Mavi Boncuk |Rojda Sekersöz |Stockholm
Director
Dramatiska Institutet (Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts) 2009-2012
rojdasek@gmail.com
BIO
Born and raised in Stockholm and Dalarna, 27 year old Rojda Sekeröz already has achieved plenty in film. After studies at Swedish dramatic institute Rojda has directed a number of short films
such as Fast (Stuck), Fittbacka-ett jävla ungdomshem, Selvi ska sova and Jungfrufärd (The Voyage). ON VIMEO
Now Rojda´s first feature film was released in March 2017 and has so far received outstanding reviews. The much acclaimed drama ”Dröm vidare” (Beyond dreams) was nominated at Göteborgs film festival Dragon awards for Best movie, later won the public´s choice for best film aswell as the Angelos award. Dröm vidare also received awards for best picture at The Norwegian film festival aswell as at Duhok film festival. Rojda is currently in pre-production of her second feature “En komikers uppväxt” by author/scriptwriter Jonas Gardell.
2017 Dröm vidare Beyond Dreams 90 mins
Original version: Swedish, Finnish Genre: Drama
BEYOND DREAMS is a drama about Mirja and her friends in the suburbs. Where friendship and dreams are put to the test when Mirja comes out of her prison sentence.
from Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
"Following a jail sentence, Mirjana has to find her place in the outside world anew. She finds work as chambermaid in a hotel, but her everyday life becomes a double existence. It seems that she is torn between looking after her sick mother and her younger sister, and spending her time with a group of girlfriends, who are more “family” to her than the biological ones. This film about the difficulty of finding one’s identity is full of worldly wisdom and begins with a fast and warmheartedly noisy scene as the girlfriends and Mirjana’s little sister pick her up from jail. The exuberant gang of girls lives on the outskirts of Stockholm in a suburb of high-rises and is exuberantly happy about Mirjana’s return. She, in turn, seems genuinely moved by their reaction. With the appearance of the ailing mother, the film quickly changes its tone. The atmosphere becomes oppressive and almost non-verbally quiet. “You are now no longer a child, and I will not treat you as one again”, the mother tells Mirjana, who leans back with a sigh, carefully observed by her little sister Isa. These depictions of the view of others, consistently used in a masterful and knowing way, make Rodja Sekersöz’s directorial debut so noteworthy. It all starts in the initial shot, in which Mirjana, walking down a corridor in jail, suddenly turns 180 degrees and executes a choreographically understated bow to the camera. Look here, here I am… Her exit from this brilliantly calibrated debut film, that finds an equilibrium between dense melodrama and juvenile enthusiasm, underlines the importance of dance or movement. At that moment, the extraordinary lead actress seems more mature and grown up in this coming of age story with an all-female cast."
DIRECTOR Rojda SekersözPRODUCERS Agneta Fagerström-Olsson Annika Hellström
WRITER Johanna Emanuelsson
EDITORS Linda Jildmalm Hanna Storby
CINEMATOGRAPHY Gabriel Mkrttchian
PRODUCTION DESIGN Elle Furudahl
COMPOSER Lisa Holmqvist
Cast:Evin Ahmad, Gizem Erdogan, Malin Persson, Anna Bjelkerud, Outi Mäenpää, Michael Lindgren, Inger Nilsson, Diar Said, Segen Tesfai, Ella Åhman, Adel Ahmod, Stina Almquist, Jimmy Backman, Anna Denarp, Charlotte Lindmark, Best Mbemda, Gabriella Carlsson, Alexi Carpentieri, Ulrika Persson, Byron Reimer Ward. Noordelijk Film Festival, The Netherlands – Closing Film.
Göteborg Film Festival 2017, Sweden - Audience Dragon Award Best Nordic Film, Angelo Award - the Swedish Church’s Award
The Norwegian IFF Haugesund, Norway - FIPRESCI Award
Duhok IFF, Iraq - Best Female Actor and the Best Film Awards
Evin Ahmad, who played the main character Mirja, received the Silver Leaf Award. "Lively, touching and powerful, she plays a young girl, torn between two worlds. She carries the film by expressing a great spectre of feelings – courage, hope, fear, despair, joy, friendship and hatred – in a convincing way,"– the jury statement read.
BEYOND DREAMS also swiped the prize for the Best Film. "This story of courage and failure through no fault of her own is told from the perspective of the young woman, who is portrayed in an unsentimental but emphatic way. The film is at the same time tough and funny, the almost all-women-cast is directed brilliantly, the cinematography is excellent and the story moves forward at a fast pace. A very impressive achievement, politically relevant and highly entertaining."
Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, Finland
Nordic Film Days Lübeck, Germany – Opening Film – Feature Films Competition
European Film Forum Scanorama, Lithuania
Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany
2015 Fast
2012 Fittbacka- ett jäkla ungdomshem
2011 Selvi ska sova
2010 Jungfrufärd
SOURCE
ON VIMEO