Turkish Cypriot filmmaker Talat Gökdemir brings a visual flavour of North Cyprus to London next week. Supported by the TRNC London Representative Office, the young director will debut his new short drama Haftasonu/Weekend at the Yunus Emre Cultural Institute on Thursday.
Written and directed by Gökdemir, the film was shot over the course of eight days last summer. It centres on a young man – Hasan – who returns to Cyprus after many years absence following the death of his father. As he spends time in his childhood village with his grieving mother and childhood girlfriend, the inner struggle with his identity and the challenge of being in a traditionalist community resurfaces. The pressure to attend the funeral pushes Hasan to confront his past and to search for reconciliation, not only with his family and home, but also with himself.
The short film stars İzel Seylani as Hasan, alongside Oya Gürel, Mine Atlı and Hasan Sirhan. The scenes are set in the villages of Geçitkale, Akova and Gönendere, as well as Ercan Airport.
Born and raised in North Cyprus, Talat Gökdemir has been making films since 2005. He has written and directed several short narrative films, and been part of other productions including mini documentaries, TV ads, promos and music videos. However, his “passion in life” has always been fiction. The first film he wrote and directed was, Leave, in 2012.
Several of the films Gökdemir has helped produce or direct have been screened or nominated for awards at prestigious film festivals, including Raindance, Glasgow International Film Festival (Bird, 2012), Cannes Short Film Corner (Mali, 2012), and Kosovo’s Shqip International Short Film Festival (Landscapes, 2013).
Next Thursday, he will be in London to answer questions from the audience following the screening of Weekend/ Haftasonu. A few tickets are available to the public – contact the TRNC London Office to reserve your place.
Film: Weekend/ Haftasonu
Directed and written by: Talat Gökdemir
Cast: İzel Seylani, Oya Gürel, Mine Atlı, Hasan Sirhan, Ali Hocalar, Hulusi Özoğul
Date: Thursday 25 February 2016
Start time: 7pm
Duration: 22 minutes
Language: Turkish with English subtitles
Venue address: Yunus Emre Institute, 10 Maple Street, London W1T 5HA
Admission: Free
More info: telephone: 0207 631 1920 / Email: info@trnclondon.co.uk
