‘Alan’ is a 20-minute long Iranian short film in Kurdish language about the displacement of Kurdish, Syrian and Iraqi families by war. The film is the story of a day in the life of Abdullah, Reyhanand and their kid Alan before displacement.

Gandomkar’s film together with three other films including ‘Gaze’ by Farnoush Samadi, ‘From Hasakah with Love’ directed by Mohammad Farahani, and ‘Achieve’ by Mohammadreza Minapour, represented the Iranian cinema at two competition sections of Duhok film festival. ‘Alan’ won the Golden Leaf for the Best Kurdish Short Film at the event.

The fifth edition of Duhok International Film Festival was held on 9-16 September 2017 in Iraq.

Speaking at a press conference with Iraqi media on Sunday evening, Iran’s Rezaei said several countries in the region and the world as well as the United Nations (UN) are opposed to the referendum and division of Iraq and are urging Kurdish leaders to dismiss the petition.

“Iraq is a well-known nation and a member of the United Nations with international borders, and its breakdown is therefore a huge mistake since the measure would mark the onset of dangerous insecurities inside the region,” he added.

He described consequences of Iraq’s disintegration on regional countries as menacing given that breakup of Iraq will be extended to Syria and Turkey the following separatist war might lead to 20 years of insecurity and conflict.

“Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq are all opposed the plan for the same reason,” said Rezaei adding that any change in geography of the region would have serious consequences.

He warned against formation of new wars in the region between the central government of Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan as a result of a possible division saying “in that case, the Iraqi Kurdistan nation will suffer damages and unrest will spread throughout the region.”

Rezaei also gave warning on arrival of the Turkish army in northern Iraq in case the Iraqi Kurdistan is separated; “unfortunately, the issue of the referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan is more of a personal issue than a popular demand as many Kurdish leaders are against it.”

He continued that some Kurdish leaders sought name and fame through the referendum at a time when the Iraqi Kurdistan is in dire need of security and progress.

Secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council went on to state that refusal of the United Nations and European countries to monitor the referendum on the autonomous region marked the greatest failure for the process and emphasized that if the Kurdish leaders in Iraq continue to insist on referendum, it would either because of personal interests or hidden hands behind the scene which will certainly be revealed in the future.

Mohsen Rezaei said reaching of army and security forces of Iraq and Syria to legal borders of their countries marks an outstanding achievement over the past four years; “the move is a sign that security has been established in the two countries.”

He stressed that Iran’s presence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and other countries has been made at request of their governments and is aimed at strengthening security in these countries.

On US policies in the region, Rezaei emphasized that Americans are not after establishment of security in Iraq and Syria as evidenced by their opposition to any action leading to lasting security in the two countries.

The senior Iranian official later noted that concentration of ISIL terrorist elements in one part of Syria is to the detriment of the terrorist group; “military operation of the Syrian Army is currently underway in Deir ez-Zor and terrorists will be soon fully eliminated in the coming months.”

He recalled that Americans were involved in the recent controversy over transfer of ISIL members to Deir ez-Zor since they are against uprooting of terrorists.

“Zionist and American policies to create hostility between Arabs and the Islamic Republic of Iran have failed,” emphasized Rezaei adding “Tehran has thwarted all similar plans by the Zionists and Americans.”

He acknowledged that release of Mosul and Tal Afar was a result of cooperation between Sunni and Shia Iraqis saying “presence of both Shia and Sunni figures in the army and among Hashad al-Shabi militias has contributed to recent victories over terrorism in Iraq.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran would never allow the Zionist regime, as the chief enemy of Islam, to hide behind the Shia-Sunni conflict or the hostility of Arabs and Iran, he underscored.

He referred to formation of Resistance Front in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon as a highly significant move expressing hope that Saudi Arabia will also join the Front in the future in opposition to the Zionist regime.

Rezaei stressed that the four countries of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon were friend states and the only countries that were honestly fighting against terrorism.

“Differences between these countries on the regional issues remained at a minimum level and could be easily resolved,” reminded the official asserting that the four countries could set up a union in the future to create peace, security and progress in the region.

The Secretary of State Recognized the regime from the Islamic and Arab countries of the region to invite him to the collection and said: “If a union is formed from Islamic countries, this union can take into account the resources of oil, gas and mines in the region. It can be even stronger than the European Union.

He described US policy over the past 14 years in failed Iraq, saying that the fate of the Tramp government policy in the Persian Gulf will also be defeated because America is currently experiencing its weakest conditions.

Iran’s Expediency Council Secretary invited Islamic and Arab countries of the region to join the union and said the union can turn to be even stronger than the European Union thank to massive resources of oil, gas and mines in the region

He said US policy had failed in Iraq over the past 14 years commenting that policies pursued by Tramp government in the Persian Gulf are bound to be defeated because America is currently experiencing its weakest conditions.

He congratulated the great victories gained by armed forces and Hashad al-Shabi of Iraq in the face of terrorism adding “the Iraqi government and nation are independent today and are in no need for  intervention of any outsider.”

Mohsen Rezaei reminded that the Islamic Republic of Iran would remain on the side of Iraqis both in the fight against terrorism and for reconstruction the neighboring country.

He emphasized that the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran was to preserve territorial integrity of countries and to prevent changes in international borders.

We firmly believe that the Israeli regime must be eliminated, Palestine be liberated and that war and divisions will reach an end in the Islamic world.

Mohsen Rezaei, along with other members of the Expediency Council, has been on a pilgrimage visit to the neighboring country of Iraq.