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You can access the documentaries filmed as part of Sinopale that have been made available to viewers through this page. Featuring different artists and narratives, these films offer important traces of Sinop's cultural, social, and artistic atmosphere. At the same time, by recording the city's past, its stories, and its transformation, these documentaries also serve as a valuable archive for the city's collective memory.
"Tarzan Kemal: Bir Kentli Hikayesi"
Writer-Director-Editor: Yusuf Emre Yalçın
60' – 2018
This is the story of a man who devoted his life to nature. A man who, after finishing university, rejected the prevailing system and stripped both clothing and money from his life… Just as Diogenes of Sinope wandered the streets in daylight with a lantern in hand, searching for a human being, this man too would walk the streets with a drum in hand, taking action to enlighten people and protect nature. To some, he was a madman; to others, a philosopher. It was said that the reason behind this chosen life was a love story. But was that really the case?
“Halkapella - Vocca Sinopale Gathering”
Director: Yusuf Emre Yalçın
19' – August 2015
This film focuses on the arrival in Sinop of the a cappella group Vocca, who traveled to the city to hold a workshop and give a concert as part of a street event of the International Sinop Biennial, Sinopale, and follows their experiences in Sinop and their process of getting to know Sinopale's events. Conveying to the viewer the relationship the group's members formed with the city, their encounters with local culture, and the interaction built through music, the film also brings visibility to the atmosphere of encounter and sharing that Sinopale creates in public space.
"İçimdeki Deniz/The Sea In Me"
Director: Yılmaz Vurucu
Producer: Bahanur Nasya
60' – August 2012
The documentary The Sea Within Me, brought to life as part of Sinopale 4, centers on the life stories of the people of Sinop. The region's history, culture, and ways of life — shaped over centuries through a powerful relationship with the sea and with nature — are today struggling to survive under the pressure created by rapid and unplanned urbanization, rising migration rates, and prefabricated, uniform construction. By making visible this process of transformation in Sinop and the deep bond the local community has formed with the sea, the documentary aims to draw attention to the city's cultural memory and identity.
"Helesa"
Director: Yılmaz Vurucu
Producer: Bahanur Nasya
16' – August 2012
Helesa is a 16-minute documentary that tells the story of a tradition that emerged in Sinop centuries ago as a way of collecting aid from the local fishing community. Over time, this tradition turned into a street festival: on one night during the month of Ramadan, fishermen and city residents would walk through the streets singing the Helesa folk song and collecting donations in a spirit of solidarity. Today, however, this valuable tradition faces the growing threat of disappearing, as participation declines — particularly because most young people no longer know the lyrics of the Helesa song. Made to draw attention to the importance of such folkloric stories in the formation of local identities, the documentary was screened at the 1st Sinop Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award.