Q&A with Bahar Kılıç Adilçe, co-director (with Hulusi Nusih Tütüncü) of the film
Another Matter, 12’ | 2017 | Fiction
***3rd Balkan Can Kino Film Symposium
Unfolding the Layers: Shorts from Turkey *Curated by Zehra Cerrahoğlu
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Can you introduce yourself a little bit? How did you start to make short films?
My name is Bahar Kılıç Adilçe. I am Assistant Professor in İstanbul Okan University Cinema_TV department. This is my second film. My first film was a mid-length documentary called Punk Islam, which depicts Muslim Punk and Hip-Hop music scene in Europe. “Another Matter” started by saying let’s do something new with Hulusi Tütüncü, who is a very close friend from the university. Actually, this story started just in time because I have been doing gender studies for a long time. I’ve tried to endure in the sector by exerting a lot of effort as a woman, including the times when I was a student. After working in the industry, trying to be a role model especially among my female and LGBTIQ students was also very effective for me to connect to this film. It is very fulfilling both to come back to the cinema and to be able to tell a story in a particularly controversial area.
Another Matter is a powerful film about the brink of an important decision. How did you decide to tell this slice of the protagonist’s life?
It’s a short movie but we tried to depict a very difficult moment. “Real freedom is to start” by Julia Kristeva has been our motto since the beginning of the film. It was a starting moment and a moment of liberation for our hero. As the name suggests, the story is attributed to the other, to the deprived of the sense of belonging, to the individual oppressed by social norms and traditions for being different, and to sexual identity. In our country, LGBTIQ perception is expressed only through sex workers. However, there are so many stories and moments to be told that trying to change and transform the diseased perception of the media is now a must for cinema.
How do young filmmakers make films in Turkey? What kind of possibilities they have today and what are the difficulties they encounter?
We’ve been going through quite a difficult time for the young generation in Turkey. There is only one source of funding for the short film, the Ministry of Culture supports. There is no sponsorship and support of national broadcasting televisions in our country. Most of the films are made with personal devotion. Our release from the “Creative Europe Media” program has made co-productions almost impossible. As production support creates an economy in line with a certain demand, it also hinders the production of short films, which can only be shown in short film festivals.
Could you tell us about your future plans and projects?
“Another Matter” was a very important beginning for us. Particularly, our screenings with students at universities have made us eager to write and tell stories for the young generation. We are now rolling up our sleeves for a young woman story. I hope we can tell a story that empowers many young people with this movie.
*Q&A conducted by Zehra Cerrahoğlu & Balkan Can Kino