Directed by Fatih Diren
Is it possible for ballet to become a village's source of income? Finding out that a few children who went on to become ballet dancers in Turkey’s national dance companies grew up in the same small Anatolian village would be surprising enough, but when 13 ballet dancers emerge from the same village? That’s something truly remarkable! Fatih Diren’s documentary unveils the extraordinary story of Başpınar, a seemingly ordinary village in Turkey, but one where classical ballet is taken seriously. The Village of Ballet Dancers presents a tale of passion that rises above poverty, social prejudice, and adversity. The film is a testament to perseverance, proving that living in the remote countryside is no obstacle to success in the field of art. The Village of Ballet Dancers has met with its own success, screening at numerous festivals in Turkey and abroad and winning prizes for Best Documentary at festivals in North Macedonia, Montenegro and Russia as well as Best Documentary (National) at the 2025 Golden Saffron Documentary Film Festival in Safranbolu.
Fatih Diren was born in 1984 in Corum. He attended the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema of the Faculty of Communication at Mersin University, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in 2009. He also studied at the North Karelia University of Applied Sciences in Finland under the Erasmus student exchange program in 20008. Before his graduation, he began working in the film and television sector as a sound and boom operator. He later continued his focus on cinema, completing a Master's Degree program at Ordu University’s Department of Cinema and Television and a Doctoral program at Istanbul University. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Nigde Omer Halisdemir University Faculty of Communication’s Department of Radio, Television and Cinema.
