NEW DAWN FADES

Writer-director Gürcan Keltek and actor Erol Babaoğlu are available for interviews in Locarno.

NEW DAWN FADES (Yeni șafak solarken) by writer-director Gürcan Keltek is celebrating its world premiere in the main competition Concorso Internazionale at the Locarno Film Festival 2024. The film’s cinematographer is acclaimed Peter Zeitlinger, known for his collaborations with renowned filmmakers such as Abel Ferrara, Ulrich Seidl and Werner Herzog (e.g. Oscar® nominated documentary “Encounters at the End of the World”).

NEW DAWN FADES reflects on the idea of insanity being another social construct, portraying the main protagonist’s last days before a mental breakdown. With reality and the imaginary co- existing in the film, the geography of Istanbul reflects the character’s emotional landscape.

SYNOPSIS
It has been years since Akın has been in and out of the hospital. He is relentless, angry, and shell-shocked from being stuck in the system. Since his discharge, he is well-aware that his old life is long gone. He has become unable to leave his family house except for occasional visits to religious monuments in Istanbul. During those visits, he falls into a state of ecstasy as he tries to take refuge in God. These divine structures trigger something in him. As he loses touch with his true self, his mind shifts into another reality.

Born in İzmir, Gürcan Keltek studied film at Dokuz Eylül University before directing several shorts including “Overtime” (2012), screened at Visions Du Réel. His medium-length film “Colony” (2015) was screened at FIDMarseille. His first feature film “Meteorlar” (2017) won more than twenty awards including First Feature Film Award and Boccolino d’Oro Film Critics‘ Award at Locarno Film Festival. It was screened at many international film festivals including Rotterdam, BAFICI, Viennale, Bordeaux, Fajr, Hong Kong and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Art of the Real. “Gulyabani” (2018) premiered at Signs of Life of Locarno Festival and was screened at Tate Modern, Reykjavik, Rotterdam and Viennale. NEW DAWN FADES is his first fiction film.

NEW DAWN FADES’ cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger has been Werner Herzog’s principal director of photography since 1995 with whom he made 13 films. His track record includes feature films with Götz Spielmann, Ulrich Seidl, and Abel Ferrara. He has won five awards for Best Cinematography, including two Romy TV Award and a German Cinematography Award. “Encounters at the End of the World” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2009. He has been a member of the German Film Academy since 2014.

The main cast features Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, Ayla Algan, Erol Babaoğlu, Suzan Kardeş, Dilan Düzgüner, Gürkan Gedikli. The music was composed by producer, composer and audio engineer Tom Smith AKA Son of Philip.

NEW DAWN FADES is produced by Vigo Film (Turkey), in co-production with Slingshot Films (Italy), 29P Films (Netherlands), The StoryBay (Germany) and Fidalgo Production (Norway). With the support of Eurimages, General Directorate For Cinema And Audiovisual of The Italian Ministry of Culture, World Cinema Fund, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Sørfond – Norwegian South Film Fund and Fondo Audiovisivo Del Friuli Venezia Giulia.

World sales are handled by Heretic.

 

130 min. / Turkey, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway 2024 / Feature

 

Production Company:
Vigo Film
arda@vigofilm.com
www.vigofilm.com

World Sales:
Heretic
Ioanna Stais
+30 210 600 52 60
ioanna@heretic.gr
www.heretic.gr

 

©/CREDITS:

Stills: © Vigo Film