Annem, my mother 2021
Annem, My Mother is an ongoing, evolving series of short films created over a span of six months. In these films, my mother—Annem, as she is called in Turkish—becomes both the subject and the mystery.
But who is this woman beyond her role as my mother? What lingers in the spaces between her movements, in the silence of a room after she has left it. This project is not simply about documenting her life; it is an exploration of identity, time, and the inevitable distance that forms between parent and child. The camera becomes a quiet presence, capturing her with both intimacy and estrangement—watching, searching, waiting.
Through this series, I attempt to see my mother not just as the person I have always known, but as someone separate from me—her own universe, carrying a history, emotions, and secrets beyond my reach. Annem, My Mother is a longing to understand, and perhaps, an acceptance of the impossibility of truly knowing another.
But who is this woman beyond her role as my mother? What lingers in the spaces between her movements, in the silence of a room after she has left it. This project is not simply about documenting her life; it is an exploration of identity, time, and the inevitable distance that forms between parent and child. The camera becomes a quiet presence, capturing her with both intimacy and estrangement—watching, searching, waiting.
Through this series, I attempt to see my mother not just as the person I have always known, but as someone separate from me—her own universe, carrying a history, emotions, and secrets beyond my reach. Annem, My Mother is a longing to understand, and perhaps, an acceptance of the impossibility of truly knowing another.


