Ever Since, I Have Been Flying

Winner of Best Documentary among the short films in the official competition at REGARD in 2024, O Gün Bu Gündür, Uçuyorum (Ever Since, I Have Been Flying) left a deep impact on the programming committee, as well as the members of the jury. Both striking and sensitive, the film questions the transmission of Kurdish traditions and identity in a context of persecution. It traces the journey of a man: from his childhood within the family cocoon to his first romantic experiences, but also his arrest and the incredible violence of his detention by the local police. It is within this dichotomy that the film alternates between moments of great tenderness, depicting nostalgic moments of freedom in the vast cotton fields, and others evoking his brutal confinement in a dark, cramped cave, under the yoke of his state tyrants. The film offers a sharp insight into the torture and dehumanization of the Kurdish community, dispossessed, persecuted, and tortured in Turkey for decades. Through its gentle direction and poetic imagery, it manages to convey the fear and terror felt by its protagonist without ever resorting to explicit scenes of violence. Its power also lies in the hope it conveys, illustrating the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression, humiliation, and suffering. The haunting lullaby by Yom in the final scene leaves us confronted with history and the past, in a gentle resonance. The beauty of its aesthetic transcends the harshness of the subject, leaving a lingering emotion after watching the film.

Morgane Ferrero
Programmer, REGARD