gas attacks on the city of Halabja. He feels ignored and jealous of Yusuf’s feelings for Sara and this jealousy leads him to turn Yusuf into the authorities. However Yusuf’s sudden disappearance creates a massive problem for the local population as their medicine stops arriving. It is up to Rizgar to repair the damage he has caused. Ravin Asaf’s film, shot in Kurdistan is about a lost city, a lost love and a forgotten crime.