About the festival

Understanding the present and the coming

We usually tend to associate documentary filmmaking with “memory”. I believe this has to do with the majority of our documentary experience in Turkey consisting of “historical documentaries” and with the fact that the face of this genre tends to look back into the history. However, the definition made in the 1920s by the creator of the concept, Grierson is still alive: “Creative treatment of actuality...”

“Memory refreshment” alone would not have a function unless it is somehow associated with actuality. Documentaries can be permanent and influential only if they help us understand the present and to explain the actuality we’re experiencing.

In this context, we have to remember and raise awareness for Srebrenica to understand today’s Bosnia and even to be prepared to the Bosnia of the future. In fact, the documentary “Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave” which will be featured in the festival describes the massacre through the experiences of surviving witnesses. “Views from the Bridge” reflects the current situation in Kosovo under the heavy burden of the past. Even the lyrical documentary “Some Kind of Sadness” packed with memories dating back to WWII helps us understand today’s Peru. On the other hand, “The Shore” which tests the patience of our local authorities tells us of the future of the Black Sea residents as much as it speaks of today. And so on…

One can say that while in this world life becomes a larger mine field each and every day, documentaries serve as sort of detectors. Unfortunately, this is as much as a documentary film can do. Walking past those mines or trying to destroy them for those behind us... well, that’s up to us...

The Bodrum Film Festival is yet again introducing a full package in its 5th year with stories from around the world that bring us a “creative treatment of actuality”, documentaries with a closer look into the Balkans, Dervis Zaim’s complete filmography that will meet the audience for the first time, the most recent documentaries in Turkey and of course with the usual “Bodrum movies” compilation.

Enjoy!

Necati Sönmez