Oya - Followed by Q&A with Director Sevinc Baloglu

Director: Sevinc Baloglu

2024 – 75 mins – In Turkish with English subtitles

Featured in the Vancouver Turkish Film Festival program, the documentary OYA brings its visually stunning story to Canada, surprising Vancouver’s audiances with a special treat…
Honoring the unmatched artistry of Anatolian women, the stories behind these beautiful laceworks will be shared with us by our special guest, the documentary’s director, Sevinç Baloğlu. Following the film screening, the film’s director Sevinç Baloğlu will also join us for a Q&A session.
Forty exquisite “Oya Yemeni” scarves adorned with intricate oya lacework come to life from the documentary itself, greeting our audience in the foyer with an OYA EXHIBITION. Guests who wish to own one of these unique yemeni scarves, lovingly sent by brides from their dowry chests, can do so for a modest donation.

About Oya
Gülbiye, the only woman in the village farming silkworms for the purpose of producing silk thread, teaches her granddaughter Ada about silkworm farming and the oya rituals through tales, while an oya collector embarks on a journey to discover the story behind one of his favorite oya. The story introduces to us Oya’s, which were once the voice of oppressed women but later became a source of empowerment by allowing women to achieve economic independence.
Join us for an exclusive screening of the documentary OYA, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sevinc Baloglu, was recently selected for the 35th Ankara Film Festival, celebrated for its compelling storytelling and unique perspective.

Festival List:

• XX Muestra Internacional de Mujeres en el Cine y la Televisión (Mexico) World Premiere
• DokuBaku IDDF (Azerbaijan) International Premiere
• Chania Film Festival (Greece) European Premiere
• Antalya Film Festival (Turkey) Special Screening
• The Goiânia International Film Festival (Brazil)
• Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival (Nigeria)
• Premio Felix Film Festival (Italia)
• Ankara Film Festival (Turkey)

After the screening, we are thrilled to offer a Q&A session with Director Sevinc Baloglu, providing a unique opportunity for the audience to engage with the creative mind behind the film.

About Sevinc Baloglu
Sevinç Baloğlu, graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Communication Department of Radio-Television-Cinema, began her career as a co-scriptwriter and assistant director for the film “Three Days in Kula,” which won the Golden Orange Best Documentary Award in 1984. She worked at TRT and BRT. Between 2000 and 2009, she served as the general manager of the Tursak Foundation and worked in the production of numerous documentaries as a writer and producer. In 2009, she founded SU Film and directed numerous documentaries that focused on disappearing cultures, minority groups, women’s rights and human history.