# Sardunya

Sardunya (Geranium) is a 2021 film portraying the trials and tribulations of 19-year-old Defne as she spends time with her father in the country following his stroke. The film starring İlayda Elif Elhih as Defne and Ali Seçkiner Alıcı as her father was written and directed by Cagil Bocut; his first feature length film. It was nominated for and won several awards such as at the Istanbul International Film Festival.

## Plot

19-year-old Defne is University student in Istanbul. She receives a phone call during her driving exam and learns that her father had a stroke. This leads her to leave Istanbul and return to Urla to live with her father. Both see these difficult times a good opportunity to mend their relationship. Her sick aunt is staying in the same house with Defne and her father as well, which further complicates the situation at the home. Throughout the film, we witness Defne's relationship with her family and the difficulties of the situation that she is in.

## Major cast

| Character | Actor |
| Defne | İlayda Elif Elhih |
| Nadir | Ali Seçkiner Alıcı |
| Mari | Evren Duyal |
| Nur | Zeyno Eracar |
| Harun | Tansu Biçer |
| Gizem | Ahsen Eroğlu |
| Yasemin | İrem Taşdemir Akçan |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Occasion | Award - Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2021 | International Istanbul Film Festival | Best Actress | İlayda Elif Elhih | Won |
| 2021 | International Istanbul Film Festival | Best Director of Photography | Orçun Özkılınç | Won |
| 2021 | International Istanbul Film Festival | Seyfi Teoman Best First Film Award | Cagil Bocut, Caglar Bocut, Kolor | Won |
| 2021 | International Istanbul Film Festival | Best Music | | Nominated |
| 2021 | FilmFestival Cottbus | Best Debut Film | Cagil Bocut, Caglar Bocut, Kolor | Won |
| 2021 | Ankara International Film Festival | Best First Film | Cagil Bocut, Caglar Bocut, Kolor | Won |
| 2021 | Singapore International Film Festival | Silver Screen Award - Best Director - Asian Feature Film | Cagil Bocut, Kolor | Nominated |
| 2022 | Tirana International Film Festival | Best Debut Film Award | | Nominated |
| 2021 | Malatya International Film Festival | Crystal Apricot Award - Best Film | Cagil Bocut | Nominated |
| 2022 | International Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival | Best Actor | Ali Seçkiner Alıcı, Kolor | Won |
| 2022 | International Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival | Best Film - Best Cinematography | Orçun Özkılınç, Kolor | Won |
| 2021 | Cinequest San Jose Film Festival | Best First Feature | Cagil Bocut, Kolor | Nominated |
| 2022 | Cinema Jove - Valencia International Film Festival | Moon of Valencia | Cagil Bocut | Nominated |
| 2022 | Beijing International Film Festival | Foreward Future Award - Most Popular Feature Film | Cagil Bocut | Nominated |
| 2022 | Beijing International Film Festival | Foreward Future Award - Best New Film | Cagil Bocut | Nominated |
| 2022 | Izmir International Film and Music Festival | | | Nominated |
The film also participated in the 2020-2021 Singapore International Film Festival that went from (26 November to 6 December), in the section for first-time and second-time Asian directors, along with 7 other films, and the 22nd International Frankfurt Turkish Film Festival where it won in the category of best cinematography. And the 2nd Izmir International Film and Music Festival.

## Production team

| Writer and Director | Cagil Bocut |
| Producer | Caglar Bocut & Aslı Erdem |
| Photography Director | Orçun Özkılınç |
| Assistant Director | Gülgün Dedeçam |
| Art Director | Onur Yılmaz |
| Fiction | Mesut Ulutaş |
| Assistant Producer | Susanne Mann |
| Costume Design | Meltem Günaydın |
| Casting | Ezgi Baltaş |
| Festival Consultant | Uğur Şahin |
| Music | Ozan Türkyılmaz |
| Sound Design | Uğur Akagündüz |
| Color | Cenk Erol |
| Lights | Murat Can Yozgatlı |
| Audio Mixing | Luis Silva |