Private Project

The Apprentice

Today there is only one master who can produce the parchment paper that was available in Bergama in the 190’s B. C. The last leather processing master in the world is 82 years old Master Ismail in Bergama. Master Ismail wants to transfer his skills to someone in order to keep leather processing and parchment making alive but the young men working by his side do not endure hardships and give up the job. A woman who is eager to learn this hard craftsmanship that requires dedication and power, managed to persuade Master Ismail with great difficulty. From that day on parchments become the great- est passion of this woman living alone far away from her family. The documentary depicts the story of this woman who believes that she managed to learn the art of parchment making from the master, the only of its kind in the country.

  • Tayfun Belet
    Director
  • Tabu Film Production
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Çırak
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    21 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 9, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Turkey
  • Country of Filming:
    Turkey
  • Language:
    English, Turkish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • TRT International Documentary Award
    Istanbul, Turkey
    May 12, 2014
    Republic Of Turkey Ministry Of Culture Tourism Special Prize
  • International Pergamon Festival
    Bergama/İzmir
    Turkey
    September 9, 2014
    Special Success Prize
  • UNESCO Special Success Plaque

    November 27, 2014
    Special Success Prize
  • International HAK-İŞ Film Festival
    Ankara
    Turkey
    December 20, 2017
    Special Prize
  • BEAFSAD Photography Night
    İzmir
    Turkey
    March 24, 2017
  • IRO Art Documentary Screening
    Izmır
    Turkey
    February 13, 2017
  • Festival Cinema Invisible
    California
    United States
    January 6, 2017
  • 14. Matsalu Nature Film Festival
    Matsalu
    Estonia
    September 21, 2016
  • International Amsterdam Craft in Focus Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    September 23, 2016
  • International Human District Film Festival

    Serbia
    June 15, 2016
  • International SABC Ekurhuleni Film Festival
    Ekurhuleni
    South Africa
    October 18, 2016
  • Asian Film Centre Global Fest

    India
    November 27, 2017
  • Industry Boost Competition

    United States
    January 16, 2017
  • Lakecity Film Festival

    Nigeria
    December 13, 2017
Distribution Information
  • Tabu Film Production
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Tayfun Belet

Turkish film director, producer and writer, Tayfun Belet, originally born into a family from Urfa/Siverek, was born in Izmir. He was influenced by Yilmaz Güney movies in his early years. He studied high school at Fatma Saygun Anadolu Lisesi and continued studying university at Yasar University, at the Radio, Cinema and Television department. He then continued his masters at the same school and finished the Art and Design program. He is continuing his academic career as a lecturer in the same department. He started filming short films when he was in high school. In 2006, before he started his directing career, he worked as a director assistant for many directors. Tayfun Belet, who has been make for a lot documentary-cinema films, has also worked on many commercials for popular brands.
He has directed many series of documentaries for outsourcing internationally. He generally uses the themes of women, children and hope in his films. He utilizes the traditional culture of the east and infuses it with the modern life of the west. He has adopted an aesthetic focus in his work. Tayfun Belet is internationally accepted as one of the main representers of Turkish documentary-cinema. His films have met their viewers in over 40 countries. He has been a part of the jury in many film festivals and has advised many festival documentary-films. He has taken responsibility of editing and directing photography in his movies himself. Tayfun Belet has proven to have his own unique style in cinema and is the owner of the company named Tabu Film Production.

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