Cinemed Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen Montpellier / BluTV 2020 – A Hard Day in the Empire
A prop assistant desperately tries to make the director happy on a challenging day at the set of an Ottoman soap opera.
Interview with Writer/Director Sezen Kayhan
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you. I made this film to make the mobbing and gender discrimination in the TV industry more visible. I have worked in the TV industry in Turkey for years, mostly in the art department. I have experienced such behavior so often and somehow I wanted to get revenge in a non-violent, humorous way. This was the main motivation behind making this film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
First to witness, then to change this situation. Not everybody needs to take action of course, but being aware of these situations and thinking about them are also valuable processes.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film takes place on the set of an Ottoman soap opera. It is very specific for the industry in Turkey. And it also refers to the cultural continuation of male domination through history. But it is also universal because so many women around the world experience such discrimination in their workplaces, not only in film and TV industry but in every field. So it is very local and universal at the same time.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script was changed so many times. We read it with the actors, discussed it and changed some scenes. Also, there are some improvised scenes in the film. We tried different dialogues and even changed some scenes on the set.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback we received from the audience is so positive. Some of them thanked us criticizing the lack of short comedies in most festival selections. It was really nice watching people laugh, or get angry in the end. This is my third short and it is the one that I got most reactions from the audience.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Some feedback challenged my point of view especially for the ending of the film. In some Q&As the audience told me that they expected a bigger gesture at the end, instead of Cansu leaving the set. Maybe something like throwing an orange to the director. We discussed it with the audience in the Q&As. I really enjoyed that the ending made them think and create their own endings. It also challenged me to review my own ending.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
To reach a larger international audience and also film professionals in a curated program.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We almost completed our festival tour and the film is available online in a digital platform in Turkey. But we would be glad if international distributors and journalists are interested in the film to make it more visible.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I think gaining awareness on the subject and behaving accordingly is important to finish it. So I value witnessing the situation from another person's point of view. This is what the film tries to achieve.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do you also experience mobbing and discrimination in your workplace?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thanks for including us in your program.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
At the moment I am working on a feature documentary project called Women with Purple Violets. It is about four soccer-savvy women in their eighties, once members of the female fan club Women with Purple Violets. They meet for the last match of their favorite team Orduspor after 40 years, before the team dissipates, their stadium is torn down and the only affordable public event in the region, mixing men, women and children, disappears. We are in the early production stage.
Interview: June 2020
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A Hard Day in the Empire
A prop assistant desperately tries to make the director happy on a challenging day at the set of an Ottoman soap opera.
Length: 20:00
Director: Sezen Kayhan
Producer: Beste Yamlıoğlu
Writer: Sezen Kayhan
About the writer, director and producer:
SEZEN KAYHAN is a Turkish screenwriter and director. She worked in various film and documentary projects in Turkey, Italy and the US. Her short films Time of the Plums (2012), Elene (2016) and A Hard Day in the Empire (2018) were screened and awarded in various international film festivals including Tribeca, BFI London, Montreal World, Cinemed, Palm Springs, Rhode Island, Santa Barbara, Sofia International FF.
Key cast: Ayris Alptekin (Cansu), Murat Kılıç (Director), Aykut Sezgi Mengi (AD), Reyhan Özdilek (Sultan), Cem Baza (Emperor)
Looking for: journalists, distributors, buyers
Facebook: İmparatorlukta Zor Bir Gün / A Hard Day at the Empire
Hashtags used: #womenfilmmaker #genderdiversity #tvindustry #mobbing #turkey
Other: IMDb