Spice of the Past

"Geçmişin Baharatı - Spice Of The Past" - DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
In patriarchal societies, unfortunately, girls are often valued less than boys. Beyond its many negative effects, this disparity fosters feelings of humiliation and, even if unconsciously, a growing resentment toward other family members in our daughters.
In this short film, I explore how my intelligent and ambitious character, Sibel, unconsciously develops resentment toward her family, especially her brothers, due to the subtle psychological pressure she experiences within her household, leading her, even unintentionally, to make surpassing them the most important goal of her life. This goal and hidden resentment have pushed this intelligent young woman into making mistakes. In this film, the character—like many girls living in patriarchal societies—has become inclined to see anything resembling her brothers as an enemy and to harbor feelings of hatred toward them. This felt hatred has reached such a level that she rejects any important suggestion or offer from someone who reminds her of the family member she resents, without any consideration, leading her to make mistakes.
As a Turk, I was also raised in a patriarchal family. The first place where I noticed this psychology was within my own family. However, I needed to be truly certain before writing about such a topic. This is where my female doctor colleagues from the hospitals I worked at came to my aid. I especially noticed that this mindset was very common among women who were raised in traditional families.
I am not a doctor. Therefore, what I present here is not a diagnosis or a professional perspective. In this short film, my aim as a screenwriter and director is to understand people and to portray them in a way that reflects their own experiences.