Ferit Karahan's Film The Wedding of the Jinns Premieres in Toronto
Director Ferit Karahan made statements ahead of the Toronto Film Festival premiere of his film The Wedding of the Jinns, which is set in Erzincan and tells a family drama.
Turkish director Ferit Karahan's new family drama film The Wedding of the Jinns, set in Erzincan, held its world premiere in the Platform Programme of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.
Importance of the Festival and Platform
Director Ferit Karahan stated that being featured in a competitive section focusing on director-driven cinema, such as the Platform at a prestigious festival like Toronto, is extremely valuable.
Childhood Memories and Autobiography
Dealing with universal themes such as loss, grief, and family in the film, the director noted that the story bears traces of his own childhood and that autobiography consists of more than just events.
He emphasized that the images, sounds, and fears from the growing-up process are also a very important part of this autobiographical structure.
Surreal Elements and the Middle East
Stating that he resorted to surreal elements such as djinns, dreams, and legends while conveying the harsh reality in the Middle East, Karahan defined these not as an alternative to reality, but as another layer of it.
Film Chapters and Spatial Memory
He stated that the chapters in the film titled Angels, Jinns, and Chains represent childhood, repressed guilts, and the transfer of this legacy to the next generation, respectively.
He expressed that the nature and spatial memory of Erzincan assumed the role of a silent witness and memory that outlives humans much longer in the film.