Searching For Rodakis

As a Greek tombstone of unknown origin is discovered underneath the floorboards in an old village house in Turkey, an almost forgotten story from the country’s creation unravels; the forced population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923. The engraved Cyrillic letters tell of a woman, Chrysoula Rodaki, who died in 1887. And so the search for her descendants begins: It leads director Kerem Soyyilmaz to local archives, where his own family's role in the history is laid bare; to abandoned ghost towns and through the memories of older villagers - all while Soyyilmaz meets massive support for his quest from the Greeks on the other side of the border. The stone becomes a portal to the past - and for a while, the trauma becomes redeemed when the previous owners of the village house return. Searching for Rodakis is a film that reconnects people, culture, and the stories discarded to build a strong, nationalist state - told through the director's personal experiences. The release also marks the 100-year anniversary of the forced population exchange.

Other credits:

• Directed By: Saim Kerem Soyyilmaz
• Producers: Maj Susanne Junker
• Cinematographer/DOP: Andreas Ascanius
• Editor:: Burak Dal, Kerem Soyyilmaz
• Sound Design: Giulio Conversi
• Other Credits: Drone: Serkan Sagir, Sound Recordist: Giulio Conversi, Re-Recording Mixer: Usal Onan Karagozoglu, Consultant Editor: Bobbie Esra Geelmuyden Pertan, Poster Design: Engin Yagmurdereli