Absent
Turkey / Fiction / 23' / HD / Color / 2024
Mert, a 30-year-old male, is employed at an abandoned-looking amusement park, grappling with an internal duality, while sensing a lurking identity bent on undermining him. Throughout the film, Mert interacts with various people and creatures, struggling to understand what’s going wrong with his mental health. Despite his persistent pursuit of answers, Mert confronts a daunting struggle to delve into the depths of his psyche, hindered by a hesitancy to fully confront the mysteries within.
Director: Cem Demirer
Script: Cem Demirer
Director of Photography: Sebastian Lojo
Producers: Cem Demirer, Berfin Demirat
Editing: Cem Demirer
Sound: Dinis Henriques, Tiago Cardoso
Cast: Haydar Şahin, Şencan Aslan, Barış Yılmaz Gündüz, Aydın Erek, Salih Uysal, Alev Karaçam, Dipçik, Arda Conker, Davut Alptekin, Çağatay Çak
Biography
Cem Demirer, born in 1988 in Istanbul, Turkey. He is a London-based writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. In 2014, he relocated to London to pursue his filmmaking interests and enrolled in the MA Filmmaking program at the London Film School. Over the past decade, Cem has worked in a diverse range of projects such as short and feature films, commercials, essay films, music videos, and documentaries. His international work has taken him to countries including Malaysia, France, Kazakhstan, Guatemala, China, UK, Portugal, South Africa, Ukraine, Lebanon, and Turkey. His debut feature as a writer/director premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival, earning him the Filmyön Best Director prize at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival. His short film, Noksan, premiered at the 63rd Semaine de la Critique, winning the Canal+ Award. Cem’s notable cinematography work includes End of Season, which was featured in the Cannes Cinéfondation section, and Siyabonga, showcased at the Locarno Film Festival. Additionally, editing his own films, Cem edited the short film “James,” which was shown at the Venice Film Festival. He founded his own production company, “HAR Films” in 2023, which supports independent short and feature films.
Filmography
Noksan (2024)
Mendirek (2021)
Festivals Attended
Cannes Film Festival, Semaine de la Critique
Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival
Sarajevo Film Festival
Adana Golden Boll Film Festival
Ayvalık International Film Festival
International Izmir Short Film Festival
Awards
Canal+ Award - Cannes Film Festival, Semaine de la Critique
Best Short Film - Sarajevo Film Festival