Discoveries from Turkey World Cinema

About a mother with 3 kids

Midas's World, a documentary depicting Phrygian art and culture, is the second installment in the "Traces of Anatolian Civilizations" series, produced by Suha Arın as a cultural service of the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association. The product of a year of intensive work, the documentary reveals that ancient Greek art and culture, known as the cradle of civilization, are actually rooted in earlier civilizations in Anatolia, particularly the Phrygians. For Midas's World, produced by Suha Arın and four students from Ankara University's School of Press and Broadcasting, all relevant sources, including museums displaying Phrygian artifacts and Phrygian settlements, were individually scrutinized.

Two young people want to go on vacation with their sweethearts, but they can't afford it. Their friend, Süleyman, proposes a camping trip together. Süleyman will arrange the food and the car, but he only asks that they find a girlfriend.

A man, which seems tired cause of 'what happened in the past', tries to realize his own meaningful memories.

Documentary filmmaker İmre Azem interviewed dozens of Hatay residents for the documentary “Hatay: 17-24 April 2023” in order to understand and tell the story Hatay after the devastating 6 February 2023 earthquakes. Then came the follow-up documentary “Hatay: 1-11 September 2023”. Now Azem continues this series, which acts as an archive as well, with “Hatay: 5-15 February 2024” in which we visit Hatay for the third time on the anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes. The daffodils we hold tightly in our hands is still at Köprübaşı bridge, impatient to reach the Asi River. “The daffodil symbolizes hope and new beginnings,” they say, “it represents the awakening of nature and points to a brand new beginning.” #YouAreNotAloneYouWillHeal

The film tells the story of Metin, who asks his friend for help in breaking a spell that has been cast on him.

Ekrem, 32, was recently released from prison. He makes a living for his family by dealing in scrap metal. While Ekrem is in Eminönü for work, he sees something belonging to his wife, but later realizes that it belongs to her. Ekrem realizes that his wife is doing something behind his back and goes after it.

The story of how Zonguldak miners took action in 1990-91. Opposing privatization, the miners fought a "bread war" as a result of their joint resistance. The second film in the "Work-Bread-Freedom" trilogy.

Compilation of footage about daily life in the Ottoman Empire and various sights in the capital Istanbul. Shots include an outdoor barber shop, port ‘The Golden Horn’ and sailing ships on the Bosphorus.

Nasreddin Hodja's son Firuz and Kadi Cafer's daughter Gulfem reunite with each other and Timurlenk's involvement in the events is narrated in a humorous way in the movie, which depicts the difficult situations that Nasreddin Hodja has faced due to Kadı Cafer and his recovery from these situations.

After her father is arrested for political reasons by the Turkish government, little Sirin is finally allowed to visit him in prison for the first time. When a prison official interprets her painting of a bird as an anarchistic symbol and confiscates it, the girl is devastated, but her father encourages her to believe in the freedom of thought. For her second visit, she paints a "harmless" mandarin tree. Will her hidden message be discovered?

The lives of people crushed by the feudal landowner system.

Who passes us from Dalyan town to the Kaunos Tombs and Çandır village located on both sides of the canal which joins the Aegean Sea are the rowing women. Homes and boats for these women, who have been making a living from rowing for many years, have become an extension of each other; and the relationships they established in these places and with these places have been intertwined. 'There and back' follows the daily lives of the rowing women whose lives are organized away from the patterns of the urban theories.

Two transgender sex workers, Ece and Ozge, endeavor to survive daily violence to get their female ID cards and avoid military service.

A big international company organized a competition. The company asks the groups to identify the undiscovered archaeological remains and prepare a large presentation. Arda, one of the members of the group, takes his team to Bagirganli Village, which has a history of about 600 years, where he spent his childhood but had to leave.

The film focuses on the development of the cinematography in the 1890s (which in turn significantly altered the perception of the 20th century art) and how it spread within the Ottoman territory. This 2018 documentary by directors Hacı Mehmet Duranoğlu and Atalay Taşdiken contains rarely seen footage, that is more often read about then watched. Its purpose is to ignite new questions and discussions on the film history, based on the surviving documents.

Needing money, Kudret gets involved in a robbery with his friends. According to the agreement he made with them, whoever gets caught will take the blame. He’ll collect his share after he’s released from prison. After the robbery, only Kudret and his close friend Süleyman are caught. As a result, they serve long prison sentences. After his release, Kudret sets out to claim the money he is owed.

Comedy oriented Turkish version of Snow White with a few ideas from Cinderella.

Shop owner Ali Kemal and his fiancée Berfin are living their ordinary, inconspicuous lives; both are very much looking forward to the day of their wedding. But then something unusual happens: A strange woman named Aram enters Kemal’s shop and tells him the baffling prophecy that he will turn into a woman on his 30th birthday. At first, Kemal doesn’t believe a word she says, but after witnessing someone else’s gender metamorphosis, he starts thinking that Aram is right. How will the upcoming change affect his relations with Berfin however? As a woman, Kemal will still want to marry her.

After her death, a young woman named Lena awakens in a mysterious realm beyond the world. Guided through doors that reveal fragments of earthly stories, she discovers how even the smallest events carry profound consequences. As the threads intertwine with her own life, Lena must face a final choice: be reborn, or confront the weight of her past.

After their forced migration in 1993, a boy has to make some decisions due to changing living conditions.

A docufiction experiment that focuses on the invisible bonds Kendal forms with the city, his physical presence, and his ways of holding on to life in the streets, beyond the identity imposed by his solvent addiction.

This is story of a young LGBTIQ individual searching for himself and hiding himself from people around him in his search he comes across a documentary and his soulmate.

A night watchman with dark circles under his eyes from a lack of sleep faces the danger of being fired from his irregular job. Desperate to get his hands on the red prescription drug in order to set everything right, he obsessively tries every possible way. Events surrounded by tension trap him in a blissful state between fantasy and reality.

Kadir İnanır writes in order to not forget every moment of his early professional life. This process of recording is not limited to writing. He consolidates this archive first with photographs and then with images. His archive includes behind-the-scenes footage from many films, thousands of photographs, some of the costumes he used in his films and priceless diaries. Hüseyin Karabey, who has been filming Kadir İnanır at regular intervals for about 13 years, based on his yet-to-be-published autobiography, shares with us an important part of the history of Turkish cinema through the actor’s testimony.

The story of a young man who suffers from memory loss as a result of an accident. Çınar, who is in his early 30s, sees his life turned upside down after a traffic accident. Due to the blows he received, Çınar develops a type of dementia. Due to the effects of the disease, Çınar develops an interest in a different profession every day, as the things he reads or watches become embedded in his subconscious. One day he wants to be a firefighter, the next he plans to become an imam. After losing his family in the accident, Çınar begins living with his uncle, and a caregiver is sought to support him through this process. Öykü, a nurse whose greatest dream is to become an actress but who has never been able to achieve her dreams, is forced to accept the job. A very different bond will form between the two of them before long.

Pick an outfit. You need to get dressed and just go out. How difficult it could be? Check how much cleavage you have. Does it show your bra? Wear a nude one so that it won’t attract attention. Don’t give people the wrong idea. If your boobs show, cover it with a scarf . Just to be sure, use a safety pin so that the scarf doesn’t move. In fact, you don’t actually need the safety pin, just pin an evil eye bead. Now, that’s safe.

to the seas...

The Saddam era in Iraq is known for the Halabja massacre, which was an unforgettable trauma for the vast majority of Kurdish citizens, even though most Iraqis later missed Saddam greatly. A group of students studying at Dicle University set out to deliver aid collected in Diyarbakır to the victims of the Halabja massacre, which they view as the third-largest massacre in history. One of the group's leaders is the daughter of Battal Ağa, a member of the Kejan tribe living along the Syria-Iraq border. For these people caught in the midst of war in northern Iraq, the only escape and salvation lies in crossing into Syria with Poyraz's help.

Mert, who lives in Istanbul with dreams of becoming a big actor but has failed to achieve success, is a fan of Marlon Brando. One day, a great opportunity arises for him. Mert, who is not in good shape for the audition, will he be able to achieve success?

53 plate Rize and 61 plate Trabzon. We examine the people of these two cities, which have completely unique characters, behaviors and cultures, as if they live in a parallel universe, through the eyes of three comedians. Get ready for a journey where you will be very surprised and burst into laughter with the Volksov team.

A tourist exposed to heat in an all-inclusive hotel; a family father injured in his masculinity; and a packer who succumbs to a Sisyphean task while delivering a closet. Three short events merge to a novel about powerlessness during summer season at the Turkish Aegean Sea, where overheating, shame and class conditions belong to the burden of everyday life in a deeply divided society.

The Past Is An Alien Planet is a machinima and video-diary film by Kadir Kayserilioğlu. The film starts by a personal research about a similarity of a childhood memory of Kadir Kayserilioğlu and Elon Musk’s Starlink project. Through this similarity the artist builds a narrative that combines simulation and real-life events. The artist’s durational research deconstructs and binds together UFO stories in popular culture, technocracy and capitalism, satellite accidents, conspiracy theories, temporariness and new forms of companionships built around the notion of an ephemeral state of being are all included in this narrative. The Past Is An Alien Planet criticizes the fetishized trans-humanist idea of being immortal by choosing an intimate methodology which includes confessions and coincidences. This implicit protocol invites the viewer to a visual journey of free associations that jump from one subject to another.

Halil and Eylül travel in their caravan when they learn of Halil’s beloved grandfather’s death. This news brings back cherished memories of his grandfather, from whom he takes his name, also uncovers feelings of grief and loss. Their journey transforms into an inner exploration as they reflect on these memories.

On a dark October night in 1993, the village of Vartinis (Altınova), Muş, was engulfed in fire. The Öğüt family’s home burned before their eyes, trapping seven children and two adults inside. There was no escape. By morning, only ashes remained.Directed by Mehmet Ömer Biçer, Vartinis unearths the echoes of a silenced tragedy. In a remote village overshadowed by the state, a long-buried atrocity is brought to light. Eyewitness testimonies challenge official records, exposing unsettling truths and wounds that refuse to heal. This is not merely the story of a single night, but one of an enduring struggle for justice.More than just a massacre, this is the story of a village, a family, and a people whose memory the state tried to erase.

Five middle-aged women gather for a traditional "gold day" (altın günü) exchange, and make brutal comments about 17-year-old Leyla’s physical appearance. As the tension escalates, reality begins to warp.

Even in their native land, writers are strangers who look at things from without and see them clearly. How does this affect a writer who is literally foreign? Does being familiar with two cultures without fully belonging to either of them make for even greater clarity, but also damage the writer to some extent? At what point do gains turn into loses? Stranger by the Sea focuses on the life and art of Turkish poet and writer Şavkar Altınel, resident for years in England, to look for some answers.

Dogme95 #50 A road story about three people traveling on the highway and deceiving each other for drugs and money.

Depressed writer Aziz, returns to his hometown Antakya years later to confront himself. Over time, Aziz begins to meet and observes his neighbors, who are alienated from themselves and the society, living on the first three floors of the apartment where he lives. As he wanders the streets of Antakya and experiences the sense of belonging, he finds the courage to confront himself. With little touches to the drama of his neighbors, he helps them find themselves too.