The Story of the Award-Winning Documentary 32 Meters at the Istanbul Film Festival
An interview by Müjde Işıl with Morteza Atabaki, the director of the documentary 32 Meters, which won an award at the Istanbul Film Festival.
Morteza Atabaki, the director of the award-winning documentary 32 Meters at the Istanbul Film Festival, discussed the creation process of the production and his approach to cinema.
Award-Winning Documentary
32 Meters, which won the Seyfi Teoman Best First Film and Best Editing Award at the Istanbul Film Festival this year, bears the signature of Morteza Atabaki, who served as an assistant to Abbas Kiarostami.
International Success
The documentary, which tells the story of a woman in a village trying to organize a shooting competition exclusively for her female peers, met with audiences in Amsterdam, Sydney, Toronto, and Sarajevo.
The production also achieved success by being nominated in the Best Documentary category at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Kiarostami's Legacy
Director Morteza Atabaki stated that the most important thing he learned from Abbas Kiarostami was to allow room for reality's own rhythm and surprises.
The Idea Born in Huğlu
The foundations of the documentary were laid with an initial visit to Huğlu in Beyşehir, Konya. The contradiction that women worked in weapon factories yet shooting competitions belonged solely to men inspired the film.
Reactions Abroad
Despite starting from a very local community, the film established a strong connection and received a positive response from audiences in different countries.
Documentary and Fiction
According to Atabaki, a documentary is not about copying reality but finding the story within it, and unlike fiction, it has to listen to an existing reality.