2024, Türkiye, 20' ֍ Dir. Zülfü Gül
Turkish (English subtitles)
Potterymaking is a tradition as old as human history. The tradition of breaking pottery at weddings is less ancient but no less fascinating. Prayer of Earth presents us with these two connected traditions that are firmly rooted in the fertile cultural soil of Anatolia. If one of these traditions disappears, will the other die with it? Zülfü Gül’s documentary follows the different stages of production of the handmade jugs known as 'cere' from beginning to end. As we become absorbed in the labor required to produce the finished terracotta pottery, we are also captivated by the story of the Makals, a family from Tarsus who have devoted their lives to this craft.
Zülfü Gül graduated from Fırat University, Department of Turkish Language and Literature and currently works as a teacher in Mersin. Zülfü has studied both cinema and photography, and his photographs have won awards in national and international competitions. His short animated film "The Last Tree" was selected for screening at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner and won the award for Best Short Animated Film at the 11th International Antakya Film Festival. His documentary Prayer of Earth will have it’s international premiere at the 8th New York Kurdish Film Festival and its Turkey premiere at the 7th Foça International Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Documentary Film Festival.
