Zuhal

Nazli Elif Durlu’s striking black comedy follows Zuhal, a successful lawyer in Istanbul, who begins to hear the sound of a cat meowing in her apartment complex. Trouble is, there’s no cat in sight. Embarking on a desperate quest to find the source of the sound that keeps her awake at night, Zuhal knocks on the doors of her neighbours whom she previously avoided. As the situation becomes more absurd, Zuhal’s search for the elusive cat will bring her the epiphany she never knew she needed. Presented in partnership with Bird’s Eye View and Reclaim The Frame x International.

Once at a friends’ gathering I met a woman who told me of a constant meowing she kept hearing in her at. While searching for the cat she discovered that no one else hears it. Moreover, people started doubting her mental health. Later she found a cat stuck in one of the plumbing pipes. I was also intrigued: Would I keep searching or would I just ignore the meow in fear of being labelled as mad?… Zuhal’s 36-hour pursuit is depicted closely, in a tender and humorous narrative. Talkative moments are as important as silences. Throughout the pursuit she faces various encounters, each a performance. The lm’s tone is based on the absurdity that comes of such human conversations in modern settings.

Director Nazlı Elif Durlu