detours while speaking of monsters

A 4000-year-old aquatic monster is rendered invisible in present-day Turkey. Its myth dates back to the ancestors of Armenians and Kurds around Lake Van, a region that witnessed the ethnic cleansing of both peoples. However, the monster remains somewhat alive in the tales of the inhabitants, resisting falling entirely into oblivion. In this blue landscape, on the crossroads of mythological, political, and personal realms, different forms of erasure are concealed. Meanwhile, old gods are upset with us, and I am upset with my father.

Deniz Şimşek studied film and art in Istanbul and Berlin. Delving into the intricate interplay between socio-political phenomena and personal fragments, she seeks to unearth obscure connections that thread through seemingly unrelated subject matters. Through her artistic practice, she experiments with narrative tools reminiscent of the shifting patterns of memories and dreams.

Production Deniz Şimşek. Director Deniz Şimşek. Screenplay Deniz Şimşek. Cinematography Mónica Martins Nunes, Deniz Şimşek. Editing Mónica Martins Nunes, Deniz Şimşek. Assistant editor André Martins. Sound design Christian Obermaier. Sound Deniz Şimşek, Mónica Martins Nunes. Dramaturgy Philipp Fröhlich. With Emin Şimşek.

Films: 2021: Centauress (8 min.). 2024: detours while speaking of monsters.