Travel

She is displaying souls of countries through slow travel!

Elif Koyutürk is a photographer and director who carried out distinctive works. At the countries she visits, she stays not only for a week but for months, and she works there as well. Elif, who ultimately perpetuated the Alps’ unique nature and local people’s lives through short-movies and photographs, is currently filming nomads’ (Yörükler) lives in the Taurus Mountains with the support of a USA based production company who is known for its movies with Oscar awards.

Önder ÖNDEŞ / oondes@hurriyet.com.tr

03.11.2017 – 08:00

[photograph of Elif Koyutürk with her camera and animals]

Let’s introduce you to a promising and wanderer photographer. Elif, who has lived in Austria, Sicily and Switzerland for a while, was ultimately visiting nomads’ (Yörükler) natural lives at the Taurus Mountains. She filmed the Taurus Mountains and the nomads’ (Yörükler) lives in touch with nature throughout 3 weeks. Elif Koyutürk’s works are praised globally and she is receiving offers from international production companies. We interviewed Elif, and she is introducing herself as a traveller trying to capture the soul of the countries she visit.

[photograph of Elif Koyutürk with athletes]

Why do you chase human stories in various countries?

I can make anywhere my home. I think this is the most important thing, after that, living in Brazil or Austria doesn´t feel like I´m far away. When a person gets out of its comfort zone, this brings new stories and characters into its art. I liked the character of the film industry in Austria and thus I wanted to work there.

[photograph of Elif Koyutürk with a Brazilian model]

[photograph of Elif Koyutürk with athletes]

I like mountains a lot. The Alps are inspiring. This is a emotion that I can´t find in city life. Therefore, I take films and photographs of people living in mountains mostly. I love the feeling of freedom that comes with living in the mountains and the culture this brings along. In places like these, I found people that resemble a lot with their society and that I can reflect the stories of. For instance, I reflected my neighbor Louse´s story in Austria Mürzzuschlag. She is currently 92 years old; she immigrated to Austria from Croatia together with her family during II. World War. She married to an Austrian soldier in her twenties and she settles there. I filmed and photographed her story and her daily life in one of my works.

[landscape photograph taken by Elif Koyutürk]

You are among “slow travel” lovers. But you have a difference. You work at the places you visit and you use the earnings for other projects. How does it feel to be sponsoring your own?

Perfect. This is what is hard! It is sad that your work is being valued in countries other than your own. I like travelling and exploring like everyone else but one-week quickie travels are not for me. One week is not enough for you to understand the place you visit. I have to live there for a while, only that way I can form my projects. Otherwise, I can´t reflect my feelings in my projects. Carrying out my art by exploring new places and knowing new people from country to country is foremost the biggest freedom for me.

[photograph of Elif Koyutürk with Yorükler]

[photograph of Elif Koyutürk with an athlete]

In Austria you carried out lots of short documentary and photography projects. What did you experience in the Taurus Mountains?

I worked at the Taurus Mountains for the first time. We filmed Taurus´s nomads (Yörükler) with a USA based and Oscar awarded production company. The team was my mother and my father. We lived in the mountains together for 3 weeks. Pervin ana, Seyhan, Durmuş abi, Adem, Emine abla, Seher…

[photograph of Elif Koyutürk with her mother]

I had the chance to live with truly different people. I always wanted to do a project in my motherland and this project really satisfied me. My mother drafted the scripts, did cooking; and my father worked as my camera assistant and my driver. I can´t forget that 3 weeks with Candan family in a special tent made out of goat hair. Immigration, snowy mountains, goat milk and brotherhood… We will start the post-production next month with the USA based company.

How do you find stories at the countries you visit?

At the countries I visit, I go to the places that local people go, not to the fancy places. I take my backpack and start exploring the mountains. I don´t beware establishing a dialogue with the people. I take their photographs; I spend time with them and listen to their stories. This way I got to meet a 93-year-old man making birdhouses. I tried to tell his life through a short movie and I captured him in his daily life.

In which countries do you feel better?

Any country with beautiful mountains. I was really impressed by Switzerland. There, I did a shooting from a helicopter and this was a unique experience. Salzburg as well. Apart from these, I can say that I can live in Sicily. They are alike us. There are different characters and artwork buildings everywhere. And there is also a heaven beneath the ground in this island. My photographs and articles have been published in Hurriyet Seyahat a lot of times. I also prepared a travel article about Sicily. In this article my photographs had a big place as well.