VIDEOBRASIL IN THE MENA - Kutlug Ataman
photo: Kutlug Ataman's Semiha B. Unplugged (1997), by Kutlug Ataman
Turkey’s Kutlug Ataman has produced a documental narrative with epic overtones – both in its length (nine episodes shy of eight hours) and the historical period featured. Kutlug Ataman's Semiha B. Unplugged was shown during the 12th Festival film screenings. Through the autobiographical accounts of Semiha Berskoy, a Turkish opera singer, writer and painter, virtually unedited, he retrieves decades of his country’s artistic and political history, telling of how these two dimensions interweave and mix throughout the years.
An internationally known filmmaker, Kutlug has featured in several international biennials such as São Paulo (2002, 2010); Istanbul (1997, 2003, 2007, 2011), Venice (1999), Berlin (2001) and the Documenta 11 (2002) in Kassel, Germany. He lives and works out of London, Islamabad and Istanbul.
Learn more about Kutlug Ataman's Semiha B. Unplugged at the artist's official website.