Turkish director Cenk İzgören presented his second feature film, “Beyond the Rails,” in the Future Frame section of the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival. The film tells the story of Başak, a middle-aged cancer patient, whose journey on train tracks leads her to encounter tortoises and confront the triangle of life, death, and nature. In this interview, İzgören shared his reflections on poetic cinema, the making of his film, and his experience at the festival.
What did you think about the poetic-cinema approach of this edition of the festival? And would you describe your own film, “Beyond the Rails,” as a poetic film?
In my opinion, all films – whether short or feature-length – need poetry to stand on their own. I drew great inspiration from poetry in my film. In fact, the main character delivers a line at the end that reflects this idea.
Can you share your thoughts on poetic cinema in one sentence?
Whatever a person intends to do comes from their feelings. When words rise from the heart and flow through the tongue, poetic expression is created. Knowledge, honesty, and conscience must reside in our hearts so that they manifest in our actions toward others and leave a poetic impact.
Did you receive any financial support from governmental or non-governmental institutions for your film, or was it produced entirely with personal funding?
I did not receive support from any production company or private producer. The only assistance came from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, for which I am very grateful.
What motivated you to submit your film to the FIFF and attend it in person?
I became familiar with this festival a few years ago through friends, and I presented my second feature here. International festivals usually do not interest me much, but Fajr aligned with my values. I only participate in festivals whose conditions match my principles. Even if invited elsewhere, I would decline. Iran’s culture and values also motivated me to bring my film here. I was honored to attend and now continue following this festival even after my participation.
Since you mentioned Iran and its culture, were you familiar with Iranian cinema? Is there an Iranian film or filmmaker who has influenced you?
Iranian cinema is vast and powerful. I often discussed it with filmmaker friends. Because I might unintentionally forget to mention some names, I preferred not to single anyone out.
