A Warp in Time

Zaman Bükülmesi: Yörüklerin Uzun Çilesi

Documentary

"The Nomadic Yörük-Türkmens live in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions. Today, most Yörük-Türkmens have adopted a settled lifestyle. The nomadic lifestyle's foundation is raising livestock and migrating to find fresh grazing for the animals. This cycle has continued for thousands of years since the domestication of animals. This ancient journey intersects with contemporary life, dividing it and warping time. When this warping ends, perhaps time itself will end, along with the fundamental cycle of food. Our documentary is a testament to the Yörük lifestyle of the Turcan/Mutlu Sönmez couple and their nearly 300 goats and sheep. We filmed their four-day migration from the 2000-meter-high Ağla plateau in the Çameli region to the Kapıdağ peninsula between Göcek and Dalaman in November 2017. We also filmed their return journey to the plateau in 2018. The film includes small details from the migration. Due to COVID-19, we were unable to complete oral cultural research about the migration. The pandemic limited our working conditions and prevented us from recording oral histories. After the pandemic, we finished the film using the existing migration recordings." -- Sabri Kuşkonmaz