Winners of the 2019 Boston Turkish Festival Documentary & Short Film Competition
Best Documentary Audience Award

SEVAN THE CRAFTSMAN:
BREATHING ISTANBUL'S MAGIC INTO JEWELS

Sevan Bıçakçı: İstanbul’u Mücevhere Sığdıran Usta

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Directed by ÜMRAN SAFTER
2017 / 71 min. / Doc. / with English subtitles

Sevan the Craftsman tells the story of Sevan Bıçakcı, a maestro whose skill of transforming precious metals and gems into majestic works of art not only resuscitated the forgotten jewelry-making traditions of an empire but has also bestowed upon it a glamour previously unheard of. The film documents Sevan’s long journey to becoming the person whose artistry, skill and patience sees him draw inspiration from Istanbul’s magical and mesmerizing qualities to create works of unparalleled magnificence.

Selected Festivals and Awards

• Boston Turkish Festival Documentary and Short Film Competition (2019): Best Documentary Audience Award
• TRT Documentary Awards, Turkey (2018): Best Documentary
• Washington DC Independent Film Festival, USA (2018)
• Madrid İnternational film Festival, Spain (2018)
• London International Filmmakers Festival, UK (2018)
• Sydney Turkish Film Festival, Australia (2018)

Director ÜMRAN SAFTER

Ümran Safter is a documentary filmmaker and a journalist. Her three previous feature-length documentaries have won widespread international recognition and awards. Her work before "The Sin of Being a Woman" was a feature-length documentary titled “Through Ottoman Eyes.” The film explores the reign of 19th century Ottoman sultan, Abdul Hamid II, and how his fascination with photography, combined with his confinement to the palace, led him to run his vast empire through photographs. Her 2015 documentary on legendary Turkish-Armenian photographer Ara Güler called “The Eye of Istanbul” was awarded the 2016 Best of Fest prize at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival, and was also screened in festivals in more than 10 countries.

"Sevan the Craftsman” was screened and nominated for competition awards at the 2018 London International Filmmaker Festival, Washington DC Independent Film festival and Madrid International Film Festival. The film also won the prestigious Best Documentary Film in the National Category at Turkey’s 2018 TRT International Documentary Awards.

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