HAYAT VAR / MY ONLY SUNSHINE
2008, 121 minutes, 35mm, color;
Turkish with English subtitles
Written and directed by Reha Erdem
Featuring Elit Iscan, Erdal Beşikcioğlu, Levend Yilmaz, Banu Fotocan, Handan Karaadam
A young teenage girl, Hayat, her father and bedridden grandfather live in a riverside shack near the beautiful waters of the Bosphorus. Hayat’s father makes a living fishing but resorts to a number of unlawful acts to get by. Despite harsh circumstances, Hayat has an instinct for survival. Her capacity for courage, endurance and hope in the face of many difficulties affirm that there is life despite the manifold injustices afflicting the world.
SELECTED FESTIVALS-AWARDS
2009 Berlin International Film Festival: “Tagesspiegel” Readers’ Jury Special Prize (Germany)
2008 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival: SİYAD Turkish Film Critics’ Association Special Prize (Turkey)
2009 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival (Ireland)
2009 Nürnberg Film Festival (Turkey/Germany)
2009 Turkish Films Week, Berlin (Germany)
2009 Istanbul International Film Festival (Turkey)
2009 Singapore International Film Festival
REHA ERDEM
Reha Erdem left his history studies at Istanbul Bosphorus University in 1983 to study cinema in Paris. He graduated from Cinema Department of Paris 8 University. He obtained his M.A. in Plastic Arts at the same university. He shot his first feature-length film Oh Moon (A Ay) in 1989 as a French-Turkish co-production. The Film was nominated for The European Film Academy Awards in 1990, awarded at the Nantes Film Festival, and screened in numerous international film festivals. It was selected The Best Film of The Year by the Turkish Film Critics’ Association SIYAD). Run for Money (Kaç Para Kaç), his second feature-length film in 1999, competed and screened in many festivals, was selected as the official submission of Turkey for the Academy Awards. Erdem’s third feature film Mommy, I'm Scared (Korkuyorum Anne) received FIPRESCI Award at the 23rd International Istanbul Film Festival in 2004 among many other awards. His 2006 film, Times and Winds (Beş Vakit) was acclaimed by international festivals and received numerous awards, including FIPRESCI and Best Turkish Film Awards at the 25th Istanbul International Film Festival. Its US premiere was at the Tribeca Film Festival where it received splendid reviews as well as the attention of the distributors. He also has short films and directed a theater play, Maids (Les Bonnes) by Jean Genet at the Istanbul National Theater in 1991 with a unique interpretation.
FILMOGRAPHY
2009 Kosmos
2008 Hayat Var/My Only Sunshine
2006 Bes Vakit/Times and Winds
2004 Korkuyorum Anne/Mommy, I’m Scared
1999 Kaç para kaç/A Run for Money
1988 A Ay/Oh Moon