Zaynê Akyol’s documentary Rojek has been selected as Canada’s submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Academy Awards.

The doc is written and directed by Montreal-raised Akyol, who also produced the film with Metafilms’ Sylvain Corbeil and Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierr. Maison 4:3 handles distribution in Canada and Icarus Films holds U.S. rights. France’s Andana Films handles international sales.

Rojek was filmed in Syrian Kurdistan, a northern region of Syria, in 2022 and follows the rise and fall of the Islamic State and its ideological war through conversations with its incarcerated members and their wives, who are detained in prison camps. The doc’s languages are English, French, Arabic and Kurdish, with English and French subtitles.

The film won the Special Jury Prize for Canadian Feature Documentary at Hot Docs, and had its world premiere at the Visions du Réel film festival in Switzerland in 2022. It had a theatrical release in Canada on Jan. 20.

Akyol made her documentary feature debut in 2016 with Gulîstan, Land of Roses (Périphéria Productions, MitosFilm, National Film Board of Canada), which won the Doc Alliance Selection Award at the Locarno Film Festival.

Rojek was one of 28 films submitted for consideration this year, and was selected by a pan-Canadian committee on Thursday morning (Aug. 24).

“This announcement marks the beginning of an incredible journey and a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Rojek to reach audiences around the world and give them just a taste of the quality of filmmaking that Canada has to offer,” said Julie Roy, executive director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, in a statement, noting that this “may have been Canada’s most competitive year ever.”

“I would like to express my deep gratitude to the pan-Canadian selection committee for this recognition. Also, a sincere thank you to my dedicated team, who continually pushed the boundaries of creativity and excellence,” added Akyol. “This moment is the fruit of our shared passion and unwavering commitment to cinema and justice.”

The 96th Academy Awards are scheduled to air on March 10, 2024. The shortlists will be announced on Dec. 21, and nominations will be revealed on Jan. 23, 2024.

Image courtesy of Maison 4:3