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Azra Deniz Okyay's Ghosts is exclusively showing on Mubi starting April 17, 2021 in many countries in the series Viewfinder.Just like Beat Generation's Jack Kerouac, I began writing Ghosts with the sound of the helicopter from Apocalypse Now in my mind. While things around me were changing almost in lightspeed, I wanted to archive the moment. Like a war photographer, I needed to take many pictures in order to understand what we were going through.Ghosts initially drives from my own personal experiences. I worked on my film for 5 years, jumping out of my bed every morning, in order to find some light. It’s about the new generation of people in Turkey from various and sometimes wildly different subcultures. Each character is struggling for personal freedom and expression, attempting to realize themselves and resolve their problems through art, and ultimately each using their drive and ambition to achieve that goal.

Jasmila Žbanić’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?” and Azra Deniz Okyay’s “Ghosts” won best film in the international and national competitions, respectively, at Turkey’s Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, the 57th edition of which concluded on Saturday.

Unable to attend the festival due to the pandemic, Žbanić sent a video message in which she said: “This film came about through the collaboration of nine different countries. I emphasize this because I think now, more than ever, we need to show that we’re trying to understand each other better by telling our different stories together. This award will help the film to be watched by more people, as well as bringing us together through our love of cinema and for each other.”

Iranian director Massoud Bakhshi won best director for “Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness.” Natasa Stork won best actress for “Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time.