THE VIRGIN AND CHILD

Barely out of the ISIS hell, Avesta, a young Kurdish Yazidi woman, winds up in Brussels with a single thing on her mind: to wreak vengeance upon the man who enslaved her. Between a fierce struggle for justice that sees her revisit her darkest hours, and having to mother an unwelcome child, Avesta fights to be heard - whatever it takes.

  • writers: Berivan Binevsa, David Lambert

  • director: Berivan Binevsa

  • with: Laëtitia Eïdo, Barbara Sarafian, Roda Fawaz

  • producers: Isabel de la Serna, Matthieu Frances - Playtime Films (BE)

  • co-producer: Xavier Rombaut – Polar Bear (BE)

  • genre: drama

  • country: Belgium

  • year: 2024

  • duration: 80 minutes

  • Benelux distribution: Playtime Films

  • with the support of: Centre du cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Tax shelter of the Belgian federal government via Shelter Prod

  • 2024

    • Film Festival Oostende (BE)

    • Festival Cinémed (FR)

    • Cinémamed Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles (BE)

    • Duhok International Film Festival (IQ)

    2025

    • Festival International du Premier Film d’Annonay (FR)

    • Elles font leur cinéma (FR)

    • Autour d'elles - Ecran Village (FR)

    • Rencontres cinématographiques du Salon de Provence (FR)

    • Los Angeles Kurdish Festival Film (US)

    • Festival Cinéma d'Alès (FR)

    • Festival des Fims Kurdes de Paris (FR)

    • Düsseldorf Kurdish Film Festival 2025 (DE)

    • London Kurdish Festival Film (GB)

    • Amsterdam Koerdisch Film Festival (NL)

    • Kurdish Film Days Leipzig (DE)

    • Kurdish Film Festival in Berlin (DE)

    • Kurdish Film Days Hannover (DE)

    • Cin'égalité (BE)

    • Annual Vancouver Kurdish Film Festival (CA)

    • Sercavan Vienna Kurdish Film Days (AT)

    • Kurdish Film Festival Cologne (DE)

    • Cine por mujeres Madrid (ES)

    • Rojava International Film Festival (SY)

    • Gindou Cinéma - Festival Migrant'scene (FR)

    • Kurdish Film Festival Hamburg (DE)

    • Cinéma Charles-Boyer de Figeac - Festival Migrant’scène (FR)

    • Amed Film Festival (TR)

  • 2024

    • Prix du public - Festival Cinémed (FR)

    • Prix jeune public des activités socials de l’energie - Festival Cinémed (FR)

    • Audience Award - Cinémamed Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles (BE)

    • RTBF Les Grenades Award - Cinémamed Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles (BE)

    • Best Actress Award - Duhok International Film Festival (IQ)

    • Best Script Award - Duhok International Film Festival (IQ)

    2025

    • Yilmaz Güney Award - Düsseldorf Kurdish Film Festival (DE)

    • Rebellious Spirit Award - Amed Film Festival (TR)