Quick Facts
Biography
Yeşim Ustaoğlu (born November 18, 1960 in Turkey) is a Turkish filmmaker and screenwriter.
Life and career
Ustaoğlu was born in Çaykara in eastern Turkey and grew up in Trabzon on the Black Sea. After studying architecture at the Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul, she worked as an architect, then as a journalist and a film critic. Before she made her feature film debut The Trace (Iz) in 1994, she had made several award-winning short films. The Trace was entered into the 19th Moscow International Film Festival.
Ustaoğlu received international recognition for her next film, Journey to the Sun (Güneşe Yolculuk), which told a story of a friendship between a Turk and a Kurd. Her fourth film Pandora’s Box (Pandora'nın Kutusu) won The Best Film and The Best Actress award in San Sebastian Film Festival and is Ustaoğlu's biggest international success to date.
Filmography
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | To Catch a Moment | Bir Anı Yakalamak | short film |
| 1989 | Magnafantagna | Magnafantagna | short film |
| 1990 | Duet | Düet | short film |
| 1992 | Hotel | Otel | short film |
| 1994 | The Trace | Iz | feature film debut |
| 1999 | Journey to the Sun | Güneşe Yolculuk | Won the Blue Angel Award at Berlin |
| 2003 | Waiting for the Clouds | Bulutları Beklerken | |
| 2004 | Life on Their Shoulders | Sırtlarındaki Hayat | documentary short film |
| 2008 | Pandora's Box | Pandora'nın Kutusu | Won the Golden Shell Award at San Sebastian International Film Festival |
| 2012 | Araf - Somewhere in Between | Araf | |
| 2016 | Clair Obscur | Tereddüt | Several awards including best picture at the 53rd Antalya International Film Festival |