Wrote the Script, Won the Award in Zagreb

Berhan Mete Arkın, a graduate of Izmir University of Economics (IUE) who continued his studies in Slovenia, won an award at the Zagreb Film Festival with the script for his film ‘Aylan’ which explores the moral dilemma of a soldier tasked with enforcing border regulations. Arkın plans to complete filming in Slovenia in April and aims to compete in international festivals with his short film, further advancing his career in cinema.

After graduating from the Faculty of Communication, Department of Cinema and Digital Media at IUE in 2019, Berhan Mete Arkın moved to Istanbul, where he worked in various roles in the film industry for about three years. During this time, he gained experience and built a professional network. With a passion for cinema, Arkın decided to pursue a master’s degree to enhance his expertise and headed to Slovenia.

A WAR-THEMED PSYCHODRAMA

Arkın was admitted to University of Nova Gorica, achieving his goal of studying abroad. There, he focused on creating unique scripts and producing innovative works in the film industry. With the university’s support, Arkın developed a special script to compete in the 2024 Zagreb Film Festival. His 10-minute war-themed psychodrama script earned him the award.

“I WANT TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DIRECTOR AND ACADEMIC”

Stating that he has been passionate about films and video shooting since childhood, Arkın said, “Even as a child, I would use a camera in the village and try to film everyone. My interest never waned and played a decisive role in my choice of university education. After graduating, I went to Istanbul, where I got to know the industry and experienced its inner workings. It was an amazing experience for me. My long-term career goal is to become both a successful academic and a great director. That’s why I decided to pursue a master’s degree and moved to Slovenia. I’m happy here, and I’m glad I came. While continuing my academic education, I didn’t give up on writing scripts and shooting films.”

NAMED AFTER BABY AYLAN

Sharing details about his film, Arkın said: “The script tells the story of a soldier stationed on the Slovenia-Italy border. A river separates the two countries. The soldier has to follow the rules and stay vigilant against border violations. As he sees people trying to cross the border and communicates with them, he faces a moral dilemma about whether or not to adhere strictly to the rules. At the ‘Industry Youth’ forum of the Zagreb Film Festival, there was a competition for script presentations, and I came in first place. As a prize, we gained sponsorship for color grading from Brau Studios in Zagreb. I named my film ‘Aylan’ after Aylan Kurdi, the young boy whose lifeless body washed ashore in Bodrum, symbolizing the tragic plight of refugees. While the film doesn’t directly depict Aylan’s story, it aims to shed light on the struggles of refugees and raise awareness. I hope to complete filming in April and finish the project as soon as possible. I believe the film will be successful.”