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Turkish director Reis Celik's new film "Night of Blindness" is already seen as a strong contender in the main competition at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), where it is competing for the Golden Goblet Award.
The film follows Fatma, a left-wing activist who hides between wooden planks at a construction site during Türkiye's 1980 military coup. She depends on a group of workers she does not know to avoid being caught by the military.
"Night of Blindness" was filmed in black and white and is partly inspired by Celik's own escape during the coup. The closing credits include a note thanking those who helped him. However, Celik has said that showing his personal trauma was not the main goal of the film.
"Though the story takes place far away, it explores universal human experiences. No matter where we come from, we share the same human emotions," Celik said at the film's SIFF press conference.
Celik explained that choosing a woman as the main character was intentional. "Many countries are no strangers to political oppression, and most similar films feature male protagonists," he said. "By having a female protagonist, I hope to give voice to women in this genre."
Ozge Arslan stars as Fatma in the film. Istar Gokeven, who plays the military commander, and Aydin Orak, who plays an inspector, also attended the press event. Both were visiting Shanghai for the first time.
Gokseven said that acting in almost complete darkness made him depend on his voice, posture, and shadow to show emotion, and he called the experience a gift for an actor.
"Night of Blindness" is the second film in Celik's Night Trilogy. The first, "Night of Silence" (2012), won the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. A third film, tentatively called "Sagir Gece" (Night of the Deaf), is also in the works.
Celik said the trilogy reflects his concern that people are becoming less able to hear, see, or understand one another. Explaining why he chose to film at night, he said: "In the dark of night, even the smallest detail or a tiny beam of light becomes extremely noticeable. We most often confront our true selves and our inner souls after dark."
The film is a Turkish-German co-production. The winners of this year's Golden Goblet awards will be announced on June 20.
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