Description
Uluabat Lake serves as a livelihood for the surrounding villagers with its abundant waters. Amidst the fishing activities on the lake, it also hosts a heartwarming human story of the extraordinary friendship between Fisherman Adem Yılmaz and a stork named Yaren. The documentary, starting from this heartwarming tale, also draws attention to the decreasing natural beauties over the years.
After working as a laborer in Bursa, Adem Yılmaz retires and returns to his village, Eskikaraağaç, which he has always loved. Upon his return, he immediately starts his father's profession of fishing by getting a boat and fishing gear. One day in 2011, a stork lands on his boat, which surprises him. He offers it some fish he caught. Curiously, Adem waits to see if it will return the next day. Indeed, the stork returns the next day, and Adem continues to feed it, thus beginning their extraordinary friendship.
One day, the village headman suggests giving a name to this stork, and the name Yaren is proposed. Adem Yılmaz likes this name very much and starts calling the stork Yaren from then on. Every February, Adem becomes excited as he waits for Yaren. The journey is long, and as Adem contemplates all the adverse conditions from Africa to Turkey, his excitement grows even more. Upon seeing Yaren return safely, he breathes a sigh of relief. The friendship between Adem and Yaren has lasted for 13 years. Adem says he will continue this friendship for as long as he can, but he is also worried. Climate change has affected Uluabat Lake, and due to decreasing water levels over time, fewer storks come now. This is Adem's greatest concern.
Director
Mehmet Ali Poyraz
Mehmet Ali Poyraz was born in 1983 in Balıkesir, Turkey. He graduated from the Department of Journalism at Selçuk University's Faculty of Communication in 2007. During his university years, he initiated the "Last Migration" project, capturing photographs of the Yörüks, one of the last nomadic Turkic tribes, who continue the traditional nomadic way of life. Focusing on social issues in his work, Poyraz explores themes such as illness, migration, political conflicts, and climate change.
Since 2012, Poyraz has expanded his focus beyond photography to include documentary filmmaking with a human-centered approach. Continuing to work independently, he focuses on real-life human stories under the banner of "Human Affairs" documentaries. Working in the Middle East and Africa, Poyraz has conducted projects in Pakistan, Egypt, Kenya, Somalia, Syria, Palestine, and Bangladesh.
Poyraz operates his own production company, Image 8 Production, where he continues to work on video and photography projects. Additionally, he remains engaged in documentary and short film endeavors.
