Jalil Zangana: Third Gardalool series (Storm) is on the way

The director of the Gardalool series Jalil Zangana says filming the third episode of Gardalool has finished. It is comprised of 60 episodes, each being 40-45 minutes long. Only Kirkukis star in the scene special to Kirkuk. 

Jalil Saeed Zangana, known as Jalil Zangana, was born in Kirkuk in 1947. He started working in drama and movies from the 1960s. He has many famous dramas, including Zhiyan (Life), Zhalla (Specific Tree), Khula Piza (Kurdish rebellious figure), to name but a few. Kirkuk Now interviewed Zangana as he answered our questions.

Kirkuk Now: What are you busy with now?

Jalil Zangana: After the script was finished, I’ve been filming the third episode of Gardalool for a year. Now the photographing is finished. We should work on the montage.

Kirkuk Now: Did you work on anything else since you started Gardalool?

Jalil Zangana: I’ve dedicated my whole life to Gardalool since I started. I’ve done nothing else. The same is true for the third episode. I was working day and night to write the script, and went through the same process for finding actors. I was very tired with filming, which is very hard.

Kirkuk Now: What was the reason of your tiredness?

Jalil Zangana: You know filming means hard work. The episode needs shots in different places in Kirkuk, Germiyan, Sharbazher and some other places. Sometimes I was talking from early in the morning until night. Sometimes we are repeating a scene again and again. Sometimes were back at night to film, being hardly able to speak at home. My children always say that I am sick because I tire myself out that much.

Kirkuk Now: Did you find it hard to find actors for the third episode?

Jalil Zangana: This is one of the problems always facing us. Because our actors were always teachers, students or other employees. Sometimes they could not attend the scene when it was supposed to be filmed.

Kirkuk Now: How many actors have taken part in the third episode?

Jalil Zangana: Over 200 actors, along with 100 medium and small roles. Only Kirkukis were playing the part specific to Kirkuk. The other parts special to the other cities were the same, played by their local actors.

Kirkuk Now: Which years are taken into consideration in this episode?

Jalil Zangana: The episode talks about 1978-1983. We tried to examine the events up close.

Kirkuk Now: Does party work taken more into consideration or people’s lives?

Jalil Zangana: In this episode, national sentiment is taken more into consideration rather than the party, unlike the other episodes. The events talk about national related causes, not a specific party. The story is wider than the other parts.

Kirkuk Now: Some people think Zangana has become rich through Gardalool?

Jalil Zangana: KurdSat TV staff know how much is spent on the first and second episodes. No one is ready to do what I have done with this money. I’ve worked on giving wages, or friendship. The budget allocated to me was much less than the ones the Culture Ministry allocates for some short movies. This is only a hobby, not a business.

Kirkuk Now: Why you did not return to Kirkuk after 2003?

Jalil Zangana: It’s been more than 30 years we are living in Sulaimani. Our children were married here. They were also busy with studying, and that’s why I could not return to Kirkuk. There are more opportunities to follow my career here in Sulaimani.

Kirkuk Now: Your health was not good, was it an obstacle to your work?

Jalil Zangana: I went to Tehran for a heart operation. I was so tired that I thought that I cannot finish Gardalool, but I’ll continue until I die.

Shakhawan Mahmood – Kirkuk Now