A Song For Love

This exceptional coming-of-age film follows nursing student Ibrahim, who lives and works in the heart of Iraqi Kurdistan, in a religious community that partly falls outside society. The 21-year-old dervish surrenders to the compelling traditions of Sufism and music is his support and refuge. Amid rhythmic drums and ecstatic dancing, Ibrahim's poetic singing weaves through the documentary like a thread, but also exposes his feelings and deepest doubts. He dreams of marrying the love of his life, but a dervish is not accepted by everyone. And will he be able to take care of his aging parents? A Song for Love shows how a young adult struggles with expectations under great pressure, while searching for his own voice with the help of faith and music.

A Song for Love was shown earlier this year at the Gothenburg Film Festival and the Tempo Documentary Film Festival in Stockholm. The screening at the Northern Film Festival is the Dutch premiere. This is the sixth documentary by director Hogir Hirori, who received the director's prize for Sabaya (2021) at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.