First Frames

I'm so proud to be part of First Frames film, which premiered in March at American Documentary and 
Animation Film Festival, AmDocs, in Palm Springs. Directed by Ilie Mitaru, this documentary is truly a heartwarming one. Thrilled to have worked with such a brilliant and dedicated team—Zeynep Bilginsoy, Luke Boelitz, and the amazing Serbest Salih and SirkhaneDarkroom.

First Frames explores how creativity and storytelling help children overcome psycho-social challenges. It follows Serbest Salih, a Syrian photographer who uses analogue photography to support children in marginalized areas. The film focuses on healing through creative storytelling for children affected by the February earthquakes in southern Turkey and those facing issues like access to education and early-age marriage (pedophilia).

Serbest, displaced to Turkey due to conflict, started a program with Sirkhane Darkroom, teaching children analogue photography using a mobile darkroom caravan. This initiative promotes their psychological well-being and advocates for their rights.

Seeing the happiness in the children's eyes when they developed their films, following their activities and emotional development while shooting the film, and staying in touch with their families through our amazing producer Zeynep has greatly contributed to my personal well-being after long news coverages of this disaster.


Thanks to WePresent and Sony for their support!

The film is now touring festivals and will soon be on the WePresent platform. So much excitement ahead! Stay tuned!