Bilûra Nişo

Karacadağ, one of the earliest settlements of humanity (encompassing regions like Urfa, Mardin, Diyarbakır, and many others), holds a significant place in the universal cultural heritage. The contributions to this heritage embodies the collective productions of the ancient societies of Mesopotamia. Therefore, the heritage we're talking about is the shared legacy of different ethnic and religious communities that lived in this geography.

However, the political conflicts that have occurred throughout history have negatively impacted the tradition of shared living among various ethnic and religious groups. This situation is particularly important to be addressed in terms of the art of cinema. Armenians residing in the central Diyarbakır and certain districts have also been affected by the conflicts that unfolded throughout history. The Armenian Relocation of 1915 can be considered a turning point in this regard.

Nişan Usta (Nişo), who survived the relocation in which he lost his father and brothers, gained recognition in both local and distant regions with the kavals, zurnas, and similar wind instruments he crafted upon his return to Diyarbakır. His talents were even discovered on an international level, leading to academic studies about him in the field of musicology. Similarly, Zülfü, the "blind minstrel," son of a man, who lost his life while serving in the Ottoman army, became famous as the "Vivaldi of the East" with his skill in wind instruments.

The encounters of these two artists in Diyarbakır are at the heart of our story of "natural support" that each provided to the other's art. On one side, there is the group subjected to state violence during the relocation (Nişo's father and relatives), and on the other side, there is the group tasked with implementing state violence through orders in the army (Zilfo's father). As they distance themselves from the state and institutions of power, they can also distance themselves from ethnic and religious narrow-mindedness, suspicion, and enmity, forming examples of solidarity. Indeed, Bilûra Nişo is nothing but the crystallized pure expression of this thesis.

The exemplary tale of these two artists belonging to the Kurdish and Armenian communities will be quite fascinating in terms of illustrating the universal healing power of art.

SEDAT KIRAN
DIRECTOR

Synopsis

The Armenian relocation of 1915 also caused a significant upheaval in the Kurdish geography. During this relocation, the adult males of the Dikran family from Eğilli in Diyarbakır were killed, while women and children were exiled in caravans. Nişan Dikran (known as Master Nişo), a 9-year-old who lost two of his brothers during this exile, managed to break away from the caravan and return to Diyarbakır with his mother. In the same period, Zülfü Yokuş of Ergani (Zilfo, the Vivaldi of the East), whose father served in the Ottoman Army, was also of the same age as Nişo and lost his eyes from crying when his father died in the military. While Nişo gained fame in Diyarbakır with his talent and became a master of crafting wind instruments, Zilfo became known for his skill in playing the kaval.

What brought these two teenagers, one Armenian and the other Kurdish, together in Diyarbakır was the musical instrument kaval. Zilfo moved from Ergani to Diyarbakır city center and became neighbors with Nişo, the kaval master who showed him special attention. The families bonded, and a friendship built on solidarity and support took shape. Nişo, the master, crafted a special kaval for his friend Zilfo, and Zilfo gained reputation in the region by playing his kaval on the Eastern Express trains. Nişo's kavals and Zilfo's kaval playing skill brought them both unique fame.

Finally, from the 1950s onwards, Armenians began to feel uneasy in Diyarbakır as well and migrated to the West. Nişo initially resisted this migration, but eventually, he had to leave Diyarbakır and go to Istanbul. After Nişo went to Istanbul, he struggled to obtain the wood materials for making kavals he used in Diyarbakır, and he lost his ability to craft kavals like before. Zilfo also aged and had to sell his kaval, which had different measurements from all the existing kavals, with deeper and wider breath intervals. Nişo passed away in Istanbul, and Zilfo, too, in Diyarbakır, around roughly the same time.

Nişo's son, İbrahim, and Zilfo's daughter, Hatice, have led lives that are almost entirely separate from each other. Each of them narrates their own father's story, while the kaval masters, who developed their art with Nişo's kavals, continue to perform their awe-inspiring arts.

SEDAT KIRAN
DIRECTOR