Friday – 27.09, 19:00, New Horizons Cinema
Observing the living spaces in construction sites in Istanbul, the documentary focuses on the living conditions and labor relations of the two workers.
As it looks at the lives of these people who work on scaffolding and in buildings without walls, the documentary brings up the issue of earthquakes, which construction reminds us of, as well as reflecting the changing sociopolitical situation in Turkey. Vardar lends psychological depth to her characters by placing her camera with care and attention, transforming an urgent and timely issue into a collective feeling and consciousness. Drifting won the Best Documentary Award at the 42nd Istanbul Film Festival and the 55th SİYAD Awards.
Who are the people who build modern cities? Where do they come from and where are they going? During the day they are often just anonymous silhouettes, flashing between the scaffolding of construction sites. At night, they are multifaceted, vibrant characters who express their homesickness, fears for the future and physical exhaustion in bedroom containers.
“Drifting” is the story of Ferhatta and Emrah – two young Kurds working as construction workers in Istanbul. Following in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers, they dream of changing their destiny and becoming teachers. Construction work should be a means to that end. But low wages and poor working conditions make it less a part of the family tradition they are proud to uphold and more an obstacle in their struggle for a better future. The light at the end of the tunnel seems to be the possibility of going to Algeria, where workers can expect to be paid in dollars.
Director Somnur Vardar follows the protagonists at work, at play, in late-night discussions and in street protests. She shows moments of weakness and doubt, but also of brotherhood and mutual help. It documents stories that are rarely told, that are difficult to ignore. It gives us a picture of the heroic work that makes up the infrastructure of our cities.