Kani Shingal? (2016)

In 2014, the Yezidis, a persecuted minority in Iraq, were driven from their ancestral land by ISIS during a campaign of genocide in which more than 3,000 women and children were kidnapped. Caught in raw, sweeping cinematography, Shingal: Where are You weaves together the dramatic stories of the remaining young boys and their families, relegated to an abandoned coal mine on the Turkish border and longing for their lost home. In this poignant and beautifully executed documentary, we witness one family's desperate fight to buy back their daughter from ISIS, negotiating on the cell phone through various middlemen. Using technology to communicate confidential information in an area ravaged by terrorism, the ambiguity between powerlessness and power, hope and despair, all conveyed via digital communication, is as astonishing as it is heart breaking. While the plight of a persecuted people may seem unpleasant, director Angelos Rallis has created a touching film that is profound and compelling.