Leylak
In present day Queens, New York, a Turkish gravedigger is unable to face a shattering truth, and risks losing the dearest connection left in his life.
Interview with Scott Aharoni (Director/Producer), Mustafa Kaymak (Writer/Producer), Dennis Latos (Director/Producer)
Watch Leylak here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
MUSTAFA: The inspiration came from a photo from an article that Scott Aharoni had shared with me on the 61st day of the Covid-19 lockdown. The picture was that of a gravedigger who held his axe and stared at an endless amount of freshly dug empty graves. I felt his despair and it made me question many things in my life.
I then sat at my desk and wrote a two sentence poem. It was a sweet moment between a father and daughter packed with yearning and love. It summarized everything about their relationship and I felt that they cared for each other. The father whispered; “Do you know why your mother calls you Leylak?” He answers his question; “Because you’re her flower.”
SCOTT: When the pandemic hit, and New York went into lockdown, a slew of emotions flooded me. Feelings of loneliness, despair, and confusion weighed me down. As creatives, we look out to the arts to help express ourselves when we don't know how else to do it. I felt that creating a film during this time, presented an opportunity I had not had before as an artist. I felt it was the perfect opportunity to engage in a story we were all presently living through. And with that, as a team, we figured out the intention of the film. Mustafa created the character of Yusuf where we would then begin to expose the harsh reality of grief through the beautiful story that was told.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
DENNIS: If you are a member of the audience you should watch this film because you will be able to relate to it in some way, shape, or form. In its short running time, the film is able to captivate audiences and is able to move you emotionally and spiritually despite a dark topic which had encompassed the entire world the last two years. However, it is the film’s ending that keeps you optimistic and positive that regardless what grief you may have faced or are facing by losing a loved one in your life, we all have someone to lean on and despite dark times, there is always a light at the end of the long dark tunnel.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We have all lost someone dear to us, before and during the pandemic, and it is with this emotional and personal experiences that helped us create an even more organic story.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
SCOTT: The script was a beautiful platform for our actors to perform off of. We gave our actors an open playing field where they were open to truly become the characters. Whether they wanted to change a line of dialogue, or add an action, we let them be as natural as possible.
MUSTAFA: I didn't write a lot of dialogues for the film. I think emotions are magic of being human being and when you put them into words, it loses its magic. Drama is emotion and Leylak is an emotional journey where you are meant to feel more than understand it.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
SCOTT: The feedback has truly been a blessing. The way people have been moved so emotionally and want to ask questions about the film, makes the whole process so rewarding. Being screened at various festivals has given our film a platform where the film can be seen and spoken about. So far, it seems our audiences have felt the emotional magic we have prayed we were able to create. With the Q&A's we have been blessed to have, it seems that audiences really want to understand our characters deeper and the actions in which they took and why we made certain decisions. And with that, I feel we did our job to pose and questions and stir up conversations with our art.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
MUSTAFA - There’re many metaphors in the movie. When people understands them, it changes their understanding of the movie. You watch it with a very different perspective and it hits you harder.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
DENNIS: Having our film visible on wearemovingstories.com will help get the word about the film out there more. I am hoping this platform will be another vehicle to more audiences to watch and review the film. The more websites and platforms we can get this film on, the better!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
DENNIS: Journalists are a great help. Writing about the film on different platforms helps get more eyes on the project. Also the more festivals we are selected into, the more exposure the film gets and more people see it. Ultimately, we are hoping the film can find a home to amplify the film's message.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
SCOTT: At the end of the day, audiences should walk away knowing that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
DENNIS: No one likes negativity and negativity is just bad for the soul. We aimed to end off on a good note and I think we achieved that whole-heartedly. Leylak is a special film and a short that will hopefully represent our times.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Grief is a difficult thing to face and coming to terms with the truth is one step closer of it becoming your reality. The question is...How do you tell your child that their mother has passed away?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The next step for us all is embarking into the feature film world!
Interview: September 2021
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Leylak
Length:
16:58
Writer
MUSTAFA KAYMAK is a Sundance (Green-2019) and Tribeca (Leylak-2021) award winning writer and producer. He was born in Ankara Turkey, where he received a BA degree in journalism (2008 Ankara University).
Director
SCOTT AHARONI & DENNIS LATOS are a directing duo based out of New York. They have produced a diversified slate of ad campaigns for international brands and have produced several award winning films that have garnered international success.
Key cast:
Nadir Saribacak (Yusuf), Isabella Haddock (Renk), Gamze Ceylan (Tulay), Samrat Chakrabarti (Abdul)
Looking for:
sales agents, journalists, distributors, buyers, film festival directors
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/leylakthefilm
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/leylakthefilm/?hl=en
Hashtags used:
#leylakthefilm
More info:
Where can I watch it now?
Hollyshorts Film Festival - September 23-October 1st
Nashville Film Festival - September 30-October 6th
Tirana International Film Film Festival - September 24-30th