LONDON Human Rights Watch Film Festival is set to take place between 13 – 22 March this year.
A Turkish film called ‘Saf’, directed by Ali Vatansever will be screened on 20 and 21 March.
The screening on 20 March will take place at 20:30 pm, Regent Street Cinema. Featuring Q&A with filmmaker Ali Vatansever and Emma Sinclair-Webb, Senior Researcher, Europe, and Central Asia Division, HRW.
Hence, the screening on 21 March will take place at 18:30 pm, Barbican. Again, featuring Q&A with filmmaker Ali Vatansever and Emma Sinclair-Webb, Senior Researcher, Europe, and Central Asia Division, HRW.
SAF
In the Fikirtepe district of Istanbul, Kamil and his wife Remziye are at risk of losing their home. Urban transformation is pushing out local families and Syrian refugees are left to take shelter in the deserted buildings. Desperately in need of work, Kamil decides to secretly accept a construction job, working for the very company taking over their neighborhood, displacing a Syrian refugee from the position and agreeing to work for less than other Turkish workers. Fearing both discovery and failure, Kamil’s anxiety gradually transforms him, and Remziye is left to face the consequences of her husband’s unrecognizable actions.
ALI VATANSEVER
Ali Vatansever was born in Istanbul in 1981. After studying Industrial Product Design and Film and TV in Istanbul, he completed his MFA degree in Film Production at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. In 2003, Ali started his film career by directing short films. He is currently pursuing his directing career with Terminal Film, a production company he co-founded. His debut feature, El Yazısı (One Day or Another, 2012) has been screened in various international festivals and distributed in movie theatres throughout Turkey. Aside from filmmaking, Ali teaches film at Koç University and works closely with NGOs on local democracy and governance.