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Remainders
TYPE: Narrative Short
GENRE: Drama
STATUS: Pre-Production
LOGLINE
A young couple’s proposal goes horribly wrong when an altercation stirs up a deep-seated societal divide on an island off the coast of Istanbul, TURKEY.
SYNOPSIS
Mert’s proposal to Leyla at Yusuf’s restaurant goes horribly wrong when Halil, the neighboring restaurant owner, provokes a fight with Yusuf’s Syrian employees. Remainders examines the Arab resentment in Turkey through the lens of a Turkish couple who are on the brink of entering a turbulent phase in their relationship.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Leyla and Mert's journey to the island was inspired by my own journey on the same packed ferry on a blazing hot summer day, observing micro-aggressions and racist comments towards Arabs. Through the exploration of the arc of their relationship, Mert and Leyla no longer recognize their relationship or the Turkey they once knew. The deep-seated resentment Halil holds against Yusuf’s Syrian workers sparks the series of events which will ultimately be the corrosion of all parties involved. Leyla, Mert, Yusuf, and Halil all represent different perspectives on the shift in the socioeconomics of Turkey and act on the events of the story with their own unique sets of biases. With the cataclysmic downturn of the Turkish economy and resulting change in population demographics, Turkish people are increasingly resentful and racist towards all Arabic-speaking residents, colloquially referred to as “Arabs”. They ignorantly blame Syrian and Afghan refugees as well as Qatari/Saudi immigrants for the political morass and economic woes. Remainders is an attempt to examine, expose, and extract the gray areas in this discussion. While the rest of the world moved on from the Syrian and Afghan refugee crises, Turkey is still dealing with its consequences. As both an insider growing up in Turkey and an outsider living in the United States, my hope as a director is to hold a mirror to the current state of my country. The final imagery and mention of horses come from the history of the island. Up until 2020, the only mode of transportation on the island was a horse carriage. Post-pandemic, when the government slowly started transitioning the island residents to mini electric vehicles, they also started buying back the horses. During my last visit, I realized there were seven horses left, wandering around the island in a place they no longer belong, but cannot escape from. It did not escape me that the horses were the perfect metaphor for the refugees who have no place to go, fragments of a society we must coexist with. Considering the observational nature of some of Leyla’s politics and actions, the film will take place in the off-camera space and will focus on Leyla’s perspective and her intake of her surroundings in real time. Meaning, as the events of the night get more grim and more intense, Leyla’s face and emotions will be our foray into processing the complex emotional and political landscape. The stillness of the interior of the restaurant space with zoom-ins and outs as well as various camera movements such as pans will create an atmosphere of volatility. Seeing the lack of exploration of this theme, I felt a responsibility as an artist to examine the individual nuanced perspectives on this crisis. I’m afraid that without such nuanced public understanding, Turkey will succumb to the forces that have polarized and plagued countries time and time again.
KEY CREW
Derin Çelik - Writer/Director
Self-described as the son of failed immigrants, Derin spent the first few years of his life in the United States before he and his family returned to Istanbul, Turkey. He is passionate about telling stories of Turkish characters at home and abroad and uses elements of magical realism to interpret Turkish politics and society. After earning his BA in economics and film at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Derin worked as the Creative Production Coordinator at Braven Films under Academy Award winning producer Frida Torresblanco. He also freelanced as a producer and editor. Derin is completing his final year at Columbia School of the Arts’ Directing/Screenwriting MFA program. His TV Pilot, Salton Sea, focusing on the lithium mining industry in California was the winner of the 2024 Sloan Screenplay Grant. He is currently in post-production for his short As-Symmetric, a surrealist drama in which a Turkish immigrant living in Queens begins questioning his faith after a run-in with his doppelgänger during Ramadan. His previous short The Great Filter premiered at Sioux City International Film Festival. He will continue writing about Middle Eastern characters and worlds until the gap in representation is so small, he’d gladly write about anything, anything at all.
Sharvari Bhat - Producer
Sharvari Bhat is a Creative Producer from Pune, India. She received a dual degree in Film & Television and Psychology from Boston University. Sharvari has produced 10 short films and her projects have been supported by Panavision, NY Women's Fund, From The Heart Productions, and The Film Collaborative. She is a recipient of the Arthur Krim Memorial Fellowship. Currently obtaining her MFA in Creative Producing from Columbia University’s School of Arts, Sharvari is determined to be a part of teams and organizations that tell stories of people and themes that haven’t been given their due spotlight.
Deniz Saip - Producer
Deniz Saip is a producer based in Istanbul, Turkey, where she is from. She graduated with a double major in Architecture and Mechanical Engineering from Yale University. After working as an architectural designer for a few years, she shifted her focus to film and theatre, where she now works as a producer and scenic designer. Deniz has helped produce six shows and worked on three feature films. This season, she produced two new shows, designed the sets for two shows, and manages three shows that are on tour in Turkey. Deniz continuously works to develop projects that challenge conventional norms in both the stage and screen sectors
Ceren Sena Akdeniz - Casting Director
Studied Art Management at Yeditepe University Fine Arts Faculty. Whilst studying she started working as a Casting Assistant within the Casting Department of Renda Güner Agency. After also working in the Talent Mangement Department within the agency, she moved on to work as the in-house Casting Director of Avsar Film. In 2014 she founded CSA Istanbul and completed the casting for Turkish productions such as "Muhtesem Yüzyil: Kösem", "Gönül Isleri", "Köksüz". She worked with directors such as Terrence Malick, Bruno Gras, Marc Brummund and most recently Tarik Saleh as their casting director for Turkey. In addition to casting, in 2020 she started representing actors she's excited to work with.
Talya Hecinoglu - Casting Director
Studied at Robert College during high school. Then moved to the United Kingdom to study Psychology at the University of Bath. Following her degree she completed an MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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