Eye of I Review
Eye of I is a 2020 experimental short film directed by Dilek Altan.
In youth time passes slowly yet does not seem to last long enough. Eye of I captures that feeling of youthful folly quite beautifully. As I sat down watching this little girl fill her idle time, I felt an instant connection to my own youth, in particular as a child who had many pet turtles.
Following an 11-year-old girl as portrayed by IIya Anka Akad we see her days filled with long stretches of obvious boredom. We see where her parents are not only absent but also unhappy in their own marriage. We see her indifference to the pet turtle she did not want.
What I could appreciate the most about this film was the angles that Altan employed throughout. We are rarely given anything conventional to view. We see disjointed sections of the body, rarely an entire face in frame. It is claustrophobic but also a reflection of the small world that we know and inhabit as children. It allows us to feel more connected to this world.
I also couldn’t help but feeling a sense of empathy for the turtle in the film. As a creature in the care of a girl who does not really want the pet, there is an inevitable destruction that is born of this relationship. One where we can see why a child would act out this way. While this doesn’t provide a justification, given the struggles that she faces from parents who are so far from her we can see why.
One of the most arresting moments featured in this short must be the section entitled dream. The playful melding of the eye projected against the girl who forms into a piece of the eyelid, or the visage of her crawling into the turtle shell. She is trying to empathize with this pet she did not want but ultimately fails at doing so.
The set design is both cheerful and melancholic. The lighting by Onur Cabi adds to that sentiment with scenes of both high key lighting as well as high contrast shadows. It creates a space that almost feels dreamlike throughout but maintains a sense of realism as well. The score and sound design by Ozcan Ertek really give an ethereal quality to everything.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in this world. Altan no pun intended has a great eye for shot composition and I love the different takes on what could have been easy shots. The constantly focusing camera, at some points stationary, while others jarringly handheld all create a great atmosphere. There is a lot to sink into here and I really enjoyed what Altan, and team were able to deliver.
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Cheers!
Daniel Hess
*Writers note: After sending my review over to the creative team I wanted to take a minute to recognize the efforts of Gulsah Ozgen and Gizem Sahin who were the script writers, art directors, and producers of the piece. Much of the visual style and of course the story can be attributed back to their efforts. In this case it would seem as if they did much of the creative heavy lifting as it were which in that instantce I must give a sincere appreciation to their work, and they style they brought to this film as a whole.
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