Focus on Türkiye

With turbulent elections and the devastating earthquake in Türkiye a year ago, the Movies that Matter Festival focuses on the country with a special programme. We have invited Turkish filmmakers Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, Tülin Özen and Nazmiye Oral as our guests of honour. During the festival they will attend screenings and panel talks.  A delegation of young filmmakers from the impacted area has also been invited.

Golden Calf winner Nazmiye Oral, is one of the best-known Dutch actresses of Turkish origin, with several starring roles in acclaimed series such as Undercover and Sleepers. At the festival, we will screen the film Niet meer zonder jou, a special version of the theatre performance with which Oral and her mother Havva achieved worldwide success between 2015 and 2017. Now in an intimate setting at their family’s living room.

Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, director and producer as well as programmer and director of the Antalya Golden Orange FIlm Festival which was cancelled last year due to censorship. He is also chairman of the Ankara Cinema Association. He presents the film Neandria on 23 March at Filmhuis Den Haag, which can also be seen at De Regentes on 26 March. In addition, the Industry talk In conversation with…Ahmet Boyacıoğlu will take place on Sunday 24 March.

Tülin Özen is a celebrated Turkish actress. Her interest in theatre began during her high school years. She won the Golden Orange for Best Actress in Semih Kaplanoglu’s film Angel’s Fall (2005). She stars in and presents the film Hesitation Wound, which makes its appearance in our Camera Justitia competition.

On Saturday 23 March, the exhibition Roots & Soil opens at The Grey Space in the Middle, with an artist talk by Ahmet Polat. A poignant exhibition born from a long-term collaboration between by photographer Ahmet Polat and students from Gaziantep, sharing their experiences after the largest Turkish earthquake on 6 February 2023.

On 25 March, we present Take on Classics: a look at human rights through the lens of cinematic classics about the focus country.