Untitled Document

5^th ANNUAL BOSTON TURKISH FILM FESTIVAL ^SM
March 30 - April 28, 2006

WAITING FOR THE CLOUDS ( Bulutlari Beklerken )

New England Premiere

Directed and written by Yesim Ustaoglu

Cast: Ruchan Caliskur, Dimitris Kamberidis, Ridvan Yagci, Ismail Baysan, Yannis Georgiadis, Feride Karaman, Suna Selen, Oktar Durukan, Irene Tachmatzidou, Damoklia Mustakidou, Fatma Parlagi

2004, 92 minutes

In Turkish and Greek with English subtitles

Screening Date: Friday - March 31, 2006 at 6 p.m.

Festivals and Awards:

Seattle International Film Festival: Official Selection (2005)
Sofia International Film Festival (2005)
Mar del Plata International Film Festival, Argentina (2005)
International Women Film Festival of Creteil, France (2005)
UNESCO International Film Festival against Exclusion and for Tolerance, France (2005)
Berlin International Film Festival, Panorama Section (2005)
Fajr International Film Festival, Iran (2005)
Chicago International Film Festival: Official Selection (2004)
International Thessaloniki Film Festival (2004)
Pusan International Film Festival, South Korea (2004)
International Women Film Festival, Israel (2004)
Montreal World Film Festival (2004)
International Istanbul Film Festival: Best Actress (Rüçhan Çaliskur), Special Jury Award (2004)
Sundance Film Festival: NHK International Filmmakers Award (2003)

Synopsis:

Waiting for the Clouds opens with census clerks who arrive early one morning in the small port town of Tirebolu in the Black Sea region of Turkey. But the streets are empty and silent—not everyone can afford to be counted as questions about one’s past can open up dangerous wounds. Ayse, the daughter of a Greek family evacuated from the region in 1916, has kept silent about her true identity, but secretly considers Greece her homeland. When she sets foot in Greece for the first time, both she and the viewer are forced to reconsider what constitutes a homeland, and what makes one a foreigner.

About the Director: Yesim Ustaoglu

After making several award-winning shorts, Yesim Ustaoglu made her feature film debut with 1994's "Iz" (The Trace). The film was presented at numerous international venues, including Moscow and Gotenburg. Ustaoglu received international recognition for her 1999 film "Gunese Yolculuk" (Journey to the Sun). In competition at the Berlin Film Festival, "Journey to the Sun" received the Blue Angel Award (Best European Film) and the Peace Prize, as well as Best Film, Best Director, the FIPRESCI Prize, and the Audience Award at the Istanbul Film Festival. Yesim Ustaoglu's recent documentary, "Sirtlarindaki Hayat" (Life on their Shoulders) was screened at the 10th Annual Boston Turkish Arts and Culture Festival in 2005.

Selected Filmography:

Life on their Shoulders (Sirtlarindaki Hayat) (Documentary, 2004)
Waiting for the Clouds (Bulutlari Beklerken, 2004)
Journey to the Sun (Gunese Yolculuk, 1999)
The Trace (Iz, 1994)

Service Mark Advisory:
Boston Turkish Film FestivalSM and Boston Turkish Music FestivalSM are registered service marks of the Boston Turkish Film Festival and the Boston Turkish Music Festival respectively.