Avtonomi Akadimia, an Open Air University
By Julia Lazarus.
Original in Turkish with subtitle in English, German, Kurdish, French, Spanish and Greek
A letter arrived at the homes in Agaçlı: „We are going to expropriate this land.
We have designated it as a relocation site for the airport. We have determined its current value.
So take your money and leave. That is what the letter said.”
North of Istanbul the formerly remote rural areas at the Black Sea are transformed by gigantic infrastructure projects. A new motorway ring cuts through the forests, separating pastures from farmland. The residents are presented with a fait accompli, their villages are turned into city suburbs. And as a result, all agricultural activities will become illegal within a time span of 5 years. With the 3rd bridge and the new major airport hub complete, the construction of the Istanbul Canal is about to begin. The Turkish activist group Kuzey Ormanları Savunması organizes civil resistance against the destruction of the livelihoods affecting both urban and rural populations alike.
Facing the anger and disappointment expressed by residents at countless local grassroots meetings, the group is working to establish shared goals among the people. The camera stays close to the group throughout the film and follows their small victories and many setbacks, while they discuss their ideas and notions of a possible common future.
Filmed and produced from 2016-2022 by Julia Lazarus
in cooperation with Kuzey Ormanları Savunması.
Script, Direction, Camera: Julia Lazarus
Additional Camera: Salih Ortaçay, Elif Köklu, Onur Akgül
Dramaturgical consulting: Friederike Anders
Editing: Julia Lazarus, Friederike Anders
Additional Editing: Şirin Fulya Erensoy, Franz Taplick
Soundesign: Evan Franco
Music: Orçun Baştürk
Voice: Sumru Ağıryürüyen
Additional Music: Oichuung Various Recordings Vol. 1 + 2
(Lambalar 02:34, Cem 02:18) Vocal, guitar, bass, synthesizer,
looping produced by Orçun Baştürk between 2000-2011
Turkish transcription: Anıl Ocan
English translation: Onur Akgül, Mehmet Baki Deniz, Balaban Cerit,
Meryem Gökçeolu
English subtitles: Eceworx
Production: Julia Lazarus
On-Site Production: Onur Akgül
with in order of appearance:
Harun Parlak, Burçin Çingay, Emin Turan, Ayse Yıkıcı, Ezgi Öz, Ali Yildırım, Efe Baysal, Hasan Sarıkaya, Onur Akgül, Rüya Kurtuluş, Behzat Diriker, Nezih Becaral, Cenk Çalışır, Başar Toros, Selen Arıkan, Elif Köklu, Salih Ortaçay, Mehmet Baki Deniz, Hatip Polat, Balaban Cerit
In memory of Emin Turan, Harun Parlak, Özle Turk and Hasan Fazil Afacan, our beloved comrades, defenders of life and all living things of the Northern Forests.
Made possible with the generous support of the Berliner Senat für Kultur und Europa, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Kulturakademie Tarabya
Meeting point: Monastiriou 140, Athina 104 42