THE STORY OF WOMEN RISING FROM THE ASHES
The premiere of the film After the Darkness…, created by 19 earthquake survivor women from Adıyaman as part of the 04.17 Documentary Film Workshop, took place in Adıyaman with the participation of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel. Tülay Açık, who lost 135 family members and all her neighbors in the apartment she lived in, but miraculously survived the 12-story building collapse with her children, worked as the editor of the film. Açık shared her feelings, saying, “I compare myself to the Phoenix. I was reborn from my ashes.”
The premiere of the film After the Darkness… was held in Adıyaman, produced by 19 earthquake survivor women who participated in the 04.17 Documentary Film Workshop under the Adıyaman Municipality. The film, which tells the story of the February 6th earthquakes and the aftermath, moved the audience emotionally. Many viewers watched the film in tears.
I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE
Project Coordinator Selma Kara stated, they made a social media announcement for the film and received applications from many women. “Initially, we planned to select 10 women, but they were so eager, we couldn’t reject anyone. We ended up with 19 participants,” she said. Kara also emphasized that the documentary film workshop was educational for the women, and for her: “I am amazed at how people hold on to life after experiencing so much pain. I saw it here. So, yes, they received some technical training, but from them, I learned completely different things about life. It made me positively question life.”
WE SHARED WHAT WE COULDN’T EXPRESS
Hülya Aydemir, who was caught in the earthquake in Hatay, lost her husband and two children, and became an amputee after losing a leg, worked in the social media team for the film. Aydemir shared her emotions, saying, “We live happiness, pain, and joy all together. It’s indescribable. I too lost my children. We will all continue our lives by healing our wounds. We shared what we couldn’t express. We asked if anyone would hear our voices.”
I WAS INSPIRED BY MY MOTHER’S SCREAMS
The youngest member of the team, Dicle Hayat Dağdeviren, lost her mother and brother in the earthquake. After being rescued from the rubble, she spent two months in bed for treatment. Dağdeviren, composer of the film’s score, shared that she was inspired by her mother’s screams. “I recorded my voice on my phone first. Then, I learned that my broken piano was found in the rubble. I played on it and we recorded it. Selma Hoca liked it, and we ended up creating the film music,” she said.
REBORN LIKE A PHOENIX
Tülay Açık, who lost 135 family members and all her neighbors in the apartment she lived in, miraculously survived with her children. She worked as one of the editors for the film and expressed her feelings saying, “I joined this project to make sure our voices were heard. I joined to heal my wounds. I’ve been deeply hurt. My task in the documentary was editing, a topic I did not know of, but I did it with love. I compare myself to a Phoenix. I was reborn from my ashes.”
19 WOMEN RECEIVE CINEMA TRAINING
As part of the Documentary Film Workshop, 19 women received training on camera usage, sound, lighting, and editing from industry professionals. After the workshop started in October 2024, the 35-minute film After the Darkness… was completed. The film crew, led by coordinator Selma Kara, included Armen Korkmaz, Bedriye Özel, Dicle Hayat Dağdeviren, Edibe Çalışkan, Feride Düşkün, Feride Hanne Delibaş, Filiz Ertaş, Hülya Aydemir, Kübra Ayhan, Nesibe Karabıyık, Pınar Arslan, Remziye Yılmaz, Sevim Taştan, Seyhan Göçen, Tülay Açık, Tülay Turan, Ülkü Tolu, Yüksel Taştı, and Zahide Akar.
