DOCUMENTARY AND SHORT FILM COMPETITION

In Competition

Directed by Z. Tulin Sertoz

The porcupine calls her youngster “my dear ball of cotton” as the saying goes. Yes we love our babies but we love them better when they are asleep! 

Throughout Anatolia babies have been brought up by lullabies since the beginning of time. Lullabies may have the most meaningless words ever or they may contain the meaning of life. It makes no difference, no one will ever applaud its singers because this is a work that will never be acknowledged. The more meaningless and more monotonous, they better they are... Another aspect of the lullabies is that they are a means of outlet; a means where the mother shares her secret problems with the baby. 

This film documents lullabies sung by different mothers leading totally different ways of life in different parts of Turkey. It is a documentary of many lullabies as well as life styles and mother-baby relationships. Home-made baby swings, cribs, homes, as well as archaic ways of taking care of the babies that remain from times before days of plentitude like for instance, wrapping the baby in a piece of cloth filled with earth... are subjects of this documentary.  

Harp player Ceren Necipoglu cements the scenes with classical lullabies from various composers.