Istanbul, a metropolis at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has always been a way station for the merchants and travellers of the world. Today, for migrants from Africa and the Middle East, it is a gateway to the promised land of Europe. Syrian and Iraqi refugees, cosmopolitan youth seeking a better future, disillusioned Arab Spring supporters and undocumented migrants from Black Africa all congregate in cramped hives of activity: the city’s callshops. Found on every street corner, these businesses provide a vital link to the migrants’ home countries.
Hind Benchekroun and Sami Mermer capture the conversations, confidences and emotionally charged moments that happen in callshops every day, creating a powerful and dignified testament to the migrant’s condition in the 21st century.
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AWARDS AND FESTIVALS:
Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal 2015 (RIDM) (Montréal, Canada).
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2016 (Toronto, Canada).
Festival du film de St-Severin 2016 (St-Severin, Canada).
Cinéma sous les Étoiles 2016 (Montréal, Canada).
FIDADOC 2016 (Agadir, Maroc) – Grand prix TV2M et Prix des Droits humains.
DOKUMENTARIST 2016 (Istanbul, Turquie).
International Film Festival of Rotterdam – White Nights 2016 (Rotterdam, Hollande).
Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival 2016 (Jihlava, République Tchèque).
DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival 2016 (Helsinki, Finlande).
DOK Leipzig 2016 (Leipzig, Allemagne).
Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage 2016 (Carthage, Tunisie).
Duhok International Film Festival 2016 (Duhok, Iraq) – Prix du meilleur documentaire international
The Film Festival Cologne 2016 (Cologne, Allemagne).
Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois 2017 (Montréal, Canada)
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Hot Docs 2016 Women Directors: Meet Hind Benchekroun — “Callshop Istanbul”:
https://blog.womenandhollywood.com/hot-docs-2016-women-directors-meet-hind-benchekroun-callshop-istanbul-a5e6ac471bff#.d3rxwna4j
Reviews:
theXTRAmile: http://thextramileca.com/2016/04/30/2016-hot-docs-callshop-istanbul/
POV Point of View Magazine: http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/review-callshop-istanbul
Twitter:
#callshopfilm
@multimondefilm
Callshop Istanbul is produced by LES FILMS DE LA TORTUE and distributed by Multi-Monde Distribution.
