Directed by Hasan Hüseyin Korkmaz
The southernmost province of Turkey, Hatay has always been a cosmopolitan region, hosting 13 different civilizations and three monotheistic religions whose followers have lived side-by-side for centuries. Hasan Hüseyin Korkmaz’s Antioch Milad, shot after the devastating earthquake of February 6, 2023, documents the first post-quake Christmas celebrations in the region. For a community that experienced such a profound tragedy, coming together for the holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus becomes more than an annual religious ritual, it also symbolizes societal healing. The celebrations represent a true ‘milad’ – a rebirth – for a city that has been destroyed seven times since its foundation. Like a beautiful bougainvillea, residents know that the region will blossom again for an eighth time.
Born in 2001 in the İskenderun district of Hatay, Hasan Hüseyin Korkmaz completed his primary and secondary education in İskenderun. Korkmaz showed an interest in photography from an early age, and in 2019, he was accepted into the Radio, Television and Cinema Department of Akdeniz University. Although settled in Antalya and working in different positions in the industry in addition to his studies, he in Iskenderun with his family at the time of the February 6 earthquake. Antioch Milad, which documents both the devastation and the hope that followed, had its Turkey premiere at a special screening during the 12th International Antakya Film Festival in 2024. The film was also included as an official selection at the 15th TRT International Documentary Awards in Istanbul in 2024 and the 3rd Izmir International Documentary Film Festival in 2025.
