Zîlan Hemo (1997–2025) was a Kurdish filmmaker, writer, and director born in Kobanî. She studied filmmaking at theAcademy of Arts Martyr Yekta Herekol and became one of the first members of the Rojava Film Commune, where she directed and contributed to numerous short films from 2018 onward.
Hemo’s work engaged deeply with themes of conflict, resilience, and personal struggle, shaped by her lived experience and cultural context. Her short film The Sleeping Death (2023) followed a wounded fighter from the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), combining striking visual language with emotionally charged storytelling.
Alongside her filmmaking, Hemo published a collection of stories and wrote multiple screenplays, sustaining a creative practice that bridged literature and cinema. She was also a member of the Kezî Women Film Collective, supporting and amplifying the work of women filmmakers in the region.
Her films screened internationally and featured in festivals and programs dedicated to cinema from Kurdistan and Rojava. Even after her death, Hemo’s work endures as part of a vital and emerging voice in contemporary Kurdish filmmaking.
