Life

Hayat

64th TIFF: Greek Premiere
Young Hikran is forced by her father to marry Riza. Refusing to comply, she flees to Constantinople. Shamed, Riza sets out to find her in the metropolis, embarking on a journey, an odyssey that weaves the fates of the two young individuals in unforeseen and surprising ways. Eight years after his last film, the great Turkish auteur, Zeki Demirkubuz, returns with an epic tale infused with his familiar, dark existential tones. At the same time, the rich dialogues and the expertly portrayed characters paint an informal panorama of the city's outcasts and lost souls. Fate and human frailty, despair and the struggle to overcome it serve as the backdrop upon which Demirkubuz crafts, reminiscent of classical literature, yet another allegory about the human condition.
Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Zeki Demirkubuz
Script: Zeki Demirkubuz
Cinematography: Cevahir Sahin, Kursat Uresin
Editing: Zeki Demirkubuz
Sound: Boris Trayanov, Momchil Bozhkov
Actors: Miray Daner, Burak Dakak, Cem Davran, Umut Kurt, Melis Birkan, Osman Alkas, Ozan Dagara, Dogu Demirkol, Kayhan Acikgoz, Muttalip Mujdeci, Seyit Nizam Yilmaz, Berfun Basel, Hande Ozen, Ozlem Turkad, Caner Cindoruk
Production: Mavi Film
Producers: Zeki Demirkubuz
Co-producers: Rossitsa Valkanova
Costumes: Eylul Gurcan
Make Up: Petya Simenova
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: Türkiye, Bulgaria
Production Year: 2023
Duration: 193'
Contact: ACA

Zeki Demirkubuz

Zeki Demirkubuz (1964) graduated from the Istanbul University, Faculty of Communication. He directed Block C, his first feature film, in 1994. He first gained the notice of film critics with Innocence (1997), which premiered at Venice Film Festival, and The Third Page (1999), both winning national and international awards. This was followed by the successful reception of Fate (2001) and Confession (2001), which were both screened in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. Destiny (2006), the prequel to Innocence, was followed by Envy (2009), Inside (2012), Nausea (2015), and Ember (2016). Life (2023) is his latest film. His retrospectives were shown at Viennale, Boston Museum of Art, Toronto Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, University of Michigan, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Brussels Cinematheque, and New Horizons Film Festival, Cluj Film Festival, among others.

Filmography

1994 Block C
1997 Innocence
1999 The Third Page
2001 Confession
2001 Fate
2003 The Waiting Room
2006 Destiny
2009 Envy
2012 Inside
2015 Nausea
2016 Ember
2023 Life