Backstage

Background singer Gül (40) is preparing for her big break, performing solo at a TV station's 25th-anniversary concert. She will have gender reassignment surgery, from male to female. Her fantasy and reality mix in the backstage corridors.

Gül (40) is a background singer for TV show star Engin Sezgin (45). She has studied music but doubts her talent as a singer and dreams of a solo career. During a rehearsal for the TV station's 25th anniversary, she impulsively corrects Engin for singing a wrong note. He almost hits her with a water bottle. After the incident, Gül visits Engin in his dressing room and tries to smooth things over. The power-drunk Engin takes advantage of her, calls Gül by her "dead" male name Ahmet and harasses her. She leaves the room shocked and hurt. The violent energy stays with Engin and makes him stumble. He accidentally falls on the back of his head and dies. But the show must go on. After a spontaneous funeral and some persuasion from the ensemble, it's decided: Gül will be the star of the show tonight. She is given her long-awaited solo. Gül bravely takes the stage. But her voice fails. Immediately, all her fears come to the surface. Will she be able to overcome them?

Keywords: LGBTQ, belonging, sexism

Director's note:
The film is set in one place for over one day so the audience can feel the excitement before a concert. Long takes to create a dark mood of desperation and tension. My camera follows each character backstage to discover their secret fears. After Engin's death, surreal elements show Gül's delusional mind. The music is a mix of different styles, including Turkish instruments, which makes it fun. My visual reference is Birdman but in a Fassbinder kind of way. In my world, glamour is freaky. My characters are not living a fairytale. My backstage is uncomfortable and unfulfilling, which makes the characters hungry. The camera shows the stage from backstage until the end. I want to create a queer aesthetic in Turkish and world cinema. I admire Pasolini, Derek Jarman and Fassbinder. The queer aesthetic is about more than just LGBT+ stories. It's about questioning the binary. I like it when films deconstruct glamour, classic conflicts and clichés.

Producer's note:
Our goal with Backstage is to launch Can Merdan Dogan’s career as a writer/director and to gain feedback from script consultants, mentors, and experts to strengthen our queer narrative in a nuanced and honest manner. We also want to find co-producers, distributors, TV and a sales company. Tallinn seems to be the perfect spot for our project. Backstage explores the universal themes of identity and gender in a unique story. At its core, it's a film about who you’re allowed to be and the struggles that many people face because of the restrictions that society imposes. Backstage will be the first transgender film by a Turkish queer filmmaker. As such, we have an immense responsibility to the Turkish film community and the queer community worldwide. The themes of sexual repression, rebellion, and allowing yourself to strive for what you love regardless of what society says, without antagonizing any characters, will resonate with audiences all around the globe.