Experiencing Interruptions?

Stiletto 'A Pink Family Tragedy'

Hasan is a taxi driver working the night shift. On the early-morning drive home, he sees a woman passing in high heels. Fascinated by her appearance, he does something that leads to disaster in a world where the boundaries of masculinity are clearly drawn.

  • Can Merdan Dogan
    Director
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8572228/
  • Can Merdan Dogan
    Writer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8572228/
  • Erkan Taskiran
    Producer
  • Murat Kilic
    Key Cast
    "Hasan"
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1815954/
  • Nihal Yalcin
    Key Cast
    "Aysel"
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2682929/
  • Elif Tascioglu
    Production Designer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1599591/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
  • Firat Lita Sözbir
    Director of Photography
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8434016/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
  • Selda Durna
    Executive Producer
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6631962/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 21, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    13,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Turkey
  • Country of Filming:
    Turkey
  • Language:
    Turkish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • BFI London Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 12, 2021
    International Premier
    Official Competition
  • Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival
    Antalya
    Turkey
    October 5, 2021
    World Premier
    Official Competition
  • Asiana International Short Film Festival
    Seoul
    Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
    October 15, 2021
    Asia Premier
    Official Competition
  • Hofer Filmtage
    Hof
    Germany
    October 27, 2021
    German Premier
    Official Competition
  • Cottbus Short Film Festival
    Cottbus
    Germany
    November 3, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Ankara Film Festival
    Ankara
    Turkey
    November 9, 2021
    Winner - Best Short Film
  • Berlin Interfilm Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    November 17, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Izmir Short Film Festival
    Izmir
    Turkey
    November 26, 2021
    Winner 2. Best Short Film
  • London Short Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    January 16, 2022
    Official Selektion
Director Biography - Can Merdan Dogan

Can Merdan Doğan (1987, Ankara, Turkey) is a writer, director, and playwright. He completed his studies at Ankara University's Theater Department and obtained his master's degree from Kadir Has University in Istanbul, specializing in Cinema and TV. In 2013, Doğan was nominated for "Playwright of the Year" at the Journal of Theatre Awards for his play "I Played Games with My Dad When I Was a Kid," which also received the Afife Award for the Best Actress in a Musical comedy that year.
Doğan's first feature film, "Arabesque Underground" (2014), for which he worked as a screenwriter and assistant director, premiered at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and received five awards in Turkey. His short film "Stiletto" (2021) premiered at the 65th BFI London Film Festival's short film competition, where it won the "Best International Short Film" award at the Dublin International Film Festival. The film has since been screened at over 20 film festivals in Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Turkey, earning multiple awards. It was also broadcasted on Canal+ France in 2022.
Currently, Can Merdan Doğan is pursuing his Ph.D. in Media, Theater, and Popular Culture in Germany while working on his debut film, "Backstage." He is particularly interested in queer cinema and exploring hybrid forms of storytelling.

2021 - Stiletto: “A Pink Family Tragedy”

FESTIVALS & AWARDS
-65th BFI London Film Festival, UK (Official Competition)
-58th International Antalya Film Festival (Official Competition)
-19thGwanghwamun International Short Film Festival, South Korea (Official Competition)
-55th Hof International Film Festival, Germany (Official Competition)
-31st Cottbus Film Festival 'Close Up Turkey', Germany (Official Selection)
-32nd Ankara Film Festival 'National Short Film Competition, Turkey (Best Short Film)
-Interfilm, 37th International Short Film Festival Berlin 'Queer Fever', Germany (Official Selection)
-22nd International Izmir Short Film Festival, Turkey (Best 2nd Short Movie, Best Acting)
-19th London Short Film Festival, UK (Official Selection)
-20th Dublin International Film Festival, Ireland (Best International Short Film)
-26th Film Festival Turkey Germany, Germany (Best 3rd Short Film)
-14th Go Shorts Film Festival, Netherlands, 'European Competition', (Official Competition)
-18th Akbank Short Film Festival, 'National Competition', Turkey, (Special Mention Jury Award)
-41st Istanbul Film Festival, 'National Competition', Turkey, (Official Competition)
-4th Soura Queer Film Festival, Germany
-20th Tirana International Film Festival, Albania, (Official Competition)
-AG Kurzfilm Short Film Catalog "German Short Films" 2021

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My motivation for making this film is based on the question of “can an object define our identity”?
We experience the fact that femininity and masculinity are being taken too seriously through various public representations. Being a woman and being a man are defined culturally by objects. Wherever we may live, cultural norms start to reveal their restrictive effects when we behave outside of the habitual representations of women and men. This means if our behaviors, appearance, and desires don’t match the norm, our identity is open to questioning. For example, a man wearing high heels might pose a great threat to traditional society! It is expected by society that a man will try to flirt with a young woman in stilettos more so than to be in stilettos, especially in a cultural environment in which the boundaries of manhood are strictly set.
The threat to the family institution starts with the intrusion of the stilettos into the household inside a black plastic bag. From this perspective, stilettos are taking the role of the main character who is causing “chaos” in the family.
My objective is to address controversial problems and question the concepts of masculinity, femininity, and the family institution, through the character of Hasan. By doing this, it is my intention to neutralize the cultural codes associated with objects, in other words, query society through the film. I believe that life is far too short and way too colorful to come to a decision about our identity with a single answer.
Is a man wearing stilettos truly a greater threat than global warming!?