Ben Bir Denizim

Every morning Deniz sets off with a huge handcart to look for waste paper in the far corners of Istanbul. At the same time he is a fun-loving young man who engages in races with other recyclable waste collectors on the hilly streets. His father both humiliates him and also holds him responsible for his failing business endeavours. Deniz's hopes are raised when he gets into a passionate romance with Nisan, who is of the same age. Yet their love is tied to conditions; to money that his father denies him. Thus begins a vicious circle in which father and son betray each other and Deniz overlooks the signs of a completely different, unexpected yet burgeoning love. In between, we dive into daydreams of weightless existence in the sea; the place of longing for our young anti-hero Deniz. Both powerfully and mercilessly produced, we experience first-hand a world of work that has seldom been narrated so honestly. JJ