CAM Films Press Release

11 May 2015

Turkish film DRAWERS, soon after its theatrical release on March 6th comes to the Film Market of Cannes Film Festival with two special screenings on May 15th and 18th, 2015.

DRAWERS, a controversial drama on female teenage sexuality, is the second feature of acclaimed directors M.Caner Alper & Mehmet Binay, the makers of the award winning ZENNE DANCER (2012). Soon after its theatrical release in Turkey on March 6th, 2015, the film became the top winner of this year’s Nuremberg International Film Festival while receiving the best actress honor.

DRAWERS spans a lifetime of 25 years from late 1970’s until today, and examines the tormented universe of teenage sexuality through the eyes of Deniz, a Turkish girl who is born to actor parents, and rebels against her father’s obsessively controlling nature by throwing herself into a life full of drugs, sex and partying. This self-destructive hedonism takes its toll and Deniz end ups in hospital. Drained and alone she is finally forced to confront the demons of the past. After her painful but liberating journey and finally months of hospital recovery, she manages to discover herself and furthermore the hidden secrets in her family drawers.

Written by co-director M.Caner Alper, DRAWERS paints a stark and troubling picture of family life in Turkey, a conservative country that prides itself on being modern yet is profoundly patriarchal. In this supremely hypocritical world only men decide what a woman can do with her body.

Directors M.Caner Alper and Mehmet Binay say “We tell stories others would not dare to talk about because they are taboos in our troubled societies. Our films are often controversial and can be shocking while projecting colorful and vibrant vignettes from dramatic characters who are inspired by real events and stories.” Director/writer Alper has a degree in industrial engineering while co-director Binay comes from journalism, photography and documentary filmmaking. Directors’ first feature ZENNE DANCER, inspired by the gay honour killing of Ahmet Yildiz in 2008, received 25 awards at over 70 film festivals worldwide and it was recognised as the movie of the year, shaking up Turkey politically and socially. ZENNE DANCER was recognized as the first openly gay story in Turkish cinema with a nationwide distribution that become breaking news at CNN and other international news outlets.

DRAWERS, directors Alper and Binay’s second film follows the same path by depicting a much debated story on female teenage sexuality and the micro-penis complex in a predominantly conservative, patriarchal society. DRAWERS will have two screenings at Marche du Film of Cannes Film Festival; hosted by producer Bulut Reyhanoglu and director/writer M.Caner Alper.

DRAWERS Screenings at Marche du Film, Cannes Film Festival:

- GREY 3 at 18:00 on 15 May 2015

- PALAIS F at 9:30 on 18 May 2015