“Analogue”: Film Project Honors Journalists Slain in Northern and Eastern Syria

June 29, 2025 – Turkey/Iraq/Kurdistan – 

Filming began on Analogue, a new feature-length film dedicated to the memory of two journalists—Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan—who were killed while reporting in Northern and Eastern Syria. Produced by journalist Enes Yıldız and directed by Selim Yıldız, the project aims to chronicle the past twelve years of conflict in the region, tracing the arc of Kurdish resistance amidst ongoing strife.

The producers intend Analogue to memorialize all media workers who lost their lives covering the war in Rojava. In Yıldız’s words, participating in the film “was a duty,” reflecting the obligation felt by journalists to bear witness and preserve truth. The film culminates with the Tishrin Resistance, symbolizing a major turning point in the Kurdish struggle, confirming that “Analogue becomes everyone’s story”.

The project stands within a wider ecosystem of press activism in North and East Syria, where Kurdish journalists have faced arrests, intimidation, and lethal risks. Recent detentions—such as that of journalist Hasan Zaza—underscore the dangers independent reporters encounter under both the Syrian government and other armed actors. By elevating the stories of fallen peers like Bilgin and Daştan, the film seeks to amplify the broader community’s sacrifices.

Analogue’s narrative blends personal testimony, historical context, and on-the-ground reporting to form a cinematic tribute that confronts audiences with the human cost of conflict journalism. The concluding focus on the Tishrin Resistance thread integrates media memory with sociopolitical history, conveying how journalists not only report but actively shape public consciousness and collective resistance.

This initiative mirrors global efforts—like the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation and Forbidden Stories—that strive to safeguard the legacies of reporters who died in service of truth. Within the Syrian Kurdish context, Analogue represents a culturally rooted endeavor to memorialize and mobilize through storytelling.

As production advances, the film is expected to premiere in regional and international festivals, offering a platform for Kurdish media voices and drawing solidarity from global press freedom advocates. In doing so, Analogue transforms individual tragedies into collective remembrance, reaffirming journalism’s role as both witness and resistance in conflict zones.

Reference – 

https://anfenglish.com/freedom-of-the-press/film-project-launched-in-memory-of-murdered-journalists-80033