armenia-turkey cinema platform workshop project book istanbul, 2014

ARMENIA
TURKEY
CINEMA
PLATFORM
2014
FILMS
We are people from Armenia, Turkey and
the diaspora, whose common ground is cinema.
We love cinema! Not only do we love cinema,
we also believe in the power of cinema to heal,
reconcile and let us speak about unspoken history
since decades, and help us to get to know one
another. Not only do we believe, we also act on it!
Founded by Anadolu Kultur of Istanbul and Golden
Apricot Film Festival of Yerevan, Armenia Turkey
Cinema Platform bring together filmmakers from
both countries as well as from diaspora since 2009.
Platform has supported 13 films so far, and will
support 2 more in 2014. More than 200 people met
in these past 6 years and more are on their way to
meet.
Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform believes that the
filmmakers’ input for the last 6 years is so important
for the reconciliation process and we are grateful to
all of our participants who worked and will work to
realize all those films…
Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform
Susanna Harutyunyan, Çiğdem Mater,
Sona Shahbazyan, İrem Argat
3
ARMENIA
TURKEY
CINEMA
PLATFORM
2014
JURY
MEMBERS
Albert Wiederspiel, born on the 5th of November in 1960 in Warsaw, Poland,
has been the director of Filmfest Hamburg since 2003.
Wiederspiel, who grew up in Copenhagen eventually moved to Paris for his
degree in film studies. After graduating he started off his career as a trainee at
20th Century Fox Intl., in 1985, where he held the position as Head of PR and
Marketing and ultimately switched to 20th Century Fox of Germany. In 1995
Albert
Wıederspıel
Hamburg
Film Festival
dırector
he managed CineMarketing (Deyhle-Bär Media Holding), as of 1996 he worked
as Head of Marketing and eventually General Manager at PolyGram Film
Entertainment and Universal Pictures Germany. From April 2000 until June
2001 he worked as General Manager-Theatrical at Tobis StudioCanal.
Trained in international trade and sociology at Bogazici University and
anthropology at The New School for Social Reasearch, he worked in academic
and NGO research projects. He has been a founding editorial board member
of film monthly Altyazi since 2001. As one of the founders of Bulut Film, he is
among the producers of Dark Cloud (Theron Patterson, 2009), Beyond the Hill
(Emin Alper, 2012) and co-producers of Lifelong (Aslı Özge, 2013).
ENİS
KÖSTEPEN
PRODUCER
Mahmut Fazıl has directed his first feature ‘Wrong Rosary’ in 2009, with which
he win critical acclaim internationally and received the Golden Tiger in
Rotterdam International Film Festival and the Best Director award in Istanbul
Film Festival. His latest feature ‘Yozgat Blues’ premiered in Istanbul Film
Festival in 2013.
MAHMUT FAZIL
COŞKUN
dırector
4
Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1946. Graduated from The American College for
Girls (Robert College) in 1965. Entered the Department of English Literature of
Istanbul University in 1967. In 1971, left Turkey to live in Geneva, Amsterdam
and Bologna. Returned to Turkey in 1974 and graduated from the Department
of English Literature of Istanbul University. She received MA in International
Melek Ulagay
dırector
PRODUCER
Relations from the Faculty of Political Science (Ankara). She worked as press
and PR consultant of The Agha Han Foundation and as a simultaneous
translator with The Association of Simultaneous Translators. She founded
Ajans 21 Independent Documentary Film Company with her associate Nurdan
Arca, in 1992. She began working at The Helsinki Citizens Assembly Turkish
Section, in 1994. She produced four documentary films so far and since 2012,
she continues to produce and direct in Ret Film.
Melis Behlil is an Associate Professor of Cinema Studies and Chair of Radio,
Television and Cinema Department at Kadir Has University in Istanbul,
Turkey. She also writes film reviews for various publications, co-hosts a
weekly radio show, and is a member of the board for the Turkish Film Critics
Association.
Melİs Behlİl
Film Scholar
Nouneh Sarkissian is the Managing Director of Media Initiatives Center
(formerly Internews Media Support NGO). She has over 20 years of experience
as a broadcast journalist, producer and script writer. Ms. Sarkissian has designed
and implemented numerous media projects, which include various journalism
trainings; TV, radio and documentary production particularly related to crossborder dialogue, conflict transformation and awareness raising on other political
Nouneh
Sarkissian
dırector
Media
Initiative
Center
and social problems. Sarkissian is a member of Union of Journalists of Armenia,
Board Member of Yerevan Press Club. Sarkissian holds a Diploma in Philology
(Russian Language and Literature) from the Yerevan State University. As a
Senior Chevening Fellow, she studied Conflict Prevention and Transformation in
the University of York, UK.
The film critic Susanna Harutyunyan is the co-founder and Artistic Director of
the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival. After graduating the
film criticism from the Moscow Film Institute, she worked as an editor and
reviewer at several periodicals; her articles have been translated into several
languages and published both in her own country and abroad. Susanna
Harutyunyan is the president of the Armenian branch of the International
Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). She was the chief editor of the trilingual
publication Armenian Cinema: 1924–1999 as well as the first Armenian
Production Guide (2000) and South Caucasus Film Professional Guide (2005).
She is also co-founder and manager of Directors Across Borders (DAB)
Susanna
Harutyunyan
ARTISTIC
dırector
GAIFF
programme and Armenia-Turkey Cinema Platform (ATCP).
5
ARMENIA
TURKEY
CINEMA
PLATFORM
2014
FILMS
STONY PATHS
Synopsis
ARNAUD
KHAYADJANIAN
dırector
A director graduate
from the University of
Paris Sorbonne, Arnaud
Khayadjanian directed
“LES HORIZONS
PERDUS” in 2012,
a fiction short film
produced by G.R.E.C.
He is currently working
on “STONY PATHS”, a
documentary feature
film in collaboration
with ADALIOS. The
documentary is
inspired by the story
of his Armenian greatgrandparents. Arnaud
Khayadjanian also
preparing the fiction
short film “ARSHAK”
with 5J PRODUCTIONS.
He also directs video
clips for new music
artists.
Themes of identity,
landscape and family
are the heart of his work
influenced by Atom
Egoyan, James Gray and
Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
The story of my great-grandparents forms the point of
departure for my exploration of a little-known facet of the
Armenian genocide: that of the Righteous Turks who saved
lives in 1915. By talking to the descendants of the Righteous
and those who escaped, I re- examine these family legends
and their transmission, both in France and Turkey.
The film will open in France, exploring the accounts from
descendants of both the Righteous and survivors, which will
then take me to the sites themselves.
The second part of the film is the story of a journey from east
to west across Eastern Anatolia - the land of my ancestors’
birth. Although not a “homecoming”, it is, nevertheless, a
return – a return to the past.
My route is specific, gradually revealing its meaning. It
begins in Erzincan, and continues in the Kemah Valley along
the Euphrates that snakes through the landscape hollowing
deep gorges. As I make my way by foot and pass through
places, some deserted, some inhabited or rebuilt, it emerges
that this is the same route taken by the Armenians when
they were deported in 1915.
Director’s view
From April 1915 to July 1916, almost one million two hundred
thousand Armenians from Anatolia and the Armenian
Highlands were exterminated in mass deportations and
massacres. Many witnesses recounting the horror of the
massacres have also told of Turks and Kurds who saved
the lives of Armenians. Despite such testimonies, these
anonymous people are the forgotten heroes of the Armenian
genocide.
I come from the considerable Armenian community, which
settled in the Rhône Valley in about 1920. I’m taking part of
the generation that is starting to reassemble the fragments
of a dismantled memory in order to transmit it.
At the age of 20, I learnt my family’s story; that it was in
this way that my great- grandparents, Vahan and Anna,
8
were saved. A few years later, I saw the painting The Good
Samaritan by Aimé-Nicolas Morot, and the story came
flooding back to me.
MAGALI
CHIROUZE
PRODUCER
In Turkey, where the authorities still deny the Genocide took
place, honouring these acts would constitute proof of its
occurrence. The majority of people of the Armenian Diaspora
refuse to pay homage to the Righteous while their Genocide
is not acknowledged by the Turkish state.
With this film, I wish to make known these anonymous
heroes condemned to the “black hole” of collective memory.
To do so, I will show the hidden faces and landscapes and
make heard the voices of the descendants of the Righteous,
who were deprived of their voice by their country. For
me, Stony Paths is an ode where my voice and that of the
descendants of the Righteous, the painting of the Good
Samaritan and the spectacular landscapes of Anatolia all
commingle.
My project is motivated solely by the desire to understand,
to refigure a past and illuminate an aspect of history that
has been partially denied.
ORIGINAL TITLE: LES CHEMINS ARIDES | ENGLISH TITLE: STONY PATHS | DIRECTOR: ARNAUD KHAYADJANIAN |
WRITER: ARNAUD KHAYADJANIAN | PRODUCER: ADALIOS – MAGALI CHIROUZE | CO- PRODUCER: LES PETITS PRINCES –
ARNAUD KHAYADJANIAN | ESTIMATED BUDGET: 202 730 $ | SECURED FINANCE: 100 000 $ |
EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: AUTUMN 2014 | APPLICANT: ARNAUD KHAYADJANIAN | ADDRESS: 44 RUE DES FOSSES
SAINT-BERNARD 75005 PARIS FRANCE | PHONE: +33658403133 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
9
pısık
Synopsis
AYŞE
POLAT
dırector
Ayse Polat is a KurdishGerman director, born
in Malatya (Turkey).
In 1978 she immigrated
with her family to
Hamburg, Germany.
With her second
feature film ‘‘En garde’’
she won the Silver
Leopard for Best film
and Best actress at
the International Film
Festival in Locarno.
Pisik loves the water and enjoys swimming. It has two
different eye colors, azure and yellow. It’s known to be
smart, active, curious and kittenish even at an old age. It
loves being loved and loves devotedly back. That’s why it
has a deep relationship to its owner and seeks constantly
their closeness.
The Van Lake gave it it’s name. It’s been 2000 years since
the breed evolved in this rough and isolated region. People
say that the lack of booty forced it to swim and catch some
fish to survive. With the years passing by the fur adapted to
the climate.
The people of Van are really proud of their fishing cat. It is a
major part of their thousand years old traditions and of the
history of the Anatolian highlands.
Hrant Dink mentioned on the city Van: “This place could
have been the Paris of the East if it wouldn’t have come to
the genocide of the Armenians.“
Starting to talk about their cat, the locals’ eyes lighten up
and their puppy love seems to be never ending. But asking
about the cats nationality turns the mood immediately.
Harsh discussions arise inbetween the nations whether it’s
origins are Turkish, Armenian or Kurdish.
Accompanied by three protagonists we will start the search
for the ‘‘true nationality’’ of the Van-cat. This journey will
help us to get to know the breed closer and to understand
the happenings in the region, traced by a tragic and
unprocessed history of the Armenian and the Kurdish folks.
We will follow our protagonists for an entire year, showing
their private desires and the wishes and an ambience of the
big, unsolved political questions.
Director’s view
Worldwide the cat is the most frequent pet - Germany
counts 8.2 Million cats in 16.5% of the households.
As a child I owned a cat, too. My brother told me about
the two eye colored Van-cat and it’s swimming skills. My
10
mehmet
aktaş
PRODUCER
Mehmet Aktaş is an
author and producer,
as well as the founder
of mîtosfilm and
mîtosfilm Iraq.
Aktaş was born in
Turkish Kurdistan in
1967 and grew up in
Istanbul. Since 1995
Aktaş is living in
Germany where in
Berlin he set up the
distribution and
production company
mîtosfilm, which is
now focusing on the
international coproduction work.
research for another project brought me eventually to Van. A
carpet store was my first encounter place with the Van-cat.
As I wanted to know if the cat was by a Kurdish origin, a
fierce argument on the nationality of the Van-cat arose. At
first side the situation seemed amusing but shortly after
I came to realize the explosiveness and tragic behind the
scene.
From an Armenian point of view, the defending of “their”
cat stands for a desperate anger and grief for their dead
ancestors killed in the genocide and it’s denial. About 1.5
million Armenians from all parts of the country have been
banished or killed meanwhile the First World War was
lasting. The ones who weren’t killed immediately were
forced to march for weeks to the Syrian desert, back in the
day still part of the Osmanian Empire. Most Armenians died
on the tracks and the remaining ones died of starvation in
the desert.
Listening to the Kurds, fighting for the Van-cats belonging
to their culture, one realizes that they eventually talk about
the 30 years of civil war in-between the Turkish military and
the Kurdish people - costing 45.000 people their lives.
Our three protagonists and the search for the true origin
of cat helps us to get to know the breed closer and to
understand the happenings in the region, traced by a
tragic and unprocessed history of the Armenian and the
Kurdish folks. We will follow our protagonists for an entire
year, showing their private desires and the wishes and an
ambience of the big, unsolved political questions.
ORIGINAL TITLE: Pisik | ENGLISH TITLE: Pisik | DIRECTOR: Ayse Polat | WRITER: Ayse Polat |
PRODUCER: Mehmet Aktas | ESTIMATED BUDGET: 251,025 € | SECURED FINANCE: 27,500 € | EXPECTED SHOOTING
TIME: 60 Days | APPLICANT: Mehmet Aktas | ADDRESS: Reichenberger Strasse 36, D-10999 Berlin |
PHONE: 0049 30 54 71 94 62 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
11
MNDZURI-A WORLD
NEVER DESROYED
Synopsis
DAVID
MATEVOSSIAN
dırector
PRODUCER
Born in 1966, David
Matevossian graduated
from Yerevan State
University, Faculty of
Orientology, Persian
language & literature
department. He
participated to Swiss
Training Program
“Avanti” to develop
filmmaking and film
community in South
Caucasus between
2003 and 2004. He was
Director/ line producer,
for shorts project
“Peoples’ Planet” –
produced by Internews
Armenia, supported by
UNICEF Armenia. His
filmography also
includes Express
Yourself, Rock The
World, documentary as
director, Alpine Violet”,
feature film project as
director. He speaks
Armenian, Russian,
English, Persian.
12
This film project will follow the footsteps of Hagop Mıntzuri
(Hakob Mndzuri) through his own writings. Armıdan
[Armudan] (1966), Grung Usdi Gu Kas [Turna Nereden
Gelirsin?] (1974), Degher Ur Yes Yegher Yem [Yaşamış
Olduğum Yerler (1984) / Istanbul Anıları (1993)] will be
guiding us. Shootings will take place in Istanbul and in
Armıdan village of Erzincan. There will be animations based
on his writings too.
Hakob Mndzuri (Hagop Mıntzuri) Demirciyan, was born
in 1886 in the Armıdan village of Erzincan (Yerzyka). He
attended the Armenian primary school in his village. He
came to Istanbul to continue his studies at Getronagan
(Central) Armenian School and then at Robert College.
After the college he went back to his village and worked
as a teacher. He had to come to Istanbul in 1914 for a
tonsillectomy. Yet, he could not catch the ship back and
remained in Istanbul (later it was clear, for the rest of his
life) and thus, after 1915 he did not receive any news of his
family…
“All I want to do is to transmit the moment accurately, to
bring it to life. These are not photographs. I’m in them all.
There aren’t only Armenian villagers in these stories but also
Turkish, Kurdish and Kızılbash villagers, all whom I know
very well.”
Aras Publishing and History Foundation of Turkey has
translated some of his very important stories. Thus, his
works are accessible for both for Turks and Armenians. This
film will aim at presenting his life and work, as one of the
most prominent Armenian writers of republican Turkey, who
has yet to find the place he deserves both in Turkey and in
Armenia.
Director’s view
“All I want to do is to transmit the moment accurately, to
bring it to life. These are not photographs. I’m in them all.
There aren’t only Armenian villagers in these stories but also
Turkish, Kurdish and Kızılbash villagers, all whom I know very well.”
Most of the stories of Mndzuri are precise description of daily life itself –life
as it is-dramas, tragedies, destinies, love and hardwork -labor, labor, labor
with soil. His stories are also ethnical-ethnographical material to observe the
life of Greeks, Kurds, Turks, Kizilbashs, Alawis and first of all Armenians ONE
HUNDRED years ago. In Mndzur, and in Istanbul (Bolis as the Armenians call it).
This film project will follow the footsteps of Hagop Mıntzuri (Hakob Mndzuri)
through his own writings. Armıdan [Armudan] (1966), Grung Usdi Gu Kas [Turna
Nereden Gelirsin?] (1974), Degher Ur Yes Yegher Yem [Yaşamış Olduğum Yerler
(1984) / Istanbul Anıları (1993)] will be guiding us. Shootings will take place in
Istanbul and in Armıdan village of Erzincan. Maybe there will be animations
based on his writings too.
The idea is to move TODAY inside the enviorenment Mndzuri describes in his
stories and novels – most of his stories are impressionistic, deep descriptions of
the daily life of people. Of their hardwork, traditions,happy and sad days.
If, for insance, two stories - “Sila” and “Isanbul” will be taken, we will have
two journies-from Bolis to province of Erzynka (Erzincan), and from Erzincan to
Istanbul(Bolis). So we will recreat some fragments of the stories, travel with the
conventional “characers” and tell the lifestory of Mndzuri.
Hagop Mıntzuri led a life similar to one of his most favored long walks. This long
walk lasted until 1978.
...He sold cattle-feed, he worked as a baker and a clerk. He was unable to leave
Istanbul, a city he adopted as his land of exile. He got married once more and he
had children again...
He never stopped writing. He brought to life the memories of his lost country,
engraved into the depths of his mind; he told the story of the people of his
homeland, no matter where they came from. He became one of the most
remarkable literary figures of 20th century Armenian literature with his books
and writings published in papers. As for what happened to his family, he told
their story, too, so briefly, so silently; only towards the end of his life.
ORIGINAL TITLE: ՄՆՁՈՒՐԻ - ԵՐԲԵՔ ՉԱՎԵՐՎԱԾ ԱՇԽԱՐՀ / MINDZURI -YERBEQ CHAVERVATS ASHKHARH | ENGLISH
TITLE: MNDZURI-A WORLD NEVER DESTROYED | DIRECTOR, PRODUCER,WRITER: DAVID MATEVOSSIAN |
CO-WRITER: NAIRA MARTIKIAN | CO- PRODUCERS: YASIN ALI TURKERI, SEYRAN AKOPOV |
ESTIMATED BUDGET: USD 38000 (preliminary) | SECURED FINANCE: USD 10000 |
EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: 20 DAYS | APPLICANT: DAVID MATEVOSSIAN |
ADDRESS: 3/49 Pushkin st.,Yerevan, Armenia 0010 | PHONE: (37494) 60 32 66 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
13
the oud maker
Synopsis
ERIC
NAZARIAN
dırector
PRODUCER
Eric Nazarian is a
screenwriter/director
and producer, born in
Armenia and raised in
Los Angeles. A graduate of the
University of Southern
California’s (USC)
School of CinemaTelevision, Nazarian’s
first film, The Blue Hour,
is composed of four
short stories about the
Los Angeles River.
The Blue Hour
premiered incompetition at the San
Sebastian International
Film Festival and
Torino, receiving the
Golden Apricot in the
Armenian Panorama
at the Golden Apricot
International Film
Festival. In 2010,
Nazarian made Bolis,
a short film in the Do
Not Forget Me Istanbul
anthology film. 14
The oud has traveled through the breadth of the Middle East
for millennia. It is a household instrument in the region but
little is known about it in the West. Every country in the Near
East has its own timeless tradition of oud making. The oud
gave birth to the lute which in turn evolved over time into
the guitar. This fig-shaped instrument has a sound unlike
any other string instrument that speaks to the heart of the
ancient world.
This documentary is an oral history about the last of the
20th century’s oud masters. In the district of Aksaray in
modern-day Istanbul is a shop where a master oud maker
crafts some of the finest string instruments indigenous
to the Middle East. His name is Cengiz Sarikus. I call him
Cengiz Usta. For me he is the last of the Mohicans of fabled
oud makers from the 20th century. He was taught by the
legendary master Armenian oud maker, Onnig Karibyan.
Very little is known about Onnig Karibyan’s life outside of
oud aficionados. Cengiz Usta was one of Master Onnig’s star
students who inherited the rich and varied oud collection
made by master Onnig. The Oud Maker tells the story of
Onnig Karibyan through the eyes of Cengiz Usta, his lifelong
disciple, exploring the deep musical traditions and legacies
of Armenian and Turkish music that has evolved out of
the braided and painful history of the 20th century in the
Ottoman empire and the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
Director’s view
My aunt Parik Nazarian is a songcatcher and musicologist.
She taught me everything I know about music and the gift
it is to the world as a bridge and carrier of souls and stories
across many oceans and landscapes. My family was born
in Tehran, I was born in Soviet Armenia and raised in Los
Angeles, California. We are the eternal immigrants carrying
with us the rich music of our ancestors from Armenia and
Anatolia. Cinema is a portal of light and illumination. For
me, making this film is important not just as a personal
theme that I hold dear but also because it is about the
In 2012, Nazarian
directed Occupied
Tears, an animation
music video for
Serj Tankian and is
rich, ancient and “lost” art of Armenian music in Bolis through
Cengiz Usta the oud maker. I was fortunate to meet him during
the production of my film, Bolis in Istanbul that was part of the
omnibus, Do Not Forget Me Istanbul.
The best documentaries about music for me are simple, made
cheaply Jean-Luc Godard style with a small crew, a really
of Chris Bohjalian’s
good camera and a superior microphone. This film is not just
critically acclaimed
about the beauty of oud music, but how the strings are made,
The Sandcastle
what constitutes the perfect oud “shell” that resonates the
Girls and a musical
sound? How did the masters learn this ancient craft that has
road movie about
no textbooks nor is an exact science? How does one become
the oud.
a master oud maker? It is a dying and rare art that needs to
be preserved, which is one of the most important facets of cinema for me – to
document a vanishing world visually and musically all that has not made it into
textbooks worldwide.
currently working on
the film adaptation
These themes are at the heart of this personal love letter I want to write through
image and music to the lost art, sound and rich tradition of the Armenian oud
makers of Constantinople who passed on their trade, craft and passions to a
whole generation of musical craftsmen and artists. I love the “heen ashkhar”
or “eski” themes in cinema, photography and literature – the vanishing worlds
we see before our eyes in cities, ancient and modern. As an Armenian, coming
from an ancient culture raised in the youngest country in the world, my thematic
preoccupations as a storyteller go back to the lost worlds I grew up hearing
stories about thanks to my late grandfather Hovhannes who read to me as a
child. This black and white world with the lone, resonant weeping strings of the
oud chiming Sari Sirun Yar or Erzurumi Shoror is a vital part of my inner life. The
films I love most that I am inspired by are journeys into places we would never
know about unless the filmmaker was brave enough to take us into these new
lands and cultures.
ORIGINAL TITLE: THE OUD MAKER | ENGLISH TITLE: THE OUD MAKER | DIRECTOR: ERIC NAZARIAN | WRITER: ERIC
NAZARIAN | PRODUCER: ERIC NAZARIAN | ESTIMATED BUDGET: $165,000 | SECURED FINANCE: $25,000 | EXPECTED
SHOOTING TIME: Fall or Winter 2014 | PHONE: 818-389-1729 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
15
hello soldıer
Synopsis
EROL
MİNTAŞ
dırector
PRODUCER
He was born in Kars,
Turkey in 1983. After
graduating from
Marmara University,
Department of
Computer and Teaching
Technologies, in 2006
he started his graduate
studies in Marmara
University, Department
of Film Production. He
completed his thesis
about the cinema of
Tarkovsky. While he
was still a student,
Mintaş worked in
numerous short films as
first AD and as director
of photography.
In 2008, his first short
film Butimar was
screened in various
important national
and international film
festivals and received
four awards. Mintaş’s
second short Berf (aka
Snow), completed
in 2010, received the
Golden Orange for best
film in Antalya Film
Festival.
16
This documentary is about men who made his military
service in Turkish Army or the ones who will do. It would
relate their experiences. Narrative will be built on their
positive and negative experiences. In this documentary
which will last for 22 minutes, we will try to obtain firsthand
information about their moods before military, thoughts,
their world, their experiences and traumas during military
service. Also we will learn about what kind of affects the
military experiences had in our character’s civilian life, the
trauma and challenges they had after the military or if any,
the positive impact of the military on their current daily lives.
We are going to learn about these issues in the interviews
we will do with our characters.
The documentary will follow the daily lives of our characters,
to the extent they allow us, we will see that in their daily
lives. If the characters have got habits from the military, and
which reflects their daily lives, we will try to catch it with the
visual language of the documentary.
The character’s daily lives, their families and friends’
environments, photo archives, video archives, such as those
belongin to our characters’ all kinds of visual material will be
used in accordance with the documentary narration as the
content of the documentary. Photographs instead of video
will also be used in the documentary. We will take some
moments of our characters and use this as a visual element.
In the documentary, the story of four characters will be
discussed. One of the characters is Sevag Şahin’s mother,
an Armenian Turkish citizen who was claimed to commit
suicide. The reason for this is the recent increasing death of
soldiers in the barracks and most of these soldiers happen
to be Christian-Armenian, Kurdish and Alevi, Alevi Turkish
citizens. Balıkçı’s story’s to be told by her mother will be
and important example for the soldiers in the barracks from
the non-muslim soldier’s point of view. And this is the most
important of the matter.
We will choose one of our characters as the one who is on
the eve of going to the army, so that we could see the mood
Berf has competed in
various film festivals
in the country and
around the world as
well and won seven
and personal experience of the character before the military
better. Other characters will be chosen from the non-muslim
man at different ages and the ones who have made their
military service and now go on their daily lives.
different awards.
He is currently
working on his first
feature film project
Annemin Şarkısı (aka
Song of My Mother)
supported by Turkish
Ministry of Culture
Production Fund.
Director’s view
As is known, Turkey is one of the rare countries where the
compulsory military service is applied. According to Turkish
law, military service is one of the duties that must be
performed legally. Whatever your religion or race be, every
man is charged with this duty.
When I was a fresh soldier, I met a Jewish soldier. When I
witnessed how that Jewish soldier was discriminated by the
other Muslim soldiers, I couldn’t believe the hatred and prejudice of the Muslim
soldiers towards the Jewish soldier while waiting to “fight” for the same purpose,
and under arms in the same front. Whereas, the Jewish soldier was there for the
same reason like them, too. The same situation was valid for the other nonMuslim soldiers, too.
I tried to convince many soldiers about that he was also a citizen of this country
like us and he was there to do this compulsory military service. But, to many
soldiers, he could have “infiltrated” here. Witnessing the hatred and prejudice
of an ordinary soldier pushed me to do something on it, something that would
approach the issue from the Non-muslim Turkish citizen’s point of view and
where they could express themselves While I was telling one of my friend about
the short film I wanted about this issue, he told me “make a documentary”. I
thought about it for a while, and decided to make this documentary, which could
be a record for the future, and where the real characters could tell their own
stories.
I hope this impressive story, which I care, would impress you, precious juries,
and this platform would start the ball rolling to find the necessary support for
this documentary to become real. I have the hope this documentary will be a tiny
drop for the future we are going to build without prejudices.
ORIGINAL TITLE: MERHABA ASKER | ENGLISH TITLE: HELLO SOLDIER | DIRECTOR: EROL MİNTAŞ | WRITER: EROL MİNTAŞ
| PRODUCER: EROL MİNTAŞ | ESTIMATED BUDGET : 32.406,093 $ | SECURED FINANCE : 2.362,726 $ |
EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: 10.07.2014 - 30.10.2014 | APPLICANT: EROL MİNTAŞ
ADDRESS: Sururi Mehmet Efendi Mah. Keramet Sok. Keramet Apt. No:4 Daire:11 Tepebaşı Beyoğlu İst.
PHONE:+90 553 412 60 50 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
17
the gold of
ınfıdels
Synopsis
When an old American man of Armenian origin visits an
Anatolian village in today’s Turkey and roams around the
ruins of an old church or abandoned cemetery, the villagers
start thinking that obviously he is a treasure hunter who
came to find the gold hidden by his ancestors.
LÉvon
Minasian
dırector
Script/playwriter,
director (cinema /
theater)
Born in Leninakan
(re-named Gumri),
Armenia, Levon
Minasian commenced
his theatre studies at
the Institute of Fine
Arts and Theatre in
Yerevan (Armenia).
He worked as an
actor at the Araspel
and Vardan Adjemian
Theatres in Gumri.
He studied film at
the University of
Paris-8 (France). In
1996, he receives his
Master’s Diploma with
distinction with the
congratulations of the
jury. He is an awarded
scriptwriter, also has
worked on theatrical
performances and has
directed short films,
produced mainly by
French production
companies.
18
But what if he come here to find another treasure, more
precious than gold?
Director’s view
The discussion of the 1915 tragic events’ subject, even a
partial one, is complicated, especially for us Armenians.
Once made attempts unfortunately were not successful.
Perhaps the reason is when following the seriousness of
the subject, artists fall into temptation of telling tearful and
pathetic stories aiming to make the audience cry. Stories,
treated in an extremely one-sided attitude, where one side is
presented as “very good” and the other side “very bad”…
What if we try to approach this topic from a different
perspective? Tell a human story, spiced with humor, irony,
and without making anyone a monster and another one a
saint. Of course not forgetting very human emotions and
feelings…
Through laughter and humor serious problems can be
raised. Laughter and humor are not synonymous of scorn or
trivialize to the subject. On the contrary, the irony is a great
tool that not only gives the audience great pleasure but also
makes them review their lives and the world around from a
more healthy perspective.
In the film I wish people not to divide into ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
All of them are human beings with their characters, human
features, weaknesses typical to normal humans, naivety or
suspicion, which causes the audience to laugh and smile.
This historical tragedy is not only an Armenian issue, but
also Turkish. For this reason I believe that the participation
of Turkish in this project is not only welcomed, but also
necessary.
He directed a short
fiction, The Piano in
2011, which received
numerous of awards.
He was the director
for LUX AETERNA”
& “TERRA EMOTA in
1999, a film poem.
Current scenario actions happen in a small Turkish village,
the characters are mostly Turkish, and the film’s language is
Turkish.
Realizing organizational and financial difficulties that may
occur on the way of implementation of the program along,
I decided not to give up this idea. This is a principal issue
for me.
I think that this film shoot with Turkish actors and technical
specialists is a positive step towards eliminating the gap
separating two nations which is a very important task, both
for Armenia and Turkey.
ORIGINAL TITLE: Anhavatneri Voskin | ENGLISH TITLE: The Gold Of Infidels | DIRECTOR: Lévon Minasian |
WRITER: Lévon Minasian | PRODUCER: Aram Khatchaturyan (Armenia) | ESTIMATED BUDGET: 56.000 U$D |
SECURED FINANCE: 21.000 U$D | EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: 5 days
APPLICANT: Lévon Minasian | ADDRESS: 6/13 Njdeh Street, Gyumri, Armenia
PHONE: +33661997325 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
19
After This Day
Synopsis
The film starts in Istanbul where Dr. Selim Deringil is visiting
the Tuzla Armenian orphanage where his close friend Hrant
Dink was orphaned.
Nigol
Bezjian
dırector
PRODUCER
Born in Aleppo, first
moved to Lebanon, then to
the USA, Bezjian studied
cinema at NYC’s School
of Visual Arts BFA and
UCLA MFA School of Film,
Television and Theatre. In
1997 he became Executive
producer at Future TV, a
Lebanon based Satellite
TV, a position he kept
until 2008. In 2008 he
established private
production company Think
Positive where he served
as the general manager
and the creative director
until most recently. Known
for his distinct visual and
poetic style, his films have
been screened in many
festivals, museums and art
exhibits. His latest films “I
left my Shoes in Istanbul”
and “Milk, Carnation
and a Godly Song” are
currently being screened
in various festival and
his Poet/Mourner was
the center piece of
the 2013 Thessaloniki
Contemporary Art
Biennale.
20
Hrant Dink was an outspoken visionary journalist and
intellectual of Armenian Turkish background who was
assassinated in front of his office on January 19, 2007 where
he published Agos; the Armenian Turkish newspaper he
founded.
The interest of Dr. Selim to further learn Hrant’s childhood in
Tuzla, brings him to the much-unknown world of Armenian
orphanages that mushroomed at the outset of the Armenian
genocide.
Dr. Selim visits the Tuzla orphanage having in hand the
issue of Agos Weekly that had published the Turkish
version of Robert Fisk’s article, which first appeared in the
“The Independent” covering Missak Keleshian’s efforts of
bringing the Antoura Orphanage story into light. Missak
Kelechian is a self-taught Armenian genocide researcher,
who single handedly unearthed the story of the Antoura
orphanage. Since his initial quarries a few years ago he has
been able to locate photographs, documents and memoirs
that establish the story beyond a reasonable doubt
Dr. Selim to contacts historian Mr. Vahé Tashjian
(Houshamadian Foundation) based in Germany who along
with Prof. Levo Nourdigian (Université Saint-Joseph in
Lebanon) who is an archeologist and historian of Armenian
teamed photographs has authored a photography book
titled “Armenians in Exile”. The meting between Vahé
and Selim first takes place in a café where they exchange
formalities and basic information and plan on a tour of the
Antoura Orphanage on a an appropriate day. Meanwhile
Vahé and Selim meet again to go over documents and
archives related to Antoura Orphanage found in the
American University of Beirut. Finally the two agree on
visiting the Antoura School to dig more into the story. With
books, photographs and documents in hand. Selim and Vahé
arrive to the Antoura School where they also meet with the
school’s archivist priest who gives more details and shows
related documents.
Yet on the same day an Armenian schoolteacher is giving a tour to a group of
Armenian children and their teachers, walking them through the Antoura School
and pointing out the exactness of the old archival photographs and the present
structures. The two elder scholars mix with the children as they continue their
exploration of past that belongs to them all.
The last image of the film is when Dr. Selim stands in front of a gate where
Ahmad Jamal pasha once stood and photographed while the children; each with
a mobile phone, point their cameras and photograph Dr. Selim.
Director’s view
“After This Day” is a film project I am proposing to make. The true story is set in
the Antoura Jesuit/Lazarist School in Lebanon that was taken over by the Young
Turks government set up by the Union and Progress Party. The school then
had become the center of Turkifying Armenian orphans who had survived the
genocide along with; in much lesser number, Kurdish orphans.
This task was in the care of Ahmad Jamal pasha and Halide Edib. For three and
a half years where more than 2000 orphaned children endured a draconian
discipline until the end of World War One and the collapse of the Ottoman
Empire. During this time hundreds of children perished with their corpses left in
open pits for wolfs and jackals to devour.
Yet in a twist of irony the orphans who survived did so due to the humanist
conduct of Riza Bey; the Turkish pharmacist of the orphanage, who declined to
follow orders of killing the orphans by poisoning their last meal as the Turkish
stuff hurriedly escaped the orphanage. Yet ironically a treacherous genocidal
conduct administered by the Young Turks leadership ended in the humanitarian
act of a Turkish pharmacist.
The question that remains is what happened to orphans? What sort of men they
became and what sort of a life the lead? Furthermore, this story highlights the
fact that real victims of adult made catastrophes are the innocent children who
if they survive they will do so in most inhuman conditions. And in turn they will
grow up and lead a life as adults. It then becomes evident that we perpetually
victimize ourselves, forever caught in the cycle of self-victimization unable to
break the chain unless lessons are learned and abided by.
The project is to highlight the human aspects away from political discourse
although the story exists due to political decisions and the ill consequences that
followed them.
Original Title: Ays Orvnéh Yedk | Englsih Title: After This Day | Director: Nigol Bezjian |
Writer: Nigol Bezjian | Producer: Nigol Bezjian | Co-Producer: Chantal Kanaan Partamian |
Estimated Budget: 48.000 USD | Secured Financing: 5.000 USD | Expected Shooting Time: OctoberNovember 2014 | Applicant: Nigol Bezjian | Address: 116 Mexico Street. 4th Floor. Qantari. Beirut.
Lebanon | Phone: 00-961-(0)3-192-473 | Email: [email protected]
21
Where the Photos
Are Taken
Synopsis
sabrİ
kuşkonmaz
dırector
Sabri Kuşkonmaz
lives in Istanbul. He
is lawyer, writer and
poet. He completed
a LLM program
in the Radio TV
department in 2008.
He is currently a PhD
student in CinemaTV. He has thirteen
published books which
are eight poem books,
two novels, an essay,
a short film story and
an antology. He also
has short films and
documentary films.
Short Film Works;
a short film of 10
min. called Short
Moments; writing,
production and
directing, (2000),
the script writing of
a short film of 8 min.
called Umbrella.
Director: Ozgur Kınay
(2004), Visit; duration:
A selection from the racist and rough speeches from
politicians.
Accompanying a line saying “2 hours ago”, the same song
but this time in Armenian, being played in H’s home while
we are having dinner. H is telling stories to escape. Family
pictures been taken in Armenia also appears on the screen.
They are the photos of the ones memorialized in stories.
With a line saying “23 years ago, 1991”, stories from
Tajikistan and family photos and videos from there. At the
same time, important photos of what has been happening in
Tajikistan and nearer places; stories as well.
Then, with a line saying “44 years ago, 1947” photos that
was taken in Greece. Scenes from civil war in Greece.
Later, with a line saying “20 years ago, 1924” family photos
from Kayseri-Adana, Turkey.
In every changing of scene, wheels, foot, vehicles etc that
are going backwards... Images with a feeling of intense
movement. Along with these images, on a map, a photo is
being put down on every single city where they were taken
from.
When the scene from 1924 is finished, same images of
moving vehicles and people that are used in every lap
dissolve flows as if they were freed from their chains. And
finishes with the same picture taken in Gyumri and shown at
the beginning.
10 min. Production,
Director’s view
writing, direction
There are many ways to tell big traumas and stories that
people lived through. It is possible to hunt emotions easily
by way of showing directly the images and stories of agony
(2006), Looking at
Pain; duration: 8 min.
22
A photo and video shoot in Gyumri with H. We are taking
photos together, holding an old radio. A flashback with a
line says “Half an hour ago”. A song on the radio, “Kimseye
etmem sikayet aglarim kendi halime” (Without complaining
to anyone, I cry on my own fo my own sorrow) from Kemani
Serkis Efendi. At first, it is played in Turkish.
Production, writing,
direction (2006). On
The Search For Lost
Worlds; duration:
8 min. (2008) Tekel
Resistence; duration:
30 min. (2010)
itself. However, only to memorialise this agony is not a way
of creating art.
Stories can be told in a very minimalistic way, at least it can
be tried. While telling a story, we should give a thought of
the past and the future, especially for sensitive and hurtful
issues, a little reparative and positive approach is needed.
Common Voice of Two
Nations; duration: 30
min. , director: Ayhan
Orhuntaş, Writer:
Sabri Kuşkonmaz
(2012)
Sabri Kuşkonmaz is a
weekly contributor to
the newspaper Birgün.
He member of PENTurkey Centre and
general secretary.
ORIGINAL TITLE: Fotoğraf Çekİlen Yerler | ENGLISH TITLE: Where The Photos Are Taken | DIRECTOR: Sabrİ
Kuşkonmaz | WRITER: Sabri Kuşkonmaz | PRODUCER: Sabri Kuşkonmaz | CO- PRODUCER: Arthur Sukiasyan
| ESTIMATED BUDGET : 6.000 Euro | SECURED FINANCE : 1.000 Euro | EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: 30 May-10 June,
2014 | ADDRESS: İstiklal caddesi, Asmalımescit sok 11/6 Beyoğlu-İstanbul
PHONE: 0532 296 33 48 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
23
MORE THAN
WORDS
Synopsis
Seg
Kirakossian
dırector
Graduated from
Yerevan State Institute
of Theater and
Cinematography, dep.
of documentary film
directing (MD). Now
doing PhD at the YSITC.
Member of Youth
Peace Ambassadors
international network.
He has finished 2 full
lenght and 4 short films
so far. One of his short
has been shot in Turkey. Zekerİya
Dündar
PRODUCER
Freelance trainer and
Project Coordinator
at TOG, social worker.
Member of Youth
Peace Ambassadors
international network.
14 Dancers from Armenia and Turkey are participating in a
cultural project. During a 16 days tour in 5 cities of Armenia
and 5 cities of Turkey where Armenians lived for ages they
are performing concerts, consists of regional folk dances.
The main aim of the group is promoting recognition of
each other and a dialogue for peace between Armenia and
Turkey. A girl from Armenia, who hasn’t been in Turkey
before, starts to discover who live in the lands today, where
Armenians and other nations lived together in harmony
for a long time before Armenian Genocide. Meanwhile,
is trying to discover life style of local people in these 10
cities with other dancers. She communicates with locals,
discovers their knowledge about Armenians who lived there
before, trying to understand their attitude to Armenians in
general and about Genocide particularly. The dancers are
sleeping in 2 cities in the host houses with locals, having a
chance to discover cultural similarities in the lifestyle. After
performances in Turkey, the group comes to Armenia, where
they have more performances 5 Armenian cities .
Here the main character of the film shows the Armenian
culture to participants from Turkey, helps them to
communicate with locals, to ask questions which are
interesting for them. During the visit, participants having a
chance to visit the Armenian Genocide museum in Yerevan if
they want and once after such a long journey they are quite
close to each other, they freely express their ideas about the
conflict between two countries.
Finishing the performance tour, the participants having a
last dinner together, drinking for peace and making a wish to
visit each other next time through open borders.
At the end, the main character of the film shows the soil that
she took from the yard of St. Giragos Armenian Church in
Diyarbakir and says that going to give it to her grandmother,
whose parents came from former Armenian cities of Turkey.
Director’s view
As a rule, the aggression emerges as a result of fear, and
the fears mostly are because of unawareness, it’s a kind of
self defense. So showing the reality of the countries which
has officially ceased relations, many stereotypes and fears
can be broken. The direct communication of this kind of
24
countries is important especially if there is a state propaganda for keeping the
situation adverse.
Feelings, emotions, memories and gestures are more than words. This will be the
credo of the film ‘’More than Words’’, in which the participants will communicate
with each other by their folk dances finding out the similarities of them.
On the beginning of 2014 a friend of mine from Turkey came to Armenia for a
visibility visit of a cultural project organized by him. When he told me about the
idea of his project, I felt that I have found a theme which I would like to film in
Turkey: in the summer a group of professional and non-professional dancers
from Armenia and Turkey having a joint performance in 10 cities of Turkey and
Armenia during 16 days project, trying to create a dialogue between peoples of
these 2 countries through culture. For me the most interesting part of his project
is the real communication between project participants and local people living
in different cities of Armenia and eastern part of Turkey. An atmosphere for
open and honest discussions will be created during the project and for me, as a
documentarian, the real feelings are most interesting.
I believe that the world is the home of all people (with their differences), animals
and vegetation. I also understand that there are people with different business
and political benefits, who don’t want this concept to be realized. And I am
happy to find people in Turkey who think like me and who understand me. I
consider Zekeriya, the producer of the film, this kind of person who is not afraid
to look into the eyes of truth.
When he told me about his social peace building project, I understood that there
is something interesting for being a documentary film. There was too much
potential of truth and there could be developed really interesting situations
during the project.
For the treatment we wrote what is possible to be happened there, at the
meantime we are sure that much more details are possible to take place which
we are not able to guess before the project starts. For example, during my last
exchange project between Armenia and Turkey, where I was a participant, a
couple from neighbor countries got unloved with each other during the project,
which can bring new colors to the film etc.
The team of the film is minded to be honest with participants and with future
audience, which is one of the most important components to be accepted by
the audience. As English writer Virginia Woolf said: ‘’You cannot gain peace by
avoiding life’’. ORIGINAL TITLE: More than Words | DIRECTOR: Seg Kirakossian | WRITER: Seg Kirakossian | PRODUCER:
Zekeriya Dundar | CO- PRODUCER: Seg Kirakossian | ESTIMATED BUDGET: 29260 USD | SECURED FINANCE: 19260 |
EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: 1 month | APPLICANT: Seg Kirakossian | ADDRESS: Sebastia 82, ap. 80, Yerevan 0032,
Armenia | PHONE: +37455511199 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
25
WHERE TO?
Synopsis
Silvina DerMeguerditchian
dırector
She lives and works in
Berlin. The artist is the
granddaughter of Armenian
immigrants to Argentina.
Her artistic work deals
with issues related to the
burden of national identity,
memory, the role of
minorities in the society
and the potential
of a space “in between”.
She is initiator of
the platform for
Armenian artists
underconstructionhome.net.
Since 2010 she is artistic
director of houshamadyan.
org, a project to reconstruct
Ottoman Armenian town
and village life. She works
in the fields of videoart
and performace with the
Ballhaus Naunynstrasse
and the Gorki Theater.
In 2014 she is awarded with
the Tarabya Akademie
Scholarship.
26
Nereye? is born from the desire to adapt to the screen the
experimental theatre piece with the same name. Nereye?
is a research based theater parcours that deals with the
urban displacement’s effects in the multicultural district
of Istanbul Fener-Balat. How strong are affiliations and
how far ranges the displacement? What do we learn from
the unique history of a neighborhood that has experienced
several waves of displacement since the founding of the
Turkish Republic? Fener Balat was at the beginning of the
20th Century shaped by social and cultural life of Greeks,
Armenians and Jews. As consequence of the genocide
against the armenian population during WW1 and the
Lausanne Agreement the most Armenians left the place.
Within the framework of population exchange in the 1950s
the Greek inhabitants had to leave the place. A majority of
Jewish residents migrated a as result of Israel´s foundation
in 1947. The transformation of the district has taken place
until the middle 80s. In the 70s, immigrants from
the Black Sea region came increasingly, and in the years
thereafter, Kurds and Roma have found a home in the
ruined district of Fener-Balat. This situation generated
a mysterious and, due to traumatic experiences of
displacement, bitter and transcultural place, which is
characterized by the experience of displacement, and
migration. Nowadays comes the next wave of displacement
due to the furious urban development of Istanbul. By
demolition and redevelopment, Fener-Balat is planned to be
attractive for investors and
wealthy citizens. Hundreds of houses have disappeared
and their inhabitants have been driven out. This process
is supported by government decisions. Even through
the minorities and the lower income groups have being
displaced by the massive urban renovation program of the
state, we still can find traces of various communities who in
the first half of the 20th Century used to live there. Nereye?
tries to make visible the consequences that displacement
ÇaĞla İlk
PRODUCER
She lives and works in
Berlin and Istanbul.
Architect and Culture
Manager.
She studied architecture
in Mimar Sinan
University and TU
(Technical University)
Berlin. She works
interdisiplinary
between Art, Urbanism
and architecture.
Since 2008 she has
been working as
a producer, stage
designer, curator in
different projects
at the Ballhaus
Naunynstrasse and the
Maxim Gorki theater.
has on minorities. In the parcours, the audience will follow
a migration route through the neighborhood of Fener
Balat and experience encounters with neighbours, (our
protagonists), who will share with us their own private
stories from the everyday life.
Director’s view
From the beginning of my artistic carrier I was interested in
Armenian/Turkish issues: presences, absences, dislocation,
displacement, confrontation, cooperation. The common
memory of our lands and the restoration of affiliations, the
investigation of boundaries are my main artistic goal. My
first solo exhibition called “Aferim Yavrum, little gestures
of cooperation” at BMSuma/Istanbul is a good example of
my intention. Also the Film essay “Deep sea fish” that was
presented in the Filmmore Festival 2012 is a good example.
I’m very happy that Cagla Ilk invited me to participate in the
project Nereye? Through this project during my Scholarship
in the Tarabya Akademie I will be able to come closer to the
inhabitants of the city and its texture, and use my special
sensibility for absence to help people and myself to confront
with our own past.
ORIGINAL TITLE: Nereye? | ENGLISH TITLE: Where to? | DIRECTOR: Silvina Der-Meguerditchian |
WRITER:Cagla Ilk/Silvina Der-meguerditchian | PRODUCER: Cagla Ilk | ESTIMATED BUDGET: 8300 Euros |
SECURED FINANCE: Theater parcours production secured | EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: May 2014 |
APPLICANT: Silvina Der-Meguerditchian | ADDRESS: Leonhardtstrasse 15 - 14057 Berlin |
PHONE:0049 30 32702400
27
Anamnesis: The View
from Moush
Synopsis
Roberto
Cavallini
dırector
Roberto Cavallini is a
graduate of Cà Foscari
University of Venice
where he studied Art
History and Aesthetics
and he holds a PhD
in Visual Cultures
from Goldsmiths,
University of London
(2010). He also works
as film director and
producer of short films
and documentaries
for Cinema Key
(Italy). He is currently
Lecturer in the Radio,
TV and Cinema
Department at Yasar
University (Izmir),
where he teaches
Visual Cultures and
Documentary Cinema.
He has published
articles and essay
internationally; his
research interests lie
at the intersections
between film and
philosophy, cultural
memory and history,
artistic research and
social practices.
28
“Anamnesis: the view from Moush” is the story of a multiple
journey. It takes as a point of departure and inspiration the
novel of Italian-Armenian writer Antonia Arslan, ‘The Book
of Mush” (“Il libro di Mush”, 2012). Arslan recounts the
story of the sacred book of Moush, known also as the Mush
Homiliarium, the greatest manuscript in Matenadaran,
which used to be kept in the Surp Arakelots monastery,
in the Moush province. Arslan’s story is a mix of fictional,
legendary and real elements. The book was saved from
destruction by two women who carried it with them during
their journey towards the safety of Russian controlled
Armenia. Since it was nearly 32kg (it is the largest surviving
Armenian manuscript known) they had to split it into parts;
one of the women passed away in Erzurum and was buried
with one half of the book at an Armenian church in Erzurum
(where it was later recovered by a Russian soldier who
brought it to Tiblisi). The remaining half was brought to the
monks of Etchmiadzin (some fragments are now still kept in
Venice and Wien, and of course in Matenadaran in Yerevan).
The documentary takes inspiration from the story of these
two women and wants to retrace their journey in today
landscapes. The structure of the project follows (roughly)
their journey (from Moush, through Erzurum, Kars etc until
Yerevan via Georgia), overlapping two different narratives:
on the one hand, the legendary journey of these two women
(through spoken fragments taken from the book), on the
other hand the encounters with today inhabitants and
landscape (visual and actual images).
Director’s view
The original conceptual idea of ‘Anamnesis: the view from
Moush’ comes directly from two personal reasons: the
encounter with the work of Italian writer Antonia Arslan,
which lives and teaches in Padova, Italy (my birthplace)
and my decision to move to Izmir in 2012. Arslan’s work,
since 2004, has been dealing with her own family history of
Armenian origin. The resonance of her work became more
TUNA
YILMAZ
PRODUCER
Born in 1978, Tuna
studied Business at Izmir
Dokuz Eylul. In 2009,
he finished his masters
on Design with a thesis
on the representation
of Istanbul in American
cinema. In 2004, he
published his first book,
A David Lynch Book.
In 2010, his second
book, Istanbul, not
Constantinople, was
published abroad in
English. Tuna worked
as festival director for
International Izmir
short Film Festival and
powerful in the moment I moved to Turkey and I touched
directly the complexity of the history of this country.In my
previous academic work, I have been working through the
notions of tradition and inheritance to consider the ways
in which memory is transmitted, placed and represented
within and beyond the field of visual culture. My last short
documentary looks at the Italian Levantine community
through the words and experience of an Italian priest
living in Izmir and responsible of the archive of the Italian
community in the city. The concept of the film, anamnesis
(the remembrance of the past), delineates the willing of
making a film which speaks about the past while navigating
the present. As a methodological approach, the journey
and the technique of superimposition are my initial tools to
find a way through a still unknown territory. I like to think
that documentary filmmaking is a research tool, which
expand our chances in tackling social and historical issues
creatively. As a tool, it is also an invitation, for the audience
and the filmmaker himself, to embark on an adventure. As a
consequence, my intention of interrogating the landscape is
a way of narrating a place where it has a very dense past and
present history. I don’t have any personal relation with the
place itself, which I hope it will be a positive asset to bring
the objective clarity of the stranger’s gaze.
Hong Kong Turkish Film
Festival between 2007 2011. His 2008 directorial
debut with 3 in 35 was
screened and awarded
at several international
film festivals. In 2010,
he directed The Night, a
short fiction feature.
ORIGINAL TITLE: Anamnesis: The View from Moush | ENGLISH TITLE: Anamnesis: The View from Moush |
DIRECTOR: Roberto Cavallini | WRITER: Roberto Cavallini | PRODUCER: Tuna Yilmaz |
CO- PRODUCER: Roberto Cavallini | ESTIMATED BUDGET: 9.070,00-USD | SECURED FINANCE: 4.200,00-USD |
EXPECTED SHOOTING TIME: 1 year | APPLICANT: Tuna Yilmaz | ADDRESS: PK 59 Beyoglu Istanbul 34431 Turkey |
PHONE: +905324274555 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
29
NEITHER HERE
NOR THERE
Synopsis
Ankine is an Armenian kanto singer who lives in Istanbul.
Though she hasn’t been on stage for many years, performing
kanto is still her passion. She has heart-to-heart talks with
her son Arda who lives in America with her grandchild via
the Internet any time she feels troubled.
YASİN ALİ
TÜRKERİ
dırector
PRODUCER
He was born in Koçarlı/
Aydın, 1976. He
graduated with
a degree in Computer
Programming from
Istanbul Yıldız
Technical University.
He also has a degree
in Economy from
Anatolian University.
He has completed his
internship on digital
videoediting systems.
He established his own
production company
named ESR Productions
in 2006. He is a member
of the management
board of the Association
of Documentary
Filmmakers (BSB)
and a member of EDN
(European Documentary
Network).
30
Being rejected in every quest to perform, Ankine is
demoralized and has even thought about selling her kanto
costumes.
Her husband Ömer, a bank retiree, has always supported
Ankine, but now he is thinking more and more about their
son and grandchild. He believes that at her present age
Ankine should retire from the kanto scene; but out of love for
her, he doesn’t bring it up.
Their son Arda lives in San Francisco and is in a constant
race between work and home.
Because his father and mother are from different religions
and nationalities, he has tried since childhood to maintain
a balance in his environment. He must also find a solution
to the cultural conflict that he has with his wife when his
parents come to visit.
After the birth of their child, Ankine and Ömer come and
live with them for a time so that his wife Christine can get
to know them better, but there are conflicts due to different
lifestyles and attitudes. A good musician herself, Christine
endeavors to contact other musicians around her so that
Ankine is not bored during her time in America.
After two years, still unable to find the comfortable place
they have been looking for, Ankine and Ömer return to
Turkey. They have difficulty accepting that their grandson
Azra will grow up without them, and feel bad to have left
Arda alone with his troubles. Will a new journey to America
help the family to finally find some peace? And despite
Ömer’s objections, will Ankine be able to sing kanto again?
Director’s view
The Uğur family, who occasionally have conflicts because of the way they
perceive and live their lives, attach great importance to having a moral compass.
Disharmony in the family sometimes leads to drifting apart, but they always
get back together eventually. This can best be explained by the family’s moral
compass. The director plans to address this feeling in the back-story of the
documentary.
We plan to have actual shoots of the Uğur family’s lives in both countries. We
also plan to use the cities as cinematographic material, shooting at different
times, places and angles. The film will include scenes of the family having video
conversations.
We have archival material such as pictures collected during the first
documentary, demo records, video shoots, DVD recordings of TV programs
in which Ankine and Ömer appeared in Turkey, and amateur videos of stage
performances with the group Ala Nar in America.
ORIGINAL TITLE: HAYAT NE JAZZ NE HİCAZ | ENGLISH TITLE: NEITHER HERE NOR THERE | DIRECTOR: YASİN ALİ
TÜRKERİ | WRITER: YASİN ALİ TÜRKERİ | PRODUCER: YASİN ALİ TÜRKERİ | CO- PRODUCER: DAVID MATEVOSSIAN, NAIRA
MARTIKIAN, SEYRAN AKOPOV | ESTIMATED BUDGET: 184.000 EURO | SECURED FINANCE: 25.000 EURO | EXPECTED
SHOOTING TIME: AUGUST – NOVEMBER 2014 | APPLICANT: YASİN ALİ TÜRKERİ |
ADDRESS: Şahkulu Mh. İlk Belediye Cd. N:2/8 K:3 34420 Tünel Beyoğlu İstanbul
PHONE: +90 212 293 82 77, 78 | E-MAIL: [email protected]
31
www.cinemaplatform.org
Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform 2014 activities take place within
the framework of the Support to the Armenia-Normalisation Process
programme, funded by the European Union.