A Legend of Foça: Nihat Dirim A Legend of Foça: Nihat Dirim is a 60-minute documentary that chronicles the life and legacy of Nihat Dirim, the legendary mayor of Foça, a district renowned for its historical and natural beauty on Turkey's Aegean coast. Serving two terms as mayor from 1989 to 1999, Dirim shaped Foça's identity through his commitment to environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, and a people-centered governance approach. Despite today's generally adverse climate, his influence continues to be a defining force in the town. The documentary delves into Dirim's profound passion, love, and dedication to Foça, illustrating how this emotional bond contributed to the town's development. His visionary leadership is exemplified by initiatives such as building bridges of friendship with Greece's Lesbos Island and Palea Fokea, leading environmental campaigns against a proposed thermal power plant in Aliağa, and launching projects to protect the endangered Mediterranean monk seals. Beginning with Dirim's childhood, the film explores his journey through his mayoral tenure to his enduring impact on Foça today. This narrative is conveyed through interviews with nearly 40 individuals conducted over a year, led by his close friend Hakan Barçın. These interviews provide deep insights into Dirim's genuine relationships with the public, his leadership style, and his unwavering devotion to Foça.

Evara, which means gift of God, deals with the cycle journey of our character who finds herself in the middle of the climate change crisis in the conflict between city and nature. Based on the philosophy of second nature and social ecology, Evara is a critique consisting of questioning, resistance, observation and feelings and is reflected through performance art.

Le chien qui boit le thé, is a film that explores Beninese Voodoo as it is lived on a daily basis. It's a rare immersion in cults and ceremonies, in traditions shaped by men for men. Populated by magical and supernatural creatures, voodoo enchants photographer Jean-Claude Moschetti, who for over 20 years has been making visible to the uninitiated a parallel world that is superimposed on reality. The face of the Dog who drinks tea, he is the one who opens doors, knows secrets and codes. Neither an ethnologist nor a researcher, he is simply on a quest for magic. In his lens: mermaids smoking by the ocean, the dead dancing, a bird-woman spreading fear... His studio is in the modest ghost convent of Affinon, his friend and Egungun dignitary. It was Egungun who initiated him into the secrets and sacred cults of the ancestors. But this year, their destinies take opposite paths: one rises to the sacred, the other is struck by a curse. Fate or destiny? Voodoo offers those who dare to step forward the chance to negotiate their path. But beware of the unwary: a vengeful pig is on the prowl, stalking evil.

In Forty Days Road, two colleagues (Ali and Ian) set out on a captivating journey across Egypt to trace the long route of camels traveling from Sudan to a market near Cairo. Along the way, they uncover the tough conditions of transport and join the camels on a 24-hour journey from the Sudanese border to one of the biggest Egyptian camel market near Cairo.

An American, a Japanese, a Canadian, a Frenchman and a Brazilian work as ballet dancers in very different Russian cities. The world around them collapses for reasons beyond their control, and the characters have to make the most difficult choice in their lives. A choice on which not only their career, but also their destiny depends.

Dilara is an art student striving to become a successful painter despite the challenges in her life and dreams of studying abroad. Cemal, a film student, wants to document her journey, knowing that their last days together could come at any moment. However, things do not go as planned. They try to overcome the difficulties of pursuing art and creating something meaningful in a small town with the support of their friends. Dilara, hayatındaki zorluklara rağmen başarılı bir ressam olmaya çalışan ve yurt dışında eğitim almak isteyen bir resim öğrencisidir. Sinema öğrencisi Cemal, arkadaşı Dilara'yla geçireceği son günlerin her an gelebileceğini düşünerek onun belgeselini çekmek ister fakat işler planladıkları gibi gitmez. Küçük bir şehirde sanatla uğraşmanın ve bir şeyler üretmenin güçlüğünü arkadaşlarının desteği ile aşmaya çalışırlar.

Over 90 years old, Ellen Vuosalo has lived many lives. First as a Finnish immigrant in Canada, then as an American citizen and student of zoology at UCLA and finally as a Mother of Cranes in Iran. Iiris Härmä's Mother of Snow Cranes tells the story of an incredible woman's extraordinary life, from love to tragedy to revolution. It is a story about nature, humanity, and the role of women in both the West and Iranian culture. Or as Ellen herself says " What a life! What a world!" Reference story: Unlike the world famous story of Betty Mahmoody (NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER, 1991), MOTHER OF SNOW CRANES tells the story of the Western woman who had to stay in Iran and later who decided to stay. Our production company Guerilla Films has produced award-winning documentary films for international broadcasters (YLE, SVT, NHK, ARTE, NETFLIX etc.), cinemas and film festivals for more than 20 years. Mother of Snow Cranes (orig. Kurkien äiti) Duration: 78 mins Director: Iiris Härmä Producer: Visa Koiso-Kanttila/ Guerilla Films Production Country Finland Filming location Iran Release Date: Cinematic release in Finland September 2024.

Radio, My Love is an investigative documentary that frames radio broadcasting as an arena of struggle. The film revolves around the experiences of women who entered the profession in the 1970s by taking exams to join TRT, first established as an autonomous broadcasting institution. The documentary is based on the oral history project titled “Women Radio Broadcasters in the History of Turkey. It weaves together archival recordings with contemporary interviews, bringing voices from different eras together to reveal how these broadcasters shaped both the sound of radio and the cultural landscape of Turkey during a pivotal period.

This documentary shows the new popularity of thrifting; the core between sustainability and subculture creates a conflict because of the commodification of aesthetics- the perspectives of different people from different backgrounds.

“Tight Lines” tells the story of a woman whose life is woven with nets, beginning each day with the sea. She does not merely make a living from the sea; she speaks to it, challenges it, and endures alongside it. Fishing is often perceived as a man’s profession, yet in this documentary, the hands guiding the nets belong to a woman. Rastgele goes beyond the act of casting nets into the water, revealing a quiet yet powerful resistance that makes the unseen visible.

Chanting of the Dunes has so far won over 40 awards and 20 nominations! The film takes viewers on a dazzling journey through multiple countries and during momentous world events that extend from the Levant in the 1920s to the U.S. and China in the 1990s. Chanting of the Dunes recounts the life of Wahbi Al-Hariri-Rifai who was an accomplished international artist, architect, archeologist, and author. It is told through the mixed perspective of his wife, Widad Marachi, who married him at the age of 15. The fascinating storyline is full of unexpected turns and is accompanied by a superb award-winning soundtrack. The film is beautifully illustrated through hundreds of meticulously restored black/white and color archival photographs and original footage. According to festival managers, the film exceeds all expectations and represents a new cinematographic genre between narrative feature and documentary. Many have called it “extraordinary, moving, mesmerizing, full of messages...”

What happens if older people challenge stereotypes in films about aging? Six seniors re-perform scenes of poor health, sexual invisibility, and gendered stereotypes of the wise old man and the bad witch. Toward the end of the film, the participants rebel against these cinematic images, proving that older age can be associated with love, sexuality, and self-revelation.

Angie (34) takes her father Mansour (74) on a roadtrip from Brussels to Beirut by car in an attempt to retrace the same path he took 42 years ago. However, the route is no longer the same, and neither is their relationship.

Arab/Palestinian make up 20% of the total Israeli population. They are Christian, Muslim, Bedouin, Druze etc. Not much is known about this minority who hold Israeli nationality. They live, work, go to school in Israel, but do they feel Isreali? What does it mean to be Arab in a jewish state.

Among the Galician mountains hides Vilar do Courel, a small village that has been resisting to disappear for decades. Its last three inhabitants are the guardians of a timeless space, which transits its past and looks to its future from an empty, immobile and fragile present. With Branca's return from Barcelona, the reality of the place begins to transform. At night, memories, dreams and ancient legends guide the characters through magical forests and forgotten paths.

When Adana's iconic Great Clock Tower broke down in 2014, it was brought back to life by the expertise of Murat Yurtbulmuş. Having been involved in clockmaking since childhood and honing his skills in Germany, Yurtbulmuş shares the challenges of clock repair, his personal memories, and the mysteries of clocks in this documentary. This work not only captures a repair process but also reveals the life story of a passionate craftsman.

Yazbek: A Portrait recounts a Sergio's life, leading up to the moment he uncovers a box of his late father’s lost negatives. As he develops the photographs, Sergio reconnects with his father in ways he never expected, discovering new facets about the man and his legacy. Sergio reflects on how his father taught him not only the secrets of photography but also of life itself, shaping his understanding of the world through the lens. This film explores themes of memory, family, and the profound connection between art and life. ... 'Yazbek: A Portrait' narra la vida de Sergio, hasta el momento en que descubre una caja con los negativos perdidos de su difunto padre. Mientras revela las fotografías, Sergio se reconecta con su padre de maneras que nunca imaginó, descubriendo nuevas facetas sobre el hombre y su legado. Sergio reflexiona sobre cómo su padre le enseñó no solo los secretos de la fotografía, sino también de la vida misma, moldeando su comprensión del mundo a través del lente. Esta película explora temas como la memoria, la familia y la profunda conexión entre el arte y la vida.

The film follows the internationally renowned British nerve surgeon, Dr Mohammed Tahir as he returns to Gaza for his third medical aid mission. Dr Tahir’s medical team risk their lives to capture footage of his work amidst the carnage of Gaza’s operating rooms. Bound by the impartiality of their oaths, Dr Tahir and his team are the only neutral and reliable witnesses to the genocide. The unique footage they capture is a historic testimony to the grotesque reality of a genocide filmed in real time.