Sundance 2021: Aylin Gökmen
Filmmaker Aylin Gökmen tells us about the making of her short film, Spirits and Rocks: An Azorean Myth, a documentary about the inhabitants of a volcanic island. She talks us through who – and what – inspires her, the future of film festivals, and her advice for young filmmakers.
What inspired you to make this film?
Spirits and Rocks is my graduation film for the DocNomads Master's programme, a mobile school that takes place in three countries. During my last semester in Portugal, I was looking for a symbiotic relationship between people and their lands. I was also looking for a place rich with traditions, legends and myths; I've always had a strong interest in documentaries that use mythology. The Azores met these criteria and I’ve always had a fascination for volcanic islands.
Did anything unexpected happen during the production of this? If so, how did you combat this effectively?
Unexpected things always come up during the shooting of a documentary, and that's where the beauty of our work lies. I learned not to fight unforeseen events, but, on the contrary, to take advantage of them for my films. For example, there were very strong winds on the islands, and it was impossible to get a decent sound in some scenes. So I decided to create a sound atmosphere from scratch that would bring additional meaning to the story I wanted to tell: seismic rumbles, church ambiences, even supernatural sounds... Many elements that we could not have recorded during the shooting, but are part of the Azores' identity.
Getting your film into Sundance is exciting! Do you have a favourite Sundance film?
There are plenty of them, but the first one that pops into my mind is Kelebekler (Butterflies) by Tolga Karaçelik, which I watched for the second time recently. It's a moving film with absurd humour and touches of magical realism. There is also The Reason I Jump by Jerry Rothwell, a beautiful immersive documentary about non-speaking autistic people. I had the privilege of interviewing the director and the producer of the film for the Docs in Orbit podcast; it was a very enriching experience, both personally and professionally.
The pandemic has affected the industry in many ways, how have you keep motivated during the past year?
Many festivals and industry events have been organised online, allowing me to keep in touch with the world of cinema. I am also lucky to have friends and colleagues all over the world, with whom I've continued to collaborate remotely. This solidarity is what has kept me motivated.
What are your thoughts on the transition to virtual film festivals?
I am grateful to the festival teams for working so hard to support our work and continue to provide a platform for our films in these difficult circumstances. Of course, I miss the theatre experience but I also got the opportunity to discover many films from home this year that I otherwise would not have been able to access. I’m hoping that, in the future, we will be able to maintain an intermediate solution: a mix of online and on-site experience.
Who has inspired you in your filmmaking journey?
Answering this question would take several hours! Instead, I will stick to the main works that inspired this particular film: Lampedusa by Mariangela Ciccarello and Philip Cartelli, Ten Skies by James Benning, Meteors by Gürcan Keltek, Trás-os-Montes by Margarida Cordeiro and António Reis, and People Pebble by Jivko Darakchiev and Perrine Gamot.
What do you hope audiences will take away from your film?
I would like them to feel like they are experiencing a dream or a mystery; to create their own interpretations and opinions of what is shown. I hope that they will feel the sense of wonder we had for these islands and the people living there.
Tell us three goals you want to achieve in the next five years!
Helping others make their films, shooting my first feature, getting more involved in activism.
Lastly, what are two pieces of advice you would give to young filmmakers starting out?
Explore various genres, on different medias, in different formats... Embrace the unexpected, the failures, and don’t forget to have fun!
