2001 / 32'08"
Coskun is the eldest son of a family that lives in a remote village in eastern Anatolia. Nine years ago, while attending his second year at university, he was arrested on charges of political activism. The film tells the story of his family and how their life was affected by Coskun’s absence. His sister reads from the letters Coskun wrote home during the nine years of his incarceration. Her father confessed to her that he could not bear to lose another child, and so she stayed in the village, giving up the chance to go to the city and receive an education. Coskun’s father is an embittered man. He had taken great pains to ensure his children a better future, but with the arrest of his son this dream was shattered. Coskun’s mother has never got over the sadness of her son’s absence. And then Coskun finally returns, and the family is reunited...
- 14th Ankara International Film Festival, Documentary Section First Prize, 2002
- IDFA – 15th International Documentary FilmFestival Amsterdam, First Appearance, 2002 [ details ]
- 44th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, 2001
- 24th Cinéma du réel - International Documentary Film Festival, 2002
- Maltepe University, 2nd Student Films Festival, Second Prize, 2002
- Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, Buenos Aires, 2002
2004 (28'10")
My mother had lived in a village of Erzincan until 16 years old. When she got married, she moved to Istanbul like her sister. Since then my grandmother and grandfather have lived alone in the village. They visited their children in Istanbul but they can only stay there for a month in a year. And I know that we are not the only family in this stuation in my country.
My grandmother doesn't want to leave Istanbul since her children are there. In contrast, my grandfather wants to go to the village, because he is happy there. However, my grandmother feels the same when she is with her children. She always misses her children when she is in the village. While they are in the city she tries to persuade her husband to stay there. When she is in the village she try to persuade her children to come to the village everytime they call her.
Like the other old people in the village they don't have much to do, except making a phone call or quarrelling...
- 27th Cinéma du réel - International Documentary Film Festival, 2005
- 1st. International Festival of Documentary Cinema of the South, 2005
- 5th Altın Safran Documentary Film Festival Mention Award
- 17th Ankara International Film Festival, Documentary Section
- 43rd Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Documentary Section
2004 (46')
In Turkey, two hunger strikes have done, one started in 1996 and continued 69 days; the other started in 2000 and not have finished completely yet. These actions were started against to cell-type jails by political prisoners. After death of 12 people in 1996 hunger strike, this type jails have been closed down. But, the cell-type jails have became a current issue again in 2000. The political prinoner have started the hunger strike again. Then the operation was done simultaneously in 20 jails on 19 December 2000. After operation, the political prisoners was sent to F-type jails, but the hunger strike didn’t come to end. However public opinion was convinced to believe that the hunger strike finished after the operation.
This documentary film is on reasons and results of these hunger strike. Three stories are related in this film: First is Ozcelik family whose two children are in prison now and one of them joined to the hunger strike in 1996. One was punished with 22 years, the other with 15 years. After the operation, they were sent to F-type prison and they are staying same cell now. Their mother is afraid of joining her children to the hunger strike again at any moment.
Second story is Ali Yalcin who joined to the hunger strike in 1996 and had a close brush with death the last day of the hunger strike. He is staying with his older sister. His sister is loving him as a her child. Becuse of the hunger strike, the damage has occured in Ali’s brain. Ali thinks that there are a chip in his brain and everthing which he lives is result of this chip. He doesn’t accept discomforts which remained from the hunger strike.
The last story is Yusuf Aracı who died 330th days of his hunger strike. Yusuf has been put in the hospital in the his last days. His brother and mother have accompanied to him. When he died, he was taken to his fatherland. And there, he was welcomed with lamentations. His mother called him like in the legend.
Destinies of the mothers who are worry about losing their children and the mother who is in the legend are alike.
2006 (36')
My story is a known story... A man loved a women, the women too...The man started to know her, she started to know him. Their families started to know the man and women. It was said that "The women is Alevi, the man is Sunni or contrary. They can not be together, build a family. "
However these two society have been living together for decades... How are they manage this?
- 18th Ankara International Film Festival, Documentary Section, Screening
* with support of Culture and Tourism Ministry...