Lost Songs of Anatolia (2010)

The Project


Anatolia, as the home of ancient civilizations and mythologies, is a unique heritage of culture for the world.

Besides, it's probably the last one that has not been discovered by the popular culture, though the importance of
authentic values are increasing everyday.

This project aims to present these values in such an original format as to make it appreciable by the rest of
the world.

Nezih Ünen
director/producer



The Movie

Synopsis
A musical voyage among exotic places and people of Anatolia, unique
host of ancient civilizations, empires as well as mythologies and glory of
10 millennia.

As the fruit of 350 hours of footage and 8 years of labour and creative studies, Lost Songs of Anatolia may be
the first example of its kind as an experimental musical-documentary film. The cultural riches of Anatolia are
sung in authentic performances recorded live on location spontaneously.
With the modern arrangements made, an incomparable musical is formed.
While this journey is showing how music and culture is derived from life, geography and work, an exploration of
Anatolia’s versatile cultures takes place on a basis of music, dance and rituals. The staggering environment
surrounding these people and influencing their lifestyles contribute the lyric
flow of the film.



Facts about the film


The project started at 2002 and is still in progress. Anatolia was explored thoroughly twice, and afterwards,
several additional shootings were made at spot locations.

•Total time of footage is more than 350 hours
•A total of 61 person has been working during shootings, 8 of who were camera operators.
•The vehicles have made around 40.000 kilometers in total.
•A total of 133 performances were recorded on 121 locations and 43 of them were selected to take place in the film.
•The editing took 4 years.
•The soundtrack was ready after 3 year of study, whereas the album was prepared in 4 years.
•The making of the film was completed in 8 years.
•5 of the characters in the film passed away before the premiere.


Lost Songs of Anatolia's world premiere took place in the 27th International Istanbul Film festival in 2008.
Then it was screened in the following festivals:

•45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, In Turkey
•31th Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival, in France
•48the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, in Greece
•Docufest 2009 in Kosovo
•Salento Film Festival 2009, in Italy
•Zagreb Film Festival 2009, in Croatia
•Ghent Film Festival 2009, in Belgium


and others. The local release of the film was in march 2010.


The cultures taking place in the film are:

•Circassian Dances from Duzce
•Alevi rituel semah and folk songs from Tokat
•Horon Dance from Trabzon
•Hemsin Songs and improvisations from Rize
•Polyphonic Georgian Songs from Artvin
•Minstrel Quarrel and The Shepherd’s Stran (Kurdish Song) from Kars
•Eagle Dance from Bingol
•Bektasi Song from Tunceli
•Dengbej in Mus
•Cotton field workers’ Work Song from Diyarbakir
•Syriac rituals in Mardin
•Folk songs from Midyat and scenes from Harran
•Gazel from Urfa
•Barak Song from Gaziantep
•Silk producer’s Work Song in Hatay
•Folk songs and Kirtil Semah Ritual from Silifle
•Bozlak Songs from Kirsehir and Kirikkale
•Zeybek Dance and a Karacaoglan Song from Denizli
•Nomad’s music played with kemane and sipsi from Burdur. Also Lover and the Beloved Dance.
•Gypsy’s Drum and Clarion from Mugla
•Sword and Shield Game from Bursa
•Armenian and Greek Songs
•Whirling Dervishes!





















Offical Site : http://www.anadolununkayipsarkilari.com