Asli Özge was born in Istanbul, Turkey and has lived in Berlin, Germany since 2000. Özge directed short films and a documentary before making her feature film debut in 2009 with “Men on the Bridge.” It premiered in Locarno, Switzerland and won a string of awards, including Best Turkish Film. Her second feature, “Lifelong,” screened in Berlinale as a Panorama Special Presentation in 2013.
“All of a Sudden” will premiere at the 2016 BFI London Film Festival on October 10.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
AÖ: The film is about how a moment of weakness can turn one’s well-established life into a disaster. A day later, nothing is the same. How would one deal with that?
W&H: What drew you to this story?
AÖ: Once, I read about a famous young woman who died in the apartment of a man she had just met. She was married and had a child. The Turkish media was accusing her of having a “one night stand” and they were even writing that she deserved to die. This upset me very much and triggered me to make a film. However, I didn’t put the event itself into focus, but the consequences of it.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
AÖ: I want the audience to think about their own judgments and prejudices, and to reflect on their own potential for making mistakes.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
AÖ: The biggest challenge in making the film was casting. I wanted to cast actors who were ready to work without getting the complete script. The main character should deliver a certain ambiguity, and, within his acting, he should evoke power and evil. That’s why casting took almost a year.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
AÖ: At an early stage, we were invited to present the project at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. Subsequently, development funding was granted by Creative Europe/Media and our co-producers joined the project. The production of the film was mainly financed with the participation of WDR/Arte, who came onboard as TV partners, and public film funds such as Filmstiftung NRW (the film was mainly shot in this region), as well as Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), and the Netherlands Filmfonds.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at LFF?
AÖ: All my films, starting with my debut “Men on the Bridge,” were shown at LFF. Therefore, I feel a special [bond] with this festival. Each time I attended, I [had the opportunity] to present my films to renowned film critics, and to be able to discuss my films with them. That’s the best part, which I am sure every filmmaker appreciates.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
AÖ: The best advice I got is to “just look forward” — not left nor right, only ahead. I forget the worst advice immediately.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
AÖ: Don’t let others suppress you or say that you ask for too much — just ask for as much as you can!
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
AÖ: I can name more than one, however, all of them have one thing in common: their interesting forms. Chantal Akerman’s “Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels,” Jane Campion’s short films, Maya Deren’s “Meshes of the Afternoon,” etc.
W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?
AÖ: Maybe opportunities have increased, however, I don’t think that it is enough. Even if there are more projects directed by women now, I am sure men still get higher budgets than women. I think awareness about this issue is very important, but there is a long way to go. The media is definitely playing an important role in attracting attention.
