Postbellek

The hundreds of letters left behind after Latif Demirci's passing describe not only a illustrator's fanbase, but the troubles and dreams of a certain era in Turkey, and a human spirit naive enough to confide in a cartoon hero. While the documentary traces the loss between the slowness of the letter and today's culture of speed, it puts forth a very original portrait of the artist, highlighted by the contributions of his filmmaker daughter Yasemin Demirci, his artistic partner Behiç Pek, and comic book historian Levent Cantek.

A live documentary experience built around archival footage of the 90s psychedelic band ZeN and their 1996 concert at Cihangir Park. Directed by Elif Dizdaroğlu, the event evolved into a layered performance through Murat Ertel’s improvised talk and music. Blending archival footage with live Q&A and performance, the night collapsed the distance between past and present audiences. Now available on Postbellek, the project became a collective trip back into the spirit of the 90s.

We take a closer look at Istanbul’s cats, their history, and their place in civilization during a short tour of the Cihangir neighborhood with Gündüz Vassaf, the author of The Cat in Istanbul.

To speak of jazz in Turkey is to speak of Kerem Görsev. In this intimate short documentary, director Levent Türkan sits down with the maestro to unravel İstanbul’s profound impact on his art. Together, they explore his hidden inspirations and the true musical pulse of the city. A deeply personal journey into the soul of Kerem Görsev, the essence of jazz, and the beating heart of İstanbul.

In an age where silence is complicity, Muslimgauze: Electronic Intifada resurrects the haunting pulse of Bryn Jones—the Manchester-born musician who devoted his entire life to the Palestinian struggle without ever setting foot in the Middle East. Through the voices of his publisher and best friend, Geert-Jan Hobijn, Turkish musician Ekin Fil, and Turkish author Şule Demirtaş, the film traces Jones’s obsessive solitude and commitment in the studio, where he crafted a sonic battlefield of noise, resistance, and distortion. Postbellek's short documentary Muslimgauze: Electronic Intifada unfolds where the political collides with the artistic—a visual translation of noise into awakening. Confronting the uneasy intersections of politics, art, and representation, it is not a eulogy but a provocation: a reminder that resistance can echo louder than words—and sometimes, from the most unexpected corners of the world.

Speed, emotion, dream. Smoke and Rubber follows the drivers of Istanbul who dedicate it all to modified car culture. Beyond the noise, it traces how speed, sound, and the performance of masculinity define a way of living, from the garage to the streets. Based on ongoing research, this is a reflective portrait of a noisy world.

The 21st-Century Cinema Index, an extensive research project on 21st-century film by Hasan Cem Çal, a writer whose work focuses on the evolution of the moving image, has been adapted into a video essay by Hazal Bayar, an academic known for her experimental short films. Written originally for Manifold, one of Turkey’s leading online platforms, the work serves as a unique gallery of foundational images and concepts of the past twenty-five years of cinema.

Queen Elizabeth I commissions a magnificent mechanical organ for Sultan Mehmed III, crafted by the famed Thomas Dallam. The organ, adorned with singing birds and celestial mechanisms, is shipped over six months of treacherous seas. Upon arrival, Dallam assembles it and personally plays the organ as the Sultan eagerly awaits. Yet, despite its grandeur, the organ’s story ends in tragedy. Postbellek's short documentary was produced with the guidance and narration of Emre Aracı, and it leverages artificial intelligence by Atıl Altaş.