Competition Section
The Day My Father Died
The Day My Father Died (Turkey), Emre Sefer, 16’53”
Sema and Hale, who lost their father, come together at the funeral. The couple, at odds, set off for home together after the funeral. Hale cared for her sick father for months, and Sema never visited them. The two start to argue; an incident on the way will force them to choose between their conscience and their minds.
Birth of the Two Departeds
Birth of the Two Departeds (Iran), Ali Sadeghian, 17’43”
As his birthday coincides with his grandfather’s death anniversary, no one cares about him. So his friends decide to take him out of the ceremony and throw a birthday party. Ali, who is not in a good financial situation and hasn’t bought any gifts, ruins the others’ plan and persuades the others to throw the party in a room inside the mosque yard with the grandfather’s grave. A few minutes later, there is a power outage, and Ali’s father and Masoud’s father enter while the kids are dancing. When Masoud’s father wants to turn off the music sees the music playing on his son’s cell-phone and his son and father dancing in the video, which goes back a few years on his son’s birthday.
Clara is Gone
Clara is Gone (Canada), Danyk Grenier, 14’32”
The police wake up 11-year-old Simon in the middle of the night. His best friend Clara has gone missing. He goes on a search with the help of his friend Ben. During the search, Simon slowly loses his childlike wonder and realizes Clara might be in greater danger than he initially thought.
End of September
End of September (Italy ), Valentina Casadei, 14’59’’
Christian tries in every way to bring his younger brother Giulio to school. An easy thing for most, but not for them, who don’t know their father and whose mother is an alcoholic. In addition, Christian is a bricklayer and has to start work at the same time his brother has to start school.
Desert Lights
Desert Lights (Chile), Katherina Harder, 18’07”
In the middle of the Atacama desert, Antay (12) sees his town disappearing due to the drought. Alongside his friends and their football team, they will try to hang on to the last sun rays, their childhood fragments, and the ties with those who resist.
Finis Terrae
Finis Terrae (Italy), Tommaso Frangini, 17’30’’
Travis and Peter, two childhood friends in their mid-twenties, go on a camping trip to spend some time together. The desolate nature surrounding them will highlight their differences and the distance separating them.
Footprints of Ants
Finis Terrae (Turkey), Ümit Güç, 16’25”
In a tent camp where asylum seekers and local agricultural workers stay together, the anger of the local workers against the refugees increases with poverty. Two children, Barış and Evin, who are unaware of this anger, disappear one day. Local and refugee workers in the tents go out to find the children. During the search, local and refugee workers share common feelings for a while. The search for children turns into a search for human values along the way.
Nesting
Nesting (Finland), Siiri Halko, 20’
Veikka is about to leave his workplace, a construction site, to start a new life in the big city. Veikka thinks the goodbyes will go smoothly, but a rare situation appears: a baby in the crane.
Salto Mortale
Salto Mortale (Turkey), Nihat Vuran, 19’57”
Murders committed in a theater because of the love of Franz Kafka.
Scrap
Scrap (Ireland), Jamie O’Rourke , 14’30”
Ciaran and Michael meet one summer and become quick friends. But, when school returns and Michael, a member of the Traveller community, attends the same school as Ciaran for the first time, will they stay friends?
Shabnam
Shabnam (Afghanistan), Zabiullah Saifi Askari , 16’04”
It’s a narration of a turning point in a couple’s life who are immensely occupied in their everyday work.
Together, Alone
Together, Alone (Turkey), Kasım Ördek, 19’59”
In their late twenties, Sevgi and Doğan, live on the outskirts of Istanbul and steal vintage cars daily. The young couple’s latest attempt reveals some truths. Lovers who disagree during the tensest period of their relationships have difficulty making the right decision in the deadlock they are in.
Vyraj
Vyraj (Poland), Agnieszka Nowosielska, 20’11”
The sudden illness of Weronka’s father breaks her quiet and idyllic life. While playing with his friends, her son Pietrek experiences a situation that makes him believe he has healing powers. Everything surrounding Weronka calls for her attention, and a series of events gets out of her control. Is it possible that Pietrek has an influence over his grandfather’s health?
War And Color
War And Color (Iran), Adnan Zandi, 4’17”
A few children are playing in a war-torn neighborhood when suddenly their ball is thrown towards the enemy trench…
Warrior
Warrior (Kyrgyzstan), Amanbek Azhymat, 20’19”
A soldier is struck by a bullet on the battlefield, losing consciousness. When he comes to his senses, he finds himself in another world. He meets a stone age warrior, a medieval warrior with a sword, and two soldiers – from World War I and World War II. The soldiers from different eras begin arguing about one thing – whose war is more sacred…
Humanitarian Eye Section
21³
21³ (Kyrgyzstan), Marina Saifidin Kyzy, 19’45”
8 -year- old Alikhan has always dreamt of becoming a stage actor; however, overcoming stage fear is hard. But dreams push people to do extraordinary things. Alikhan is preparing to perform in a new stage play alongside his peers from the resource center, where every kid has a well-suited role. Everyone came together to create a colorful and pretty play and perform at Sultan Ibraev National Drama Theatre in Osh. It is a gorgeous tale of one day in the life of The Children of the Sun, their passion and friendship, where they learn not only to play on the stage but also overcomes a very test of courage, nobility, and persistence.
Barefoot Empress
Barefoot Empress (India), Vikas Khanna, 14’51”
Barefoot Empress follows the remarkable journey of Karthyayani Amma, who, at 96 years old, fulfills her lifelong dream of going to school, beginning as a first-grade student.
Gulab Gul
Gulab Gul (Turkey), Semih Sağman, 14’51”
Gulab Gul is a boy living in a remote mountain village in Afghanistan. Gulab does not have two arms from birth. Gulab, who lost his father 5 years ago, is taken care of by his uncle. But his uncle also has to go to the city for business. So how will Gulab Gul cope with this challenging geography and his own shortcomings if his uncle leaves?
Health Sinks at The Southern Border
Health Sinks at The Southern Border (Spain), Alba Villén, Ignacio Marín, 13’24’’
What is the state of health of migrant people coming to Spain? And, when they are here, how do the reception conditions influence their health? La Salud Naufraga is a short documentary about the health of migrants arriving on our coasts. The conclusion is clear: reception in Spain makes people ill.
I Won’t Remain Alone
I Won’t Remain Alone (Iran), Yaser Talebi, 15’
Seyed Jalal, an a blind 86 years old man, and his wife Bibi Soraya, 80 years old with chronic nerve disease, live in poverty conditions. Their two sons moved to the city. They got devastating news about their son’s brain death. The old fragile blind father has to decide whether to donate his son’s healthy parts to help 16 other patients.
Laboratory NO.2
Laboratory NO.2 (Iraq), Edris Abdi, Aware Omer, 16’17”
Documentary Laboratory No. 2 is the story of an older man working in the autopsy department of Sulaimaniyah University of Medical Sciences for 14 years. During these 14 years, he works on a corpse. He finally retires. Finally, he decides that …
Merjem
Merjem (Turkey), Hatice Kübra Ergen, 7’ 08”
Meryem is a girl who has lost her family in the Bosnian War. Not being able to find any remaining traces of her family members, she heads towards Potocari Memorial Cemetery to find the only remaining photo left from them and to bury it.
Seven Symphonies of Zagros
Seven Symphonies of Zagros (Iran), Perwîz Rostemî, 23’17”
The documentary ‘Seven Zagros Symphonies’ narrates the philosophy of seven musical Maqams of theoldest wind instrument (Shamshal) in the life of the people of Zagros. The Seven Maqams is told using the monologue of an older man who spent 65 years playing the Shamshal (a Kurdish wind Instrument).
The film’s story is character-oriented, and the philosophy of the seven Maqams in his life is implied. Seven is regarded as a sacred number in different religions, and the film’s content is somehow related to this topic.
Soft as Metal
Soft as Metal (Sweden), Seywan Saedian, 28’
In war zones, people don’t have fond memories of metal. All weapons are made of metal. Now a sculptor makes sculptures and statues from war remnants and takes them to villages in a truck. This time, people are not afraid of the forge, but they like them. The relationship between people, especially children, and modern art will be fascinating.
The Girl Who Plays With Mud
The Girl Who Plays With Mud (Turkey), Deniz Telek, 11’35”
While I spend the 21-day lockdown period in my village where I’d never seen before, I am tracking the traces of my sister, who died as a baby, with my camera.
The Odyssey
The Odyssey (Turkey), Ömer Güler, 12’46”
The film is based on Hüseyin Taşpınar, who was born and raised in Anatolia and grew up with the ancient culture of these lands. His resistance to the changing time and social structure, his persistence to continue his life according to the values he received from his ancestors, and his relationship with the goods is the basis of this film. The story is about Hüseyin Taşpınar’s search for truth by embarking on a spiritual journey on objects, who built his existence by handling and recreating the unimportant things thrown into the background.
The Search
The Search (Turkey), Ömer Güler, 17’28”
One morning, Tedrisa, who leaves home for work in the morning, cannot find his family when he returns home. They take refuge in Sudan to escape from the daily armed battle in the Tigray region of Ethiopia The father, who cannot receive news from the family, sets on a journey and starts to search for his family…
Forty Years Of Gratitude Section
A Little Circus
A Little Circus (Japan, Cambodia), Yoshiro Osaka, 26’ 40”
In the town of Battambang, the birthplace of the Cambodian circus, a bombastic virus and news bedevil an innocent young circus boy, Theara. So his best friends unite and play a circus for him.
Before Darkness
Before Darkness (Iran, Afghanistan), Mosayeb Hanaei, 17’24”
An Afghan woman hides her child because she does not have enough money to take her across Iran’s border. But her plan is exposed…
Farewell
Farewell (Great Britain), Nihat Seven, 10’20”
Going through the Covid-19 symptoms and psychological state, a nurse is remembering the situation that happened during her working days at the hospital and seeing the chaotic times caused by the pandemic; treatments and deaths of the young and older people had been affected and exhausted colleagues who were burned out.
Get&Go
Get&Go (Turkey), Ömer Miraç Tunç, 19’43”
Ahmet wants to start a money-making business for his newborn child and the future of his family. Having agreed to start this new business with his best friend, Ahmet, he decides to continue alone to earn more money and turns his back on his fellow. This selfish decision of Ahmet brings various misfortunes. Not only does he destroy his family’s small savings, but he also puts people’s lives in danger for the sake of profit. Ahmet has to make a final decision after all that has happened to him. Will he raise his newborn child with ill-gotten gains, or will he choose the right path and accept his own fate?
Lifeline
Lifeline (Turkey), Abdullah Şahin, 19’47”
An Abel & Cain story is set in modern times, told from a different perspective. Hayati and Saffet are two brothers who make a living by fishing. Saffet could not continue his education because of his brother’s dreaminess, and he trained himself in astrology, which became a passion. While Saffet is content, his brother Hayati is busy with treasure hunting business and striking it rich as soon as possible. They give away their only asset, their old car, and get a treasure map in return. Thanks to Saffet’s interest in astronomy, they find the spot where the treasure is, but a surprise is waiting for the two brothers in the hunt.
İstanbul İstanbul
İstanbul İstanbul (Turkey), Demir Özcan, 19’14”
Constantine and his wife, in their 70s, could not give up on Istanbul, where the Greeks had to leave at different times for many reasons. With the death of his wife, Constantine goes through feelings and dreams about the past by associating his wife with Istanbul. Just like his wife, who does not want to leave Istanbul, he cannot let go of his wife.
Knockout
Knockout (Iran), Hamed Baghaeian , 11’50”
After the father finds out that his son was beaten at school, he tries to teach him how to defend himself and attack, but he realizes that his son does not want to do this and prefers not to get into a fight with others, but the father insists…
Mind Clemency
Mind Clemency (Iraq), Warman Saeed, 13’43”
Nazanin, Sherko’s wife, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; on the other hand, their son has been missing for several years; Sherko told Nazanin that their son went to Europe, but in fact, Sherko doesn’t know anything about him; Sherko’s friend Tofiq talks to Nazanin every day instead of Aras, their son until Tofiq faces a problem…
Quarantine Diary
Quarantine Diary (Kazakhstan), Samgar Rakym, 19’59”
Because the husband was infected with the coronavirus, the wife with three children was quarantined for 14 days. The movie tells what happened in these 14 days.
The Sprayer
The Sprayer (Iran), Farnoosh Abedi, 8’57”
In the land occupied by the sprayer’s army, no one has the right to grow any kind of plants, either in public or private. As a result, many people and soldiers do not even know how a plant grows or looks until one of the soldiers finds a seed buried deep in the dust. His curiosity is just the beginning of something extraordinary, something big, something revolutionary.
Stateless
Stateless (Turkey), Mustafa Aydın, 12’39”
Immigrants, who are foreign to their language and identity, belong neither to these lands nor where they come from. They are ‘Stateless’, homeless, landless people. In this documentary, we witness the long journey of hope of Afghan migrants who walk for days to come to Turkey.
The Record
The Record (Switzerland ), Jonathan Laskar, 8’49’
An antique music instrument dealer receives a magical vinyl record from a traveler: “It reads your mind and plays your lost memories.” Obsessed by this endlessly playing record, the antique dealer listens to it repeatedly, and the forgotten memories of his childhood remerge.
The Sea
The Sea (France), Elena Surina, 11’33’
Gerard is a 12-year-old boy who lives close to the seaside. Every day he swims far from the coast because he finds his liberty there, till someday something unexpected and awful happens to him…
Hope
Hope (Kyrgyzstan), Saule Mukanbetova, 7’19”
A little girl and her various life scenarios. The main character, 8-year-old Umut, lives with her grandmother in the mountainous city of Kyrgyzstan. Umut’s mother is a migrant worker. Umut always carries a doll with her. While a doll is just a doll for others, for Umut, it is her mother. However, not everyone understands this.
Panorama Section
Airborne
Airborne (Poland), Andrzej Jobczyk, 7’36”
In a cotton-farming village in Sudan, 15-year-old Nafisa has a crush on Babiker, but her parents have arranged her marriage to Nadir, a young Sudanese businessman living abroad. Nafisa’s grandmother Al-Sit, the powerful village matriarch, has her own plans for Nafisa’s future. But can Nafisa choose for herself?
Echo
Echo (Greece-Iran-Canada), Sergio Kotsovoulos, 11’36’’
Ellie struggles with verbal communication and survives, thanks to her landlady. Manu moves into the apartment directly across from her. Day by day, their routines echo each other, and a connection emerges.
Heal
Heal (Iran), Rozita Mirani, 10’56”
A girl who had gone through cancer before is now taking her mom, who is diagnosed with cancer as well, to the hospital and talking about experiences of the night before her breast surgery to her.
Wrestler’s Tights
Wrestler’s Tights (Turkey), Harun Korkmaz, 20’
In his mid-forties, Cemal, injured while wrestling with his close friend Korkmaz in the semi-finals of Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling, quit wrestling entirely after that day. However, at the end of primary school, Cemal’s son Hamza begins to show interest in wrestling by listening to the wrestling stories of his father and grandfather. Hamza’s biggest dream is to wear a kispet and show his father what a successful wrestler he can be at the school performance. But, unfortunately, things don’t go as planned…
Front of the Window
Front of the Window (Turkey), Tufan Yılmaz, 14’50”
When one of the three elderly patients dies, the nurse moves Sait in front of the window. After that, Sait starts telling the other elderly patient what he sees outside. While Sait talks, other patients imagine. One of the patients is named Mehmet. Mehmet has a jealous character. His desire to look out the window will require Mehmet to make a choice.
Same Old
Same Old (US-Canada), Lloyd Lee Choi, 15’09”
Lu is a Chinese immigrant living day to day on tips from his job as a delivery worker. He supports his wife and ailing mother as they desperately try to make ends meet in the unforgiving city. One night, his bicycle and, in essence, his livelihood are stolen from him. He’s forced to embark on a desperate journey to reclaim his bike or shatter the fragile life in America he’s built.
The Swing
The Swing (Kyrgyzstan), Samara Sagynbaeva, 20’38”
Elderly and honest Bolot works as a heating man at a village school. When the coal in his house finishes, his wife persuades him to steal coal from the school, despite the school’s small supply.
Shades of Melancholy
Shades of Melancholy (Kyrgyzstan), Karash Zhanyshov, 19’55”
Baizak and Meerim grew up in the same village and then moved to the city. But this city draws in the girl, and one day she disappears. So Baizak, in love with Meerim, embarks on a quest.
Shark
Shark (Australia), Nash Edgerton, 14’07”
Jack is a well-meaning, misunderstood prankster. His previous relationships have suffered due to his ex-girlfriends not appreciating his sense of humor. But things are looking up for Jack. It seems he’s met his match in Sofie, who also loves to prank. What could go wrong? Edgerton’s latest 9ilm Shark is the third installment in a trilogy of short films about serial prankster Jack.
Stylo Rouge
Stylo Rouge (Morocco), Abdou el Mesnaoui, 15’
A teacher tries to convey to his students the meaning of democracy through the collaborative correction of an exam in a school located in a remote mountainous location while a communal election campaign is taking place in a nearby hamlet.
The Bloody Family
The Bloody Family (Iran), Amir Karami, 14’21”
In an old and mysterious house, a young girl has not left her dark room for years. A social worker enters this house to save the girl’s life.
The Cold
The Cold (Turkey), Adar Baran Değer, 17’34’’
Migration is always a somewhat forced and tragic journey. Yet, even if the immigrants completed this forced journey full of unpredictability, they always lost something. “The Cold” brings together these migration moments in the story of a pregnant woman and her husband trying to cross the border in a cold geography.
The Hot Stone
The Hot Stone (Russia), Lolita Naranovich, 16’53”
Ivashka steals apples from a garden on the collective farm. He is caught by an old disabled guard who lets him go without saying anything. In the forest, Ivashka finds a magical stone that can restore youth. The boy uses the stone to repay the guard for his kindness.
Special Screenings
Unopened Letters For A Century
Unopened Letters For A Century (Turkey), Hayriye Savaşçıoğlu, 35’
During the First World War, some of the Ottoman soldiers who fought on different fronts on three continents could return to their homeland in 1922. The letters these soldiers wrote to their families during their seven years of captivity were the only means of communication with them.
We deliver the letters that have been waiting in the archives for a century, written by three soldiers in prison camps in Siberia, and set out to return to Istanbul with the Japanese ship Heimei-Maru. How will the grandchildren, who only know their grandfather from the stories, feel when they receive their letters?
Bugs
Bugs (North Macedonia), Igor Ivanov, 15’
What becomes of a young man who lives entirely in his own world? Melancholy and powerful images bring back memories from the boy’s past while revealing his contemplation on the present.
Forbidden Dream
Forbidden Dream (Turkey), Faysal Soysal, 4’36’
Polisler rüyasında kaza yapmak üzere olan bir adamı uyandırmak için operasyon hazırlığındadırlar. Bunun için rüyayı tetikleyen Otomatik Portakal filminin müziğini kesmek zorundadırlar ama zamanında ne müziği kesebilirler ne de adamı rüyasından uyandırırlar. Kaza gerçekleşir ama acaba kaza rüyada mı yoksa gerçekte mi gerçekleşmiştir?
Memoirs of a Physician
Memoirs of a Physician (Turkey), Biket İlhan, 60’
These days when we are stuck in the spiral of epidemic and disease, and when we turn our faces to science, doctors, and health workers who struggles during their entire lives, I wanted to tell you about Turkish medicine and those who created it through Dr. Besim Ömer Pasha…
Mirâciyye: Saklı Miras
Mirâciyye: Saklı Miras (Türkiye), Murat Pay, 60’04''
Mi’rādjiyah written and composed by great composer Nâyî Osman Dede who died in early 18th century is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Turkish music. The docu-fiction tells the story of Raci’s search for this forgotten heritage through four different stories set during his childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
On The Edge
On The Edge (Turkey), Ebru Ceylan, 6’49”
The film subjects the cross-section of the life of a family living on the edge of a city and the curiosity of their little son about it.
Salvador Dali
Salvador Dali (Kyrgyzstan), Eldiar Madakim, 18’58”
Every day a little Orozbek has to walk a long way and cross a river to get to school because that’s where he has a chance to get closer to his dream.
The Lover
The Lover (North Macedonia), Igor Ivanov, 8’
A failed circus artist managed to regain his beloved and to pull her from the embrace of her new lover, using the acrobatic skills she once fell in love with.
Transitory Life
Transitory Life (Turkey), Atalay Taşdiken, Hacı Mehmet Duranoğlu, 85’37”
Neşet Ertaş is not and has never been an ordinary subject, a name we made a documentary about. Neşet Ertaş is a special persona. His compositions, the folk songs he sang, and his instrument playing technique are unique to us as thousands of people in this country. Maybe, we did not experience the suffering, poverty, and deprivation as he did in this “transitory life,” but we felt it. He was a part of us. There have always been traces of him in our lives and souls, and always will be. Here, in this documentary, we tried to understand and explain a great poet who said, “I’m a poor fellow; neither I hurt nor broke a heart .”