SALAM KASSAB (ZOHAK)

Salam is Kurdish, from Duhok. He currently lives in Hull in England and is a volunteer for the ARKH organisation.

He says, “In fact, when I realised they were making a Kurdish animated film, I was so pleased, especially when they asked me to play a part in it. When I attended the studio, I found it a very difficult job because I hadn’t read the film script and hadn’t had any rehearsals - and I didn’t even know which role I was playing! I would have been pleased with any role because I liked the idea of the film. It is good to mention that this is the first time I have ever done an art project in my life.

Some people have a very strong relationship with each other in the film without even knowing each other in the real world. I appreciate both directors of the film and everyone who has participated in the film. Thank you.”

REBIN AHMAD (NARRATOR/TOWNSMAN 2)

“I am very happy and grateful to be playing the Narrator and one of the townsmen in this animated movie. The reason I was enthusiastic to take part in this movie is because the story is very popular among a lot of nations in the Middle East and wider in South East Asia, especially among Kurdish people, and Newroz has become the symbol to struggle for the national liberation of Kurdistan.

I believe that this movie will be most successful as there is very little animation in the life and culture of Kurdish people. Looking at samples from this movie, the efforts of the people who have been working hard in this production are very clear.

Many thanks to every member of this production. They are appreciated.”

JAMAL KHAELANY (TOWNSMAN 1)

Jamal Khaelany is Kurdish and comes from the ancient and important city of Hawler in Kurdistan. He went to High School in the city before coming to the United Kingdom.

He says, “I am very glad to be a part of The Legend of Kawa the Blacksmith, especially as it is my first time as an actor. I hope to be able to participate in many other projects like this. It was a hard job in the beginning, but with some help and practice I found it very easy.

I think it will be a successful project: it contains all Kurdish history and culture. I hope that the Kurds will love the film and enjoy it.”

RASHED (KAWA)

Rashed is Kurdish and comes from Duhok. He did many art activities back home, such as performance, theatre and singing as well.

He says, “It is a huge step forward to have a Kurdish animated film, especially in Europe.

I, as an actor, tried to do my best to make my part the best that it can be.

The film shows absolutely pure Kurdish culture, such as houses, clothes and tools, and even the way the characters talk, and I find it a very important project.”

ZIAD KASIM (NICE GUARD)

Ziad Kasim is Kurdish and comes from Zakho. He moved to England when he was young and is now studying at school in Hull. He is doing a GCSE course in Media Studies.

He says, “I think Kawa is going to be a very successful film. It is a big thing in Kurdish history: an animated cartoon of an important story.

I was glad to be a part of the film and I feel especially glad getting picked for the part of Nice Guard. I liked the part very much.”

ZIZO KUJER (AHRIMAN)

Zizo is Kurdish and comes from Mardin. He is owner of a small business. He finds acting fun and so was very keen to become involved.

He says, “I am very proud to be involved in this project. I was very happy to get the part of Ahriman.”

MOHAMMAD OMER ALI (NASTY GUARD)

Mohammad is a Kurd and comes from Duhok. He thinks the life in England is very easy and enjoyable.

He says, “I find it very boring while I am on duty for my security work so I used to act because I was alone there. Sometimes I used to even act with the objects around me because I just wanted to finish my hours and have some fun. When I heard of the project I found it necessary to get involved.”

SERMIN DOHOKI (KAWA’S WIFE)

Sermin is Kurdish and grew up in Germany. She finished her education there.

She says, “When I was a child, I liked animated films and cartoons a lot. I was always interested in getting involved with any projects to do with animation to test my ability.

When I was asked to be a part of this project I quickly decided to accept and I am very proud of myself for being a part of it.

I believe it is going to be a successful project based just on the clips I have seen from the film.

There isn’t any other Kurdish project that has been done before like this.”

BEHZAD OMER SHORO (COOK/SHERI ATTAM)

Behzad is Kurdish and his was born in Karaj City in Iran, where he finished his education.

Behzad says, “The Kurdish language is not easy for someone who has never been in Kurdistan, but we always tried to communicate in this language at home to keep it alive.

My roles in this film are the physician Sheri Attam and Zohak’s cook. I am really happy with these roles because they both have a taste of comedy about them. About the language I faced some difficulties because it is not the style of language that I am used to, but in the end we managed to work it out and create some good work.”

DOM HEFFER (KAWA)

Dom Heffer arrived in Hull to study for a degree in Fine Art in 2001, and has now lived in Hull ever since. He has been involved in numerous theatrical enterprises, such as short films, festival theatre, and set designing. He is currently part of Hull-based theatre company The Pier Group and in rehearsals for the group’s third production, to be performed in 2008.

He was led to the role of Kawa the Blacksmith by pure luck – seeing an advert whilst shopping for a can of beans on Hull’s Newland Avenue!

JOHN AINSWORTH (ZOHAK)

After briefly treading the boards in the Nineties as a member of the 369 Theatre Company in Brighton, John’s show-biz career has predominantly been on the production side of the business, as a director and producer for Big Finish Productions. However, he has occasionally lent his voice to a few audio plays. As well as several tannoy voices, John also played a robotic butler in     the Judge Dredd audio drama, ‘For King and Country’ and was a Lieutenant on a Victorian spaceship in the Space: 1889 adventure, ‘The Lunar Inheritance’.

On video, John was ‘Man with Tray’ in the celebrated spoof Doctor Who documentary that is featured on the DVD box-set ‘In the Beginning’.

ANDREW PITTOCK (NARRATOR)

Andrew Pittock comes from Wales and became a son of the desert by moving to Saudi Arabia as a babe in arms. Then via Hull, Sunderland, France and London, Andrew came back to the banks of the Humber at the tender age of thirty.

His acting experience has been limited to school and university productions but he has dubbing and translation voice-over work experience in France as well as compereing 'Mr Octagon' for the Goodwin Development Trust. As a member of Goodwin staff, Andrew was really pleased to land the role of the narrator for Kawa and is looking forward to his nieces and nephews hearing him in the film. He has now developed a bit of a taste for stage and screen...

PAUL MASTERS (SHERI ATTAM)

Paul Masters is British and was born and raised in Lincolnshire, but moved to Hull as soon as he turned eighteen. He always enjoyed drama at school but never really had the courage to perform on stage. Painting scenery was often as close as he got to being on stage.

In the last few years he has provided voices for a number of amateur animated projects, but Kawa the Blacksmith is the first where he attended a proper audition. He was delighted to get the part of Sheri Attam, even though the old man only appears in one scene.

ANDREW ROLFE (AHRIMAN)

Andrew Rolfe is British and came to Hull in 1990 to study English at University. He liked reading plays, but he much preferred acting in them, even though he soon realised acting would never support him or the lifestyle that he wanted to become accustomed to.

Instead Andrew went into teaching and saved his acting for amateur productions and the occasional amusement of his friends. He was delighted to land the part of Ahriman in The Legend of Kawa the Blacksmith as he has always fancied being really evil. Teaching gives him this opportunity, but acting is much more fun.

RICHARD DADD (NICE GUARD/NASTY GUARD)

Richard Dadd is an aspiring actor and writer, originally hailing from Birmingham. He is currently studying for a degree in Creative Writing & English Literature. He has been acting from a young age, and appeared in numerous local plays throughout his teens, culminating in a theatre company staging his first self-penned play Unwrapping The Present in 2003. Since then he has written and performed several low-budget and student films, and won an ITV talent competition for his Billy Connolly impression gaining him the opportunity to appear alongside Jon Culshaw.

More recently Richard writes and performs a sitcom called Konkers broadcast on local Kent radio, which in 2007 was nominated ‘Best Scripted Programme’ at the BBC-hosted National Student Radio Awards.

JACK GALAGHER (TOWNSMAN 2)

Jack began acting while studying at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Working on twenty-five productions in two years left little time for course work so he left for Sydney to further his career.

After stints in Melbourne and Perth, Jack finally found himself in London. A varied career has seen him perform in Shakespeare, Chekov, Ibsen, Pinter, Beckett, Orton, Shepard, Freil and many others, both ancient and modern.

Jack is now gardening in North Lancashire.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN (KAWA’S WIFE)

I’m really pleased to be doing the voice for Kawa’s wife in this really exciting project. I trained at the Welsh College of Music and Drama years and years and years ago. Since then I have been lucky to have continued acting in theatre, television and radio drama. My last theatre production was Hound of the Baskervilles in the summer of 2007, and I’ve appeared in various telly dramas and soaps over the years. I’m a pretty regular occurrence in Radio 4 dramas too. I now, like many people in the acting profession, run various careers at the same time. I have just been directing a documentary in Bangladesh, which was a great experience. I’m hoping to do some work in Kurdistan at some point this year too and it’s great to know at least one tale.