Project Creator's Name & Bio

"Ma hama esti, Us still exists" Erdogan Bulut 2022 Studied fine arts at the University of Fine Arts, Frankfurt/M. Freelance artist & lecturer: painting, sculpture, installation, NFT and experimental film: 2015 "Playground 13-14" 74 min. 2018-19 "Letter to Goya" 66 min. 2022-23 "Ma Hama Esti - Us still exists" 64 min.

Project Name & Bio

Us still exists - Ma hama esti

Who are the people who have influenced your filmmaking?

In my youth in Turkey, it was mainly the films of Yilmaz Güney and, in the 80s, the comedies of Kemal Sunal. The classics of silent and sound films soon followed. From Meliès and Lumiére around the globe and through the cinematic epochs: Real film, animated film, entertainment films and NFT + AI generated visual worlds. To this day, I watch as many films as possible, mostly on the Internet or TV, order DVDs and can rarely go to the cinema due to time constraints - which is a shame. There are many directors and film authors who captivate me with their work and whose works I enjoy watching again and again. I have a special relationship with the films of Tarkovsky and Yuri Norstein, but also with the Russian avant-garde, neo-realist film and the Novelle Vague. I'm also interested in the younger talents, even if I can't always remember their names.

Could you share any amusing stories or incidents that happened during your process of making the project?

There are many, as we have been part of a family of crows looking after us for a few years now. After the 1st movie "Playground 13-14" we became friends with crows/ravens who were hungry. We have become part of their lives and I am especially protected by them. We carefully observed the situation of the crows in the city. They sleep in noisy places surrounded by exhaust fumes, they often find no food - and yet they survive. They are survival artists, no matter how hostile their environment is to crows. Other birds, like many animals, have retreated. Since 2017, we have had the opportunity to experience our family, the extended family that has grown out of it and the flock that meets up with us once a year. The animals amaze us with their deeply social behavior, which takes into account small and large animals (like us). Contrary to what is assumed by German and American behavioral scientists, they do not have so-called neurotic or combative or predatory or egomaniacal or farmer-smart, etc. behavior. They "think" in other contexts, bigger, further, more foresighted. During the corona period, they kept their distance, then one of the crows sat in front of the window again in very bad shape. She no longer had the strength to knock. But in this difficult time for birds, she had managed to raise children who did not look hungry. She has regained her strength, her feathers are shiny and the little ones are growing and thriving. One of these two will continue to come to us next year and the others will be happy when they see us. At least we hope so. How the parents taught their children to live with a swarm of wasps was very funny. The children got angry, screeched and hoped to drive away the numerous wasps on the loosely scattered pieces of meat by snapping and attacking, which the wasps countered with loud buzzing attacks in dense formation. The two children became louder and louder and more and more aggressive until the parents spoke firmly to get their children to sit down and be quiet. Then the father sat down with the wasps on the windowsill and waited until everyone had made room. This time he did not collect all the pieces of food, but left some behind for the wasps to pounce on. From then on, peace reigned. Normally the little ravens have to practise landing on our windowsill because it is covered with metal and is smooth and not so wide. The landing that is most successful is usually adopted by the next generation: flying a short turn and touching down sideways. One crow chose the frontal approach and failed, slipping and flapping its wings to avoid plummeting. The little one did this every day with several attempts over several days. Even the neighbors began to laugh at her. But she didn't let up. Then there was a surprise, the swarm met. First some families circled our house and gallantly drove the pigeons over the entrance to the neighboring building, apparently they had heard our scolding about the droppings on the stairs, then the flying began. We hadn't put down anything to eat and yet the animals landed alternately and innovatively. The highlight was the cousin, he/she plunged headfirst and vertically towards the windowsill in front of the window, braked inthe air, turned slightly and landed like a helicopter. When this little one was still very small, she messed with a pigeon, screeched and tried to chase it away from its branch with some persistence, the pigeon took neither the child's voice nor the little body seriously and remained stubbornly seated, not even looking at her. Having reached adolescence, the crow cried out every evening with a voice that worried us, we feared that she would probably never find a husband. Meanwhile, her sibling passed the time like so many young people in the parking lot outside the supermarket with friends. She was alone and screamed until it got dark. Not only does she have children and a steady partner, last week the annual flock meeting took place again. The many birds flew small circles in a family group and then sat down again on the roofs and trees opposite us. Then her voice rang out: still somehow weird, but loud and full with a tremendous timbre. She screamed 3-4 times and each time a family said goodbye and flew away. It was almost dark until after the last call, the last family flew into their home. She and her children waited a moment and flew away too. Not only is her voice breathtaking - she sometimes calls in a deep voice - she flies like an eagle and lands on the windowsill from bottom to top. The crows protect me, they follow me, they announce me to their far-flung family members and friends. A rental car can get them excited because they're afraid I'll get in but not out. They sometimes follow the car for up to 30 km and as they take the shortcut in the air, they are usually faster than us, they are already sitting in the trees and greet me loudly. It is not so easy for people to survive with love.

Can you describe a challenges you faced while working on this project, and how you overcame it?

First the movie as a whole is created in my head and I make a few written notes. As my impressions of the life I see combine with my own images in my head to understand the past and the future of the people, my perception does not stick to the fleeting surface for long, but registers it as far as is necessary to understand the situation. The images in my head are connections between the present, past and future, the weighting of which then varies in the realization. If something new wanted to be integrated during production, even though the movie was already round in my head, this meant re-watching the movie in my head, integrating the new images and getting the movie round again. Only then can I continue working. Baking and cooking bread helped me in these moments.

How can you collaborate effectively with an editor to shape the final version of your project?

The time frame for the work would have to be jointly determined and the financing of this time to work in peace. I worked on my first long movie for almost 2 years because I was still involved in teaching a lot. I also worked on my 2nd long movie for 2 years. Due to the quiet due to Corona and little involvement in teaching, I only needed 1 ½ years for "Ma hama esti". I also managed to start new projects quickly. Ultimately, the film in my head determines the production time, which then has to be coordinated with other professional commitments and requirements. We now have a blatant shortage of skilled workers in all areas in Germany, so we need to talk about this too. In recent years, we have been doing almost all the work and manual tasks, as well as additional teaching requirements, on our own. The privately established networks are also overloaded. In the meantime, we have found freelancers abroad for smaller work steps. Where can you find a technician in Europe if the self-repair of equipment does not work? Who can help with marketing? So new questions have arisen for cooperation in Germany. In order to be able to meet production deadlines and calculate a buffer, certain structures have to be in place - months of waiting or blatantly high prices, often both together, are not the point, it prolongs all projects like chewing gum with all the sometimes even wellintentioned promises, including stalling. The electricity and, above all, heating costs would have to be recalculated for Germany. It took some time until we had clothes that were functional even at low temperatures indoors, and in winter you can't go without heating for ever. Added to this is the poor nutritional situation. There are hardly any food controls. The food consists almost exclusively of unhealthy fat and sugar, and is enhanced with artificial flavors and colorings. It's not easy to find reasonably healthy food, and we have a lot of adulterated food such as oil, flour and jam. For an acute emergency situation (doctor/hospital), the situation is almost hopeless due to the erosion of our medical system. The country and its representatives, such as authorities and everyday service providers, who have always found it somewhat more difficult than other countries to react spontaneously, seem to be frozen in place and stick to plans and procedures that are stubbornly and helplessly carried out; a considerable amount of additional correspondence is simply sent to small businesses as an employment measure that has to be processed and takes up valuable time. Telephone bookings and consultations are friendly, but often incompetent, or fail because of something, so that nothing was initiated. Even renting a car spontaneously is a problem. In summary, it can be said that we in Germany have been in an uninterrupted emergency situation or a state of catastrophe since corona, which urgently needs other solutions.

What was your actual budget for making this project? If you were given more resources, how would you like to proceed?

The actual budget included a program renewal, the costs for creating high-quality files in DCP, Dolby, etc. The heating costs and electricity became more expensive for the first time during production and then became almost unaffordable. Despite giving up rooms and saving on electricity and heating, I can only tell you the costs when the marketing has been roughly completed after more than 2 years.

Could you please tell us what projects you are planning to work on next?

Yes, the projects that have been started are one long film and several short films. The soundtracks are still missing. I am planning a movie with live action footage in my home country. Some of the people I would like to film are still alive, there is still cultural evidence and the landscape is still breathtakingly beautiful.

Could you share with us a proud accomplishment from your creative journey?

I think that I managed not to let myself be influenced and that instead I also managed to take the risk of trying something new in this movie. With my first movie, I waited an extra year before I went public because I had to think about it myself. I am proud of this willingness to take risks and of my productivity and creativity.

What are the biggest challenges of making a film today and how can the festival circuit help achieve your dream?

I believe that the fantastic technical possibilities and the accessibility of films via the Internet can also lead to losing one's footing, perhaps more easily and at a younger age than 20 years ago. I think it's important to stay true to yourself. Festivals can pay attention to the quality of the selection, so that young people can also get to know artistic films who love film but don't know any really interesting films and therefore quickly get lost in effects. It would be desirable if your selection could remain visible for a longer period of time so that the selected films together could reflect a picture of our time. Perhaps such a platform could also be linked to the somewhat lesser-known classics of French film, as these are not really accessible from abroad in their abundance, which is a shame. And with materials or links to materials on these films. A 1st aid platform for filmmakers, which offers both disaster management in organization and implementation, as well as spontaneous assistance. We really like the history of the freelancer platform "Fivrr". It started as a neighborhood help. Maybe we can work together with Fivrr. The platform is in Israel. That way you could also embed foreign filming for low budget productions. We think that it makes no sense to rely on state support and that Germany, a country that shapes the EU, can certainly be a forerunner for similar conditions in EU countries that are still functioning today. In addition, there is an uncertain political situation and more natural disasters than 20 years ago

What advice do you have for individuals who aspire to become filmmakers/writers?

Pay attention to kindred spirits when working together Don't think and look in categories, don't let your view of the world be predetermined. Taking other cultures and countries seriously, informing oneself and reading and watching material about these countries and cultures, dealing with the respective film history. Not too early and not just thinking about money

Share your experiences and suggestions for improving the Stingray International Film Festival.

Continue to focus on quality and offer attractive prices and supplements such as this interview. Thank you!