TODAY, SURVIVAL STORIES WERE REFLECTED ON THE SILVER SCREEN AT THE GOLDEN ORANGE FESTIVAL

The films “Bağlar, Kökler ve Tutkular” and “Doğudan Fragmanlar” from the Altın Portakal National Feature Film Competition were screened today. The teams behind the two films, one about people struggling to live with their immigrant identities and the other about people struggling to survive in the face of war and natural conditions, answered audience questions after the screenings.

The film “Bağlar, Kökler ve Tutkular”, one of the films in the National Competition at the 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, was screened at the Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM) Aspendos Hall. Following the screening, director Sunay Terzioğlu, cinematographer Serdar Özdemir, producer Yaşar Harzadın, co-producer Kemal Genel, and actors Ushan Çakır, Ezgi Yaren Karademir, Barancan Eraslan, and Özgün Çoban answered questions from the audience.

The director of the film, which tells the story of three people who survived a boat accident while fleeing as refugees and ended up in Turkey, said he drew on his own experience as a migrant: “I immigrated here from Bulgaria with my family in 1992; I was nine years old. We lived illegally for five years. That's why I know these subjects; I know these places. I believe I am close to my characters and that I guided them correctly while making the film.”

The director, who emphasised that they paid particular attention to “realism” in the film and worked meticulously to achieve it, said, “We shot in real locations, tried to find authentic costumes, even scoured flea markets, and searched for genuine accessories.”

Terzioğlu, who stated that they aimed to maintain this ‘realistic perspective’ in the film's formal characteristics, said: "The film is also different in terms of editing; it's like an observing eye because this film was shot with a 30 mm single lens. Because we wanted to look from a certain distance. We didn't want to judge or remain distant. We never go to black; it opens at the beginning and closes after the credits, like the opening and closing of the eye."

“I want to create something worthy of art history.”

Terzioğlu mentioned that they had a very difficult time working with guerrilla tactics during filming: “We filmed in Basmane. While working with our actors, we were also trying to control the crowd. Because we filmed in real locations — homes where migrants live while they go about their daily lives in the rooms — we continued filming on the side. We started filming in Izmir but finished in Erzincan. I couldn't find the nature I was looking for in Izmir. I believe that cinema is about capturing moments. What I've learned since school and what I want to do is to be able to film something worthy of art history."

When asked about his thoughts on resolving the issues in the film, the director said, “I never took a pessimistic view. If I had, I wouldn't have made this film and wouldn't be standing before you now. As a director, my goal is to make people think about this issue. We leave the characters at a certain point, and we don't know what happens next.”

Actress Ezgi Yaren Karademir answered the same question through the character she portrays, Hazel: "I think Hazel is a very strong character because she has no other choice; she has to be strong. As an older sister, she suddenly takes on the role of a mother. On one hand, she’s searching for her own freedom, but on the other, she constantly faces obstacles. This isn’t the end; we’re just leaving her story behind, and the audience gets to imagine the character’s path a bit in their own minds.”

Cinema in Search of Truth: Doğudan Fragmanlar

The post-screening discussion for the other National Competition film of the day, Doğudan Fragmanlar, was attended by director Kubilay Erkan Yazıcı, cinematographer Vedat Oyan, editor Umut Sakallıoğlu, producer Mahpare Tanın, and actors Güldestan Yüce, Turgay Atalay, and Elvin Köse.

The film, which bears witness to the intersecting survival struggles of a woman fleeing war and a fugitive Russian general, drew attention with the director's unique style, and this was the first question posed to the director. Yazıcı explained his thoughts on cinema and cinematic language as follows: "For me, film art is art; it is not essentially a form of storytelling but also a task of constructing time. I understand cinema as the unity of time and space. I don't see time as a chronological flow. Time is essentially a metaphysical entity that pushes people to think, imagine, and connect with the truth. Cinema is the only art form that allows us to capture time, to touch it, and that's essentially what I tried to do in this film. Time is not a frame within which actors come and go; it is a field of destiny, a field where truth finds representation, and space is not a place that constructs time, gives it reality, and brings it into being.”

Producer Mehpare Tanın, noting that preparations also took a long time in line with the director's cinematic perspective, said, "First, we visited the locations four times in different seasons. He wanted to see how the locations looked during those seasons. We also identified alternative locations, anticipating the possibility of heavy snowfall and the risk of being unable to leave the snow. “Cinematographer Vedat Oyan also mentioned that they did a picture study that lasted several months: "There were painters we took as references. We started with many painters, narrowed them down, and in the end, we chose Bruegel. In Bruegel's paintings, we see that the characters and the space dissolve within time, disappearing into nothingness. Likewise, our characters constantly wander around the same spaces; there is a state of reaching the zero line and dissolving within it."

Almost every element of the film was specially designed from the outset. Editor Umut Sakallıoğlu explained it this way: "It's important to emphasise that there is a war issue, humanitarian issues in the background. In the film's language, we tried to keep that alienation, tension, and unease alive. The use of music in the movie is also different from what we are used to. The use of visuals, graphics, and text is also different. Not entering the interiors serves the same purpose as all of these. Our cinema features many panoramic images, but sometimes they are used as backdrops. In this film, the landscape serves a different purpose; it is more than just something that gives you pleasure.1

When asked why the film only features outdoor locations, the director responded: “In my mind, there is a line of contemplation between the realm of reality and the truth beyond it. In life, there is something we call truth that lies beyond the reality we perceive. When the characters enter the spaces, my realm of reality becomes limited. I wanted first to unsettle the viewer and then force them to see, within a feeling of presence or absence, happening or not happening. This is essentially my expectation of what seeing the truth will be like. By keeping my camera outside, I wanted to set a boundary for the viewer regarding that reality and say, ‘Beyond this is truth; we must look here."

“I discovered my character not while working, but when I came out of the snow.”

One thing the audience was curious about was what the actors experienced while preparing for their characters. Güldestan Yüce described her character as “Safiye is very different from any other character I've played so far. She is a woman who carries all colours in her heart, struggles, and continues to walk stubbornly.” She said the most difficult thing about her character was the idea of having to kill someone, even unintentionally.

Elvin Köse, however, stated that she found her character not during rehearsals but “when we went out into the wilderness”: “When we went out into the wilderness, I think nature, the mountains, and the cold added a lot to my character. For example, in that scene where Zeynep washes herself, yes, I'm acting, but at the same time, I'm not really acting.”

Judging by what he said, the actor who pushed himself the hardest and was pushed the hardest for the role was Turgay Atalay, who played the general: "This general has been shot in many battles, killed many people, he's a dirty man. I watched many films and documentaries, did my research, and finally asked our director, ‘What do you want from me?” After that, I surrendered myself to the director and to nature. I was no longer playing the dialogue with a sense of belonging; I was a general! I was just very tired. Our director was working very hard to get what he wanted."

Güldestan Yüce said she drew support mostly from Safiye, but primarily from surrendering herself to nature: "We are in a story, and the characters in the story are telling other stories! That's what I love most about this film. But something interesting happened: while working on the film, Safiye contacted me and said, 'Write to me in the evenings. I kept a notebook. In fact, one day I was very scared. Because Mahpare Tanın had said the conditions would be difficult, we would be in the snow and climbing high. Safiye then said to me, ‘We are God's daughters, Güldestan, nothing will happen to us.’ But, as my other friends also said, nature is so powerful... I personally experienced there how powerful nature is and how helpless humans are in the face of it. To put it simply, sound disappears in the snow! You can't hear anything, like the line of sight is blocked."