A megacity lost amid concrete roads, rising skyscrapers, and the never-ending noise of construction. Directed by Imre Azem, this documentary captures in simple terms the transformation stretching from Istanbul’s outskirts to its center, as well as the ecological devastation the city is facing. Stories of displacement echoing through the ghostly streets of demolished neighborhoods lay bare the deep wounds that urban renewal has inflicted on people’s lives. While the camera focuses on the lives of those struggling to survive in the shadow of billion-dollar projects, it also turns its lens to the forests and watersheds that this rapidly expanding landscape is on the verge of swallowing up. The boundless metropolis of the future is rising on the shoulders of its residents.

2 wins