Arda Çiltepe

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2025 – Turkey, Romania, Germany 
80 mins



Hatice, a young and ambitious weightlifter living with her unemployed mother, aims to win the lifetime allowance provided to athletes who win medals in international competitions. In her pursuit of success at all costs, she decides to use an unconventional doping technique at the world championships: She will get pregnant, boost her hormones, and then have an abortion. But when her attempts don’t go as well as she’s anticipated, she has to take unexpected detours.

FUNDED BY Berlinale World Cinema Fund, Hubert Bals Fund+Europe

IN COLLABORATION WITHİzmir Sinema Ofisi

CASTSevda Baş, Tarhan Karagöz, Esra Kızıldoğan, Ercan Kesal, Bilgesu Akın, Gamze Akça Özcan

CREWWRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Semih Gülen & Mustafa Emin Büyükcoşkun 
PRODUCED BY Vigo Film & Amok Film
PRODUCER Arda Çiltepe (Turkey) 
CO-PRODUCER Zeynep Dişbudak, Anamaria Antoci & Anda Ionescu (Tangaj Production - RO), Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay, Claus Herzog-Reichel, Mario von Grumbkow (Filmfaust - DE)
CINEMATOGRAPHER Ayşe Alacakaptan 
ORIGINAL MUSIC Eylül Deniz Keleş 
SOUND RECORDIST Lehel Lajos 
SOUND DESIGN Marius Leftarache 
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Günsu Sarı 
COSTUME DESIGNER & MAKE-UP Yağmur Yaraş 
GAFFER Yusuf Elbaşı 
2ND AD, COSTUME ASSISTANT & MAKING-OF Çağatay Turan

WORLD PREMIEREIstanbul Film Festival - Main Competition 
– Best Cinematography
Ankara Film Festival - Main Competition
– Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score

21_11_2025 BLINDSIGHT WAS AWARDED BEST DIRECTOR AT THE REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE SECTION AT TALINN BLACK NIGHTS         21_11_2025 NEW DAWN FADES RELEASED IN CINEMAS IN TURKEY         21_11_2025 ATHLETE WON BEST EDITING, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AND BEST SCORE AT ANKARA FILM FESTIVAL, TURKEY         03_07_2025 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JO: CHAPTER PHAEDRA WAS FUNDED BY MOIN FILMFÖRDERUNG         22_04_2025 NEW DAWN FADES WON THE BEST DIRECTOR AWARD & ATHLETE WON THE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD AT ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL         02_03_2025 ATHLETE AT ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL         10_07_2024 NEW DAWN FADES PREMIERED AT THE MAIN COMPETITION OF LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL         10_07_2023 ATHLETE WAS SUPPORTED BY WORLD CINEMA FUND OF BERLINALE         30_06_2023 ATHLETE WAS FUNDED BY HUBERT BALS FUND         12_06_2023 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES (NEW YORK CITY, USA)         12_04_2023 NEW DAWN FADES WAS PRESENTED AT WORK-IN-PROGRESS OF MEETINGS ON THE BRIDGE (ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL)         09_02_2023 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT KINO ARMATA (PRISHTINA, KOSOVO)         30_10_2022 ATHLETE WAS PRESENTED AT LES FILMS DE CANNES À BUCAREST / WORK-IN-PROGRESS         02_10_2022 NEW DAWN FADES WAS PRESENTED AT WORK-IN-PROGRESS OF ANTALYA FILM FORUM         28_09_2022 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT UNIVERSAL SCI-FI & FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL (ISTANBUL, TURKEY)         12_07_2022 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT ARSENAL KINO (BERLIN, GERMANY)         24_06_2022 ATHLETE WAS SUPPORTED BY İZMIR CINEMA OFFICE         25_03_2022 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY MOIN FILMFÖRDERUNG         10_12_2021 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY EURIMAGES         30_07_2021 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY ITALIAN CO-PRODUCTION FUND         16_07_2021 NEW DAWN FADES WAS GRANTED CO-PRODUCTION FUNDING BY THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF CULTURE         22_06_2021 BATTAL WAS PRESENTED AT TRT 12 PUNTO         15_02_2021 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY MEDIENBOARD         18_11_2020 BLACK SUN AT KFFK / KURZFILMFESTIVAL KÖLN         14_11_2020 BLACK SUN AT SHARJAH ART FOUNDATION         09_11_2020 BLACK SUN AT IZMIR SHORT FILM FESTIVAL         02_11_2020 BLACK SUN AT INTERNATIONALES FILMFESTIVAL BRAUNSCHWEIG         01_11_2020 BLACK SUN AT L'ALTERNATIVE IN BARCELONA         28_10_2020 BATTAL WAS PRESENTED AT BOSPHORUS FILM LAB PITCHING         29_07_2020 BLACK SUN WON THE BEST SHORT FILM AWARD AT ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL         21_07_2020 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY WORLD CINEMA FUND         22_05_2020 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY SORFOND         20_05_2020 BLACK SUN AT VIENNE SHORTS         25_03_2020 BLACK SUN TO HAVE ITS NEW YORK PREMIERE IN NEW DIRECTORS / NEW FILMS WAS PRESENTED BY THE LINCOLN FILM CENTER AND MUSEUM OF MODERN ART         05_03_2020 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT TAMPERE FILM FESTIVAL         27_01_2020 BLACK SUN AT THE SHORT COMPETITION AT VILNIUS FILM FESTIVAL         21_01_2020 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT MINIMALEN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL         21_01_2020 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT SUDAN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (KHARTOUM, SUDAN)         15_12_2019 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT ISTANBUL MODERN         28_11_2019 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT BELGRADE AUTEUR FILM FESTIVAL         20_11_2019 ATHLETE WAS PRESENTED AT COCOPITCH         10_11_2019 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT LA CASA ENCENDIDA (MADRID, SPAIN)         05_11_2019 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT CINEMISTICA FESTIVAL (GRANADA, SPAIN)         26_10_2019 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT ANTALYA FILM FESTIVAL         18_10_2019 ATHLETE SELECTED FOR THE CO-PRODUCTION AND PITCHING FORUM AT MIA MARKET ROME         16_10_2019 BLACK SUN TO HAVE ITS NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE AT THE PORTLAND INT'L FILM FESTIVAL         08_10_2019 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT AYVALIK FILM FESTIVAL         01_10_2019 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT BOGAZICI FILM FESTIVAL         19_09_2019 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT REYKJAVÍK FILM FESTIVAL         17_09_2019 ATHLETE TO BE PITCHED AT COCOPITCH         14_09_2019 ATHLETE WAS PRESENTED AT MIA         21_08_2019 BLACK SUN SCREENED AT SARAJEVO         17_08_2019 BLACK SUN WON THE BEST SHORT FILM AWARD AT LOCARNO         10_06_2019 ATHLETE AWARDED A SPECIAL MENTION FOR EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD AT THE TRANSILVANIA PITCH STOP.         22_05_2019 NEW DAWN FADES AWARDED WITH THE SORFOND PITCH PRIZE AT L'ATELIER         16_05_2019 NEW DAWN FADES WAS PRESENTED AT CINEFONDATION L'ATELIER OF CANNES FILM FESTIVAL         17_12_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT SAKARYA UNIVERSITY (SAKARYA, TURKEY)         10_12_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT BOGAZICI UNIVERSITY – SINEBU (ISTANBUL, TURKEY)         08_12_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT RANDEVU FILM FESTIVAL (ISTANBUL, TURKEY)         29_11_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT DEUTSCH-TÜRKISCHE FILMTAGE (STUTTGART, GERMANY)         28_11_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT ISTANBUL MODERN MUSEUM (ISTANBUL, TURKEY)         28_11_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT SINOPALE FILM FESTIVAL (SINOP, TURKEY)         19_11_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT ESKISEHIR FILM FESTIVAL (ESKISEHIR, TURKEY)         16_11_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT RABAT FILM FESTIVAL (RABAT, MOROCCO)         05_11_2018 NEW DAWN FADES GRANTED WITH DEVELOPMENT FUND OF THE GERMAN-TURKISH CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT FUND         26_10_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT BOGAZICI FILM FESTIVAL (ISTANBUL, TURKEY)         05_10_2018 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY TURKISH-GERMAN CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT FUND         05_10_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT AYVALIK FILM FESTIVAL (AYVALIK, TURKEY)         03_10_2018 ATHLETE & NEW DAWN FADES WERE PRESENTED AT ANTALYA FILM FORUM         24_09_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT ADANA FILM FESTIVAL (ADANA, TURKEY)         22_09_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT CERMODERN MUSEUM (ANKARA, TURKEY)         21_09_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT KAUNAS INT. FILM FESTIVAL (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA)         31_05_2018 NEW DAWN FADES WAS FUNDED BY NEW FILM FUND         09_05_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT KAYSERI FILM FESTIVAL (KAYSERI, TURKEY)         23_04_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT ANKARA FILM FESTIVAL (ANKARA, TURKEY)         19_04_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT SKOPJE FILM FESTIVAL (SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA)         14_04_2018 NEW DAWN FADES WAS PRESENTED AT MEETINGS ON THE BRIDGE OF ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL         14_04_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT SCREENED AT ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL (ISTANBUL, TURKEY)         22_02_2018 BLACK SUN WAS GRANTED SHORT FILM PRODUCTION FUND BY MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         21_02_2018 THE PILLAR OF SALT PREMIERED AT BERLINALE FORUM              
19_11_2025 PROJ15 WAS REJECTED BY FFA FILMFÖRDERUNGSANSTALT         28_04_2025 PROJ15 WAS REJECTED BY HUBERT BALS FUND         20_03_2025 UTDE WAS REJECTED BY MOIN FILMFÖRDERUNG         06_03_2025 PROJ15 WAS REJECTED BY MOIN FILMFÖRDERUNG         08_04_2024 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY TFL AUDIENCE LAB         30_06_2023 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY HUBERT BALS FUND         10_03_2023 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY MOIN FILMFÖRDERUNG         02_03_2023 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY DOHA FILM INSTITUTE         10_02_2023 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY VENTURA         12_12_2022 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY VISIONS SÜD EST / POST-PRODUCTION         17_11_2022 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY LES ARCS WORK-IN-PROGRESS         12_10_2022 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY WORLD CINEMA FUND         25_08_2022 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY MEDFILM WIP         07_07_2022 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CINELINK WORK-IN-PROGRESS         03_07_2022 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY DOHA FILM INSTITUTE         02_04_2022 PROJ07 WAS REJECTED BY MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         28_01_2022 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         25_11_2021 PROJ08 WAS REJECTED BY VISIONS SUD EST         18_10_2021 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY MFG BADEN- WÜRTTEMBERG / SCRIPT FUNDING         17_10_2021 PROJ07 WAS REJECTED BY LES ARCS COPRODUCTION VILLAGE         15_09_2021 PROJ07 WAS REJECTED BY ANTALYA FILM FESTIVALI'S SÜMER TILMAÇ PRODUCTION FUNDING         02_01_2021 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         14_12_2020 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CNC AIDE AUX CINÉMAS DU MONDE         10_12_2020 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CNC / AIDE AUX CINÉMAS DU MONDE         06_12_2020 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CINEMART         3_12_2020 PROJ07 WAS REJECTED BY MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         25_11_2020 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY VISIONS SUD EST / PRODUCTION         25_09_2020 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY MOIN FILMFÖRDERUNG         23_09_2020 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY FFHPROJ15 01_08_2020 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         26_04_2020 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY KAPADOKYA FILM PLATFORMU         11_03_2020 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY TRT 12 PUNTO         15_12_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY WHEN EAST MEETS WEST         11_11_2019 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY HUBERT BALS FUND         05_11_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         24_09_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY CROSSROADS CO-PRO FORUM         24_09_2019 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CROSSROADS CO-PRO FORUM         16_09_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY CINEMED_BOURSE D’AIDE AU DÉVELOPPEMENT         02_09_2019 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY MIA         29_08_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY THE TURKISH MINISTRY OF CULTURE         25_07_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY ASIAN FILM MARKET         22_03_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY MEETINGS ON THE BRIDGE         22_02_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY SOFIA MEETINGS         02_02_2019 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         24_01_2019 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CPHFORUM         23_01_2019 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY TORINOFILMLAB         19_12_2018 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY LESS IS MORE         5_11_2018 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY         20_10_2018 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY LES ARCS         12_10_2018 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY PRODUIRE AU SUD NANTES         19_09_2018 PROJ11 WAS REJECTED BY PRODUIRE AU SUD WORKSHOP AT FESTIVAL 3 CONTINENTS         06_09_2018 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CONNECTING COTTBUS COCOPITCH         07_07_2018 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY CINELINK         08_05_2018 PROJ09 WAS REJECTED BY HUBERT BALS FUND         09_08_2017 PROJ04 WAS REJECTED BY DOHA FILM INSTITUTE         02_02_2017 PROJ02 WAS REJECTED SHORT FILM PRODUCTION FUND BY MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF TURKEY