Welcoming and Qi Gong: Dragon Workshop

Avtonomi Akadimia, an Open Air University

By Julia Lazarus.

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.