HOPES FROM THE TREE
Ağaçtan Umutlar
SPECIAL MENTION
BTF's 19th Documentary & Short Film Competition
APRIL 4 - 15, 2025
Directed by Haydar Demirtaş
Doc. / 76 min. / 2023 / with English subtitles
Hosyar Ali Hasan was born and raised in Halabja in Northern Iraq. During the Iraq-Iran War, which lasted between 1980-88, millions of mines were laid on the Iranian border. Hosyar Ali loses both legs while clearing mines, but he continues to collect mines every day. Hosyar Ali collected 2,600,000 mines in 28 years. Uncle Hussein lives in Merivan, Iran. Hussein has been smuggling for years on the border of Iran and Iraq to support his family. However, due to an incident he experienced, he quit smuggling and opened a workshop and started making prosthetic feet for those who lost their feet in the mine. Many people still come to Uncle Hüseyin from distant lands of both countries and have prosthetic feet made for him. Huseyin Uncle's customers prefer prosthetic feet made of wood, which he carved with simple tools, instead of prosthetic feet made of plastic and modern technology.
Selected Festivals and Awards
- Boston Turkish Festival’s 19th Annual Documentary & Short Film Competition (2024): Special Mention
- Makizhmithran International Film Festival, India (2024): Special Jury Award
- Adana Golden Boll International Film Festival, Türkiye (2024)
- GRU International Film Awards, Brazil (2024)
- Transhumant Festival, Spain (2024)
- Saskatchewan International Film Festival, Canada (2024)
Director HAYDAR DEMİRTAŞ
Scriptwriter and Director Haydar Demirtaş (1984, Mardin) attended cinema workshops opened by BBC in Mardin Youth and Culture House and cinema workshops organized by Istanbul Kültür University. He studied at the Communications Department in the Faculty of Art and Design at Istanbul Kültür University. He received several awards for his first short film Gezici Nalbant (Nalbant on Wheels) and his documentary Babam Tarih Yapıyor (My Father Making History). His documentary Misafir (The Guest) which he shot in 2013, was invited to many national and international film festivals including Cannes Short Film Corner and received many awards. His latest documentary Ayak İzi (Footstep) 2018, won more than 10 awards and continues competing in international festivals. He is a co-founder of Ajans Ba in Mardin, organizes film workshops and shoots advertorials, documentaries and promotional films.
“Footstep” and “Far From Homeland” were the recipients of Special Mention, and “My Father Making History” received Audience Award at BTF’s Documentary and Short Film Competition in previous years. |
