Orhan

A young immigrant returns back to the city of his forgotten love to find out he has a son.

  • Günalp Koçak
    Director
  • Jessica Jay
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 4, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English, German, Turkish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Günalp Koçak

Günalp is a writer, actor, and filmmaker of Turkish descendent. After gaining first experiences as an actor in his late teens in Germany, Günalp immigrated to the UK to train in drama and film at the University of West London. Orhan is his directorial debut. He drew upon his experiences growing up in Germany and his family’s immigration. His is known for his work on the indie short feature BETWEEN THE LINES and his voice over work on the video game SNIPER ELITE: V2. Günalp is currently in pre-production for his second short film project.

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Director Statement

The concept for the film was to make a short film that would truly reflect what it was like to be an immigrant: the daily hardship that somebody would go through, but also to highlight the emotional bond that holds one together.
Having been born into a family of foreign workers myself and being brought up in a multicultural environment I drew on those experiences and the many stories that I was told.
As I was searching for the inner workings of the immigrant (Orhan), more and more the emotional currents of the story formed. A young man would “become” an immigrant by returning home to a country he left behind with bitterness after the break-up from his then-(native born)-girlfriend (Gemma). Unbeknownst to him she became pregnant.
Years later, he finds out through her sister (Lisa) that he has a son (Tristan). “Why would he take responsibility for a son he never knew?” What are his fears and regrets? If he would end up in dire straits what would hold him together?
Not being a parent myself, these questions are not only central to the film but also are of an existential nature to me as a filmmaker and foremost, as a human being. Through the film I was allowed to gain an understanding of my own immigrant background, single parenthood, and the universality of family bonds (besides their diverse ethnic backgrounds).
-Günalp Koçak