Baltic premiere

Dormitory

Local title
Ühiselamu
Original title
Yurt
Director
Nehir Tuna
Country
Turkey, Germany, France
Year
2023
Festival
23rd Youth and Children's Film Festival
Programme
Youth Programme
Genre
drama, youth film
Subject
familial relationships, school bullying, abuse, religion, belonging, child-parent relationships, child in a grown ups role, children's rights, youth

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 secular day 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.

Age recommendation: 14+

Director
Nehir Tuna
Screenwriter
Nehir Tuna
Cast
Doğa Karakaş, Can Bartu Arslan, Ozan Çelik, Tansu Biçer, Didem Ellialtı, Orhan Güner, Işilti Su Alyanak
Producer
Tanay Abbasoğlu, Dorothe Beinemeier, Thierry Lenouvel
Co-producer
Nehir Tuna, Didem Ellialtı, Cenk Tuncel, Selin Erdem, Tolga T. Talay, Ozan Bilen, Gökalp Köseoğlu, Bahadır Özçetin, Ragıp Ergün
Cinematographer
Florent Herry
Production designer
Vahhap Ayhan
Editor
Ayris Alptekin
Music
Avi Medina
Sound
Simone Weber
Production
TN Yapım, Red Balloon Film
World sales
Pyramide International
Runtime
Language
Turkish
Subtitles
English
Director
Nehir Tuna

Nehir Tuna (1985) ’s work combines social commentary and an original visual aesthetic, tackling stories on Turkey’s complex present-day issues, be it masculinity or conservatism. A Sundance Alumni, Tuna was selected to take part in 2019 Sundance Screenwriters Lab and 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 "Yurt" ("Dormitory"). Tuna studied at Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program and holds an MFA in directing from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Filmography:
Valik/Selected: Bakire Ada (Virgin Island, 2007), Mary’s Bathroom Camp (2010), Dedeler En Iyisini Bilir (Grandpas Know Best, 2012), Basur (Hemorrhoid, 2015), Friends (2017), Ayakkabi (The Shoes, 2018), Yurt (Dormitory, 2023)

Just Film is presented by

Screenings

9th Hall Apollo Kino Coca-Cola Plaza
Screening070902 / Ühiselamu
SubtitlesEnglish
Q&A guestsNehir Tuna (Director, Co-producer, Screenwriter)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
2nd Hall Apollo Kino Solaris
Screening121201 / Ühiselamu
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
Hall Electric Cinema, Tartu
Screening144202 / Ühiselamu
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
Trailer