GURBET IS A HOME NOW

The film looks at the impact of the discriminatory urban policies on Turkish “guest workers” in Berlin during the 1980s. The starting point of the film is the post-war urban renewal project IBA (International Bau Austellung), which was implemented in the Kreuzberg district between 1984-87. Photographs shot in Kreuzberg, by one of the IBA architects named Heide Moldenhauer as well as various archival materials form the foundation of the film. Director Pınar Öğrenci interviews the people in these archival photographs, nearly 40 years after they were shot, and presents the hidden history of Kreuzberg through the experiences and solidarity stories of the women immigrants. The film, which takes its title from poet and actor Aras Ören’s book of poetry titled Gurbet No More (Gurbet Değil Artık), won the Special Jury Award at this year’s Dokumentarist Film Festival.