Kâzım Öz

Kâzım Öz — Biography

Kâzım Öz is a Kurdish-Turkish film director, screenwriter and producer born in 1973 in Tunceli. After studying civil engineering at Yıldız Technical University, he completed a graduate degree in cinema at Marmara University, began directing with the Teatra Jiyana Nû theatre group in 1992, and later co-founded the production company Yapım 13 & Mezopotamya Sinema.

Known for films such as "Fırtına" (2008) and "Zer" (2017), Öz built a body of work centered on Kurdish identity and collective memory. In 2026 his film "Bir Kar Tanesinin Ömrü" drew strong audience interest at screenings in Mannheim, Germany, and Erbil, Iraq. His work has repeatedly run into censorship and legal disputes in Turkey, including a court case tied to "Zer" and the blocking of his film "OY’una Geldik" by authorities.