Director: Sinem Cezayirli Run Time: 15 minutes Country: Turkey

Synopsis: A woman's tranquil day at the beach turns tumultuous when she is forced to confront a sudden, new reality concerning her mother.

Where did the idea come from for this film?
The script began to take shape after a real event that happened to a friend of mine. Everything in our life may be going perfectly, we might be feeling happy, tranquil and wonderful and all of a sudden BAM! Everything can change in a heartbeat and in situations like these the human brain avoids confronting these problems. During the time required to process it all and accept the new reality, we are usually lonely. These are our private moments when we are most vulnerable. I wanted to document these moments that no one else is privy to--even us because when we go back and reminisce about those times, we have a hard time remembering them. I wanted to make a film that translates these lurid moments in their naked honesty and closeness.

The film features wonderful performance from the lead actress İlkem Ulugün. How hard was it to get that performance out of her?
I decided on Ilkem the first time I saw her during the auditions. She matched the physical characteristics of the subject I had in my mind. She was also quite emotional, experienced and intimate. She understood the emotion of the film superbly. I was certain she was the right one for the main character but due to my other obligations, it took a long time for us to start the principal photography. When we contacted Ilkem later on, I just sent her the script and refused to sit down and have a face to face regarding the movie. The day before shooting started she was stressed and angry at me. I received a phone call from her around midnight. She said she reread the script and every time she thinks she knows what needs to be done, she would be out of the emotional state that is needed for the scene because she didn't want to expend her emotional state. She told me she understood then why I had refused to talk to her before. I didn't explain things in detail during the shooting either. I was sure, with a little improvisation, she would be exquisite. She was stressed again and worried about whether or not the things were coming along nicely. Fortunately, this exact emotional state, stress and worry about the outcome, was the feeling I wanted. Each take of the last scene brought tears to the filming crew. It was an extremely emotional and physically taxing shooting session for Ilkem but the results were incredible. I am extremely happy to work with such a talented actress.

Was it all shot in one day?
It was shot within two days.

What's the short film scene like in Turkey?
Short films in Turkey have gained in popularity in the recent years. Previously, short films were considered as stepping stones for a feature length film. These days they are considered a separate art form. Short films have gained more support and they are shown in more locations. Since they are not expected to generate an income, producers usually do not show much interest in short-films. However, production companies and sponsors have started to invest more and more into short films. Likewise, in recent years, professionals who specialized in feature length films and commercials have started to get into the short film business for a variety of different reasons. It is mostly because they want to express themselves more freely or to help out a new inexperienced director who shows significant talent.

How many short films have you made before this one and what advice would you give someone who is about to make their first short film?
This is my second short film. My advice to any filmmaker who is shooting his/her first short film is: if they have a script they believe in, to have courage. Spend as much time and effort as possible to tell the story you believe in. You will see, you will be getting more and more support. Trust yourself and your vision and ask for financial and emotional support. Don't be shy. After the movie is wrapped up and if you didn't think it was good enough or if you receive negative criticism, focus on your next film. Do not let the negativity bring you down. You will see you will get better and better every time. In short, it takes lots of courage, effort and determination.

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