She studied at the University of Bologna, as a Philosophy major. She has worked as a creative documentary filmmaker since 2003. In 2004 she founded Movimenta, production company based in Carpi (Modena) specialized in international co-production of social documentaries.In 2011 she has attended EAVE as a writer, Eurodoc in 2012, in 2014 IDFA Academy, in 2015 Berlinale Talents – Doc Station and EWA’s MRSTP (Multiple Revenue Stream Training Program).
She realized several award-winning documentaries for cinema ant TV.
Her film I Had a Dream (2018) after winning international prizes such as Golden Dove, FIPRESCI Award and Interreligious Jury Award at DokLeipzig 2018 was in competition for the Oscar, category Documentary.
Born in Diyarbakır in 1994. She lives in Istanbul. She graduated from Istanbul Kultur University Radio and Television Department in 2015. She continues her education in Istanbul University Art History Department.
Assistant director in Doğu Yakası by Harun Durmuş, she also worked in Ozan Çağlar’s Film Mersin, Orçun Benlinin’s Film Ver Kaç, Emre Akay’s Film AV theHunt, Yücel Yolcunun Movie Kafalar Karışık, Mecit Güvenin’s Documentary Series Legends of War, Hissen Hassan’s film, BukaBarane, Gıtta Gsell’s film Beyto, Recep Bozgöz’s Film Enden Korkmana Gerek Yok, Arin İnan Aslan’s film Beder.
High school graduate. Aram Tigran City Conservatory, Department of Cinema.
Lisa was one of the 10 children of a Kurdish family. Her childhood was marked by the state oppression of the Kurds in Turkey. After graduating from high school, she dropped out of school, refusing to continue her education in Turkish instead of her mother tongue.
Lisa was determined to make movies in Kurdish and she studied cinema at the Aram Tigran City Conservatory, which was established by Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality with courses taught in Kurdish. Unfortunately, the conservatory was closed by the state-assigned mayor in 2016.
During the two year spent at the Conservatory, she became closer to the stories of Kurdish geography and her perspective moved forward with the story and struggle of Kurdish women. She was inspired by the villages and cities she visited, and started to take part in political documentaries on war events and the forced displacement of the Kurds. Yet again, she became a member of the Middle East Cinema Academy in Diyarbakir and took part in the academy’s festivals and projects.
On June 5, 2015, she lost both of her legs as a result of a bomb attack carried out by ISIS which targeted HDP’s (Peoples’ Democratic Party) election rally in Diyarbakir and survived with serious injuries. She was forced to pause her cinema-related projects for a few years as she undertook the rehabilitation process that allowed her to walk again. After six years of medical and economical struggles she started making movies again using prosthetic legs, which required a new form of learning. During this period, she has been working as an activist fighting for justice for disadvantaged groups as well as the ISIS cases.
Lisa recently used virtual reality (VR) to make a short film, and her personal story became the subject, with Virtual Reality revealing itself as the perfect medium to recreate the daily reality of living with two prosthetic legs.
Filmography
Siseban – Script and Director – 2021
Kendini Yaratan Kelebek(The butterfly that creates itself) – Co-Director – 2021
Zimanê Çîya (The Language of the Mountains) – Script and Director – 2014
She graduated from Ege University with a degree in Philosophy. She completed a master’s degree in Film and Television at Marmara University in 2002 and has been working on various film projects since 2000. Ahu is one of the five film makers of the omnibus film Tales from Kars (2010). She is screenwriter and director of the short film called Open Wound. Open Wound has been shown in many international film festivals such as Rotterdam, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Sarajevo, Beirut. Her first feature film Dust Cloth was premiered at Berlinale Film Festival Forum Section. Awards received include Istanbul film festival Best Film, Best Script, Best Actress; Nurnberg Turkish-German film festival, Best Film, Best Actress; Duhok film festival Best Script, Best Director, Best Actress; Napoli film festival Best Film, Brasil International Women Film Festival Best Film.
She is an independent documentary filmmaker and a video-activist. Her work consists of independent documentaries on social issues like immigration, female workers’ strikes and resistance from different parts of Turkey, as well as solidarity campaigns of women’s organizations with female workers’ resistance movements and the encounters between feminism, female labor and peace activism by women.
She documents the campaigns and demonstrations of feminist movement’s and women’s initiative for peace. She is involved in the organization of Documentarist Istanbul Documentary Days. She takes part in different video-activism collectives. Her films have been screened internationally at various film festivals. Her first feature documentary film A Dream School in the Steppes has received many awards, including Best Documentary Award of 47th Film Critics Association of Turkey, 9th Boston Turkish Documentary and Short Film Competition and 7th Documentarist Istanbul Documentary Days FIPRESCI Award.
Filmography
Remember the March (Altyazı Fasikül: Free Cinema’s Looking Outside video series) – 2020
As the Water Rises Producer: Aljazeera Turkey – 2015
A Dream School in the Steppes Producer: Ilker Berke – 2014
As If We Were Equal (with the book As If We Were Equal) -2012
The Zone Producers: Güliz Sağlam – Feryal Saygılıgil – 2010
Women on Strike Producers: Güliz Sağlam – Feryal Saygılıgil – 2010
Like a Bird in a Cage Producers: Güliz Sağlam – Feryal Saygılıgil – 2009
Far Away From Home Production: Sepia Film (Germany-Turkey) – 2004
Between 2011-2018, she was an editor at the Middle East Cinema Academy. She took part in the festival committee of Yılmaz Güney Kurdish Short Film Festival, AxTamara Van Film Festival, International Amed Film Festival.
Rezzan was in the editing team of the TV series Ax û jiyan, Ref and Malino, as well as for the movie 14 July, by Hasim Aydemir. She was in the production team of a documentary about Amed prison. In 2018, Rezzan shot her first short film, Pace. In 2019, she did editing and camera work for Lizge Production, mainly for TV shows.
