SALTWATER October 8–November 1, 2015

As part of the 14th Istanbul Biennial, entitled SALTWATER: A Theory of Thought Forms, Istanbul Modern Cinema presents a film program in collaboration with IKSV and with the contributions of Istanbul Modern Cinema sponsor Türk Tuborg A.Ş. Programmed by Müge Turan (feature-length films) and James Richards (artists’ films), drafted by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, the program pairs feature-length films with artists’ films that share similar themes. Feature-length films that use as their theme or background the concepts of salt water, seas, waves, ecological changes and fluidity are paired with artists’ film inspired by the sea and water. The program consists of four different sections: Eco-Fi, Subaquatic, Survivor, and Life on the Shore. Ranging from the silent era to the present day, the feature-length films include everything from documentaries to box office hits and European and American classics. This coupling of feature-length movies and artists’ films juxtaposes two disciplines that rarely share the same platform, revealing their common features, even if at first glance some of the paired films may seem to be quite different. The Survivor and Life on the Shore sections of the program will be screened from October 8 through November 1. The second half of the program, which will take place in October, consists of the sections “Survivor” and “Life on the Shore”. Among films featured in this second half of SALTWATER are Chilean director Patricio Guzmán’s El Botón de Nácar (The Pearl Button), a film that deals with the memory of water within the cosmological and political contexts and won the Silver Bear for “Best Script” at the Berlin International Film Festival this year; Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman’s first collaboration, the stunning Stromboli; and Tolga Karaçelik’s Sarmaşık (Ivy) about six men trapped aboard a ship, which premiered in the competition at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

The program also features JG (2013) by Tacita Dean and Nummer Veertien, Home

(Number Fourteen, Home, 2012) by Guido van der Werve. These films will be screened on

Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, between October 8 - November 1.