DORMITORY
1997, the tensions between religious and secular Turks are increasing. Fourteen-year-old Ahmet is sent by his recently converted father to an Islamic dormitory, a “Yurt”, to learn Muslim values. Ahmet works hard to be the perfect son but he has trouble fitting in with rough kids at the Yurt, and feels isolated in his day secular school, where he hides his new home from his classmates. His only solace is a new friend Hakan, a street-smart kid who knows how to work the Yurt system. Together they dream of making their own decisions.
Nehir Tuna’s work combines social commentary and an original visual aesthetic, tackling stories on Türkiye’s complex present-day issues, be it masculinity or conservatism. A Sundance Alumni, Tuna was selected to take part in the 2019 Sundance Screenwriters Lab and the 2020 Directors and Screenwriters Lab. He participated in the 2018 Nipkow film residency program. He has written and directed seven short films, including The Shoes, a prequel to Dormitory. Tuna studied a Graduate Film Program at Colombia University and holds an MFA in directing from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Venice Film Festival – Bisato d’Oro for Best Screenplay
DORMITORY (ff.)
DIRECTOR: Nehir Tuna
COUNTRY: Türkiye
YEAR: 2023.
RUNTIME: 118’
LANGUAGE: Turkish
CAST: Doga Karakas, Can Bartu Arslan, Ozan Çelik, Tansu Biçer, Didem Ellialti, Orhan Güner, Isilti Su Alyanak
PRODUCTION: TN Yapim, Red Balloon Film
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