Ovacık Poster

Synopsis

Fatih Mehmet Macoglu is the first mayor ever in Turkey elected from the Turkish Communist Party. He is the mayor of Ovacik, Tunceli, a small Kurdish-Alevi town in the heart of Eastern Turkey. Unknown to the rest of the world, it is an area where cultural and humanistic values, peace, love and community work are cherished, and where production and education are pursued with almost no budget. The film follows the daily life in Ovacik and Mr. Macoglu's efforts to strengthen a sustainable economy by promoting community-based agriculture. Both the mayor’s and the residents’ remarkable efforts set an example for agricultural towns around Turkey. The honest and heartfelt example of Ovacik starts building a very important communication bridge between the East and the West of the country.

Credits

  • Directors Ayşegül Selenga Taşkent
Share:

Directors

Ayşegül Selenga Taşkent

Ayşegül Selenga Taşkent

Born in Ankara, Turkey, Aysegul Selenga Taskent earned her BA degree in American Literature. Her passion and interest for art and cinema started at an early age and after college pushed her to pursue filmmaking abroad. She received an MA degree in Media Studies in England. In 2007, with a full scholarship, she earned an MFA degree in Media Arts Production at SUNY, Buffalo, USA. Her first documentary Volga, Volga: Living with Schizophrenia (2008) was screened at international festivals and won the Jury Prize in the 19th Ankara International Film Festival. Her second documentary Girls of Hope (2012) received the 2012 Rome Independent Film Festival Honorable Mention Award. In her works, Aysegul Selenga’s art focuses on social issues, human rights, love and peace. Through her work, she hopes to contribute to make the world a better place.