Furkan Alperen Demir`s Documentary Was Screened at Artales

The short documentary film “Forgetfulness - Ahmet Muhip Dıranas” by Furkan Alperen Demir, a Research Assistant in the Cinema and Television Department, met with the audience as part of a short film screening event organized by Artales Film.

The event took place on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the Kült Kavaklıdere Cinema in Ankara. Following the screening, a discussion about the film was held, moderated by Hayri Çölaşan. The discussion covered the production process, the purpose of the film, the challenges encountered during production, the interviews conducted, and the editing choices made.

The 2022 documentary “Forgetfulness” focuses on the house that poet Ahmet Muhip Dıranas had built in his ancestral village in 1964. After the poet`s death, the building had fallen into disrepair due to neglect, and at the time of filming, no intervention could be made regarding the building due to ownership issues. The documentary, aiming to raise awareness about the building and the artist, illustrates this situation through interviews with Dıranas` nephews; The film conveys various details about the house`s construction process and the poet`s time in the village to the viewer.

Demir stated that he prepared the film as one of his graduation projects during his undergraduate studies, explaining that he first learned about the house`s condition through a social media post and then took action: “I wanted to make a film that would both tell Dıranas`s story and draw attention to the building`s state. So I started researching and initially tried to acquire the artist`s works by visiting bookstores in Sinop. However, I couldn`t find much. This led me to the idea that there was a general indifference towards Dıranas in the city. The documentary took shape from this point.”

Demir added that the original version of the documentary is more comprehensive, aiming to reveal Dıranas`s literary personality, his relationship with the city, and the ingratitude he experienced in this regard, and that he preferred this approach rather than presenting a biographical narrative. “The entire documentary is a 30-minute narrative. The part we watched is actually a section of the film. I used this version when applying to festivals and competitions because the priority here was to raise awareness about the building`s condition and to get it across.” Hayri Çölaşan, who contributed to this discussion, commented that similar situations exist in many places and that generally nothing is done, and that attempts are unsuccessful. Çölaşan added that film festivals with a "cultural heritage" theme feature such productions and are therefore important.

Following this, questions from the participants about the film were answered. Participants asked questions about the building`s current state, Dıranas`s legacy, and property issues, and also contributed to the discussion with their comments on the film`s narrative and editing. Finally, Demir stated that Ahmet Muhip Dıranas spent a significant part of his life in Ankara and passed away there, emphasizing that the screening of the documentary here was very valuable.

The well-attended event featured screenings of films from different genres: Damla Ersan`s "Let Me Tell You This Way," Orhan Önder Yaycıoğlu`s "Curious Mind," Volkan Güney Eker`s "Larva," and Serhat Şen`s "Foreign Memories." Interviews were also conducted with directors Damla Ersan and Orhan Önder Yaycıoğlu. The event concluded with the presentation of certificates of appreciation to the directors.