Screenwriting : The Siege of Kobani by Bager Kaya

American Character, bad idea.

It may come across as the “white saviour” problem.

The biggest thing you will have to do is make the conflict relatable to a wider audience.

Look at Dunkirk. And English story told from an English point of view.

I believe any story can be accepted, once put forth in an appealing way. But speak your truth, tell the story that wants to get out.

Hi Bager,

I think there is a "waiting period" before feature films are made about recent war events. I don't know if that's because things are "too fresh", or what, but I would be surprised if someone is not planning a film about the Siege of Kobani. That was a major event involving the almost total destruction of a pretty big city and dozens of small villages. I think the fight between "good versus evil" was pretty evident, and why outside support for the Kurds was necessary.

It's a pretty complicated backdrop, too, with the (still ongoing) Syrian civil war, and the distrust that existed between the fleeing Syrian Kurds and the Turkish government and the refugee camp situation. But that certainly is a major story, and like I previously stated, I'd really be surprised if someone is not already planning a feature film based on events of the Siege. There already was a documentary or two, if I recall correctly.

I'm a bit of an uneducated Westerner when it comes to Syria. I know that there are like three countries in one: the regime part supported by the Russians; the Kurdish part supported by the U.S.; and the Sunni part. At least I think that's the current lay of the land. It would be nice to know that background in your story, too. And in a simple way, too, if possible, before the invasion of the Kobani region begins by IS in your story. All it would take is a quick scene - like a "news cast" of sorts, or even a written explanation on-screen before you cut into the first scene of what's happening on the ground in Kobani. That will really help the average Westerner like myself to understand things a bit better.

Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Bager!

Last year a movie about a woman banging a fish won best picture, so Hollywood will be interested in anything exceptionally well-written.

Perhaps the woman was hotter than the shark that’s why, Hollywood simply wants female genitalia.

Hollywood is essentially leftist - so if your script shows America/current govt in bad and Obama/Hillary in positive light, then it'll love your script.

My American character is not a white savior. Thanks to him, we will know a few hundred fighters who have resisted 7,000 people for months. I'm Kurdish. I watched the border from the beginning of the war to the end. You can see the whole war on the border with the naked eye. there was already an American warrior who fought and martyred in the city of Kobani. I need to think about the market and the audience while writing the story. Why would the world market watch a group of Kurdish fighters fights against the darkest group in history? The Kurds do not even have a country. A story that tells them may not interest the rest of the world, especially Hollywood. So I chose an American character or if I told the Kurds completely, there are so many characters I can choose.

Gawd.... That’s a crude, cynical and incorrect assessment of The Shape Of Water.

Bager, my two cents, I think the story perspective would be better told from the Kurdish POV and through a Kurdish protagonist.

Beth Fox Heisinger, If I tell from a Kurdish warrior's POV, and there are only Kurds in the story, do you think hollywood will still be interested in this story? Because the story I wrote is a big budget story.

Yes. Absolutely. You could have Americans in it because they were there. My point is perhaps do not tell it from the American point of view. Tell it from the Kurdish point of view. Tell it through a Kurdish protagonist who is experiencing this war, personal loss, the Americans, etc. That would be incredibly authentic and different. Immerse your audience in this specific world and event experience. This is completely unrelated, just given for creative inspiration... but perhaps watch the Brazilian crime film City of God (2002). It’s based upon true events, a war between two gangs in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. It is immersive, breathtaking, and terrifying. It also won Best International Film. My point is don’t be thinking or overthinking “American.” Write the most effective film from your unique perspective. Dive into the humanity and the experience that most do not know nor have or will experience themselves. Audiences will care deeply for your characters. Hope that helps!

I agree with Beth - City of God is a great film. That film just sucks you in and doesn't let go.

The closest film in time and subject matter to the Syrian situation is last year's A Private War, the film about American journalist Marie Colvin's assassination during the Siege of Horns.

I don't think you need a primary American POV, either. You're the writer, and you get to choose how to tell the story. Fact-based timeline of events? One of the leaders of the Kurds? A few different families who were displaced? One group of Kurd fighters? A leader or group from the other side? A UK reporter? An American adviser? An Amnesty International worker? War room officials far from the scene? Official footage of government/U.N. meetings? All of them? And more?

You're the writer, and you get to decide how the story flows. It sure is a big story.

Just for my own education...how does Kobani look these days? And the surrounding villages? How far along in the rebuilding process is it?

Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Bager!

And yeah...."banging a fish?" WTF? Yeesh.

Beth Fox Heisinger yes, I agree. Well explained.