Agora Market Manual 2010

Agora/Market Manual - 51st Thessaloniki IFF-2010Crossroads ProjectsGatedTurkeyDirector: Aslihan UnaldiScriptwriter: Aslihan UnaldiProducer: Aslihan UnaldiBudget: 300.000 euroSecured Financing: 35%Location: TurkeyLooking for: Co-Producers, FinancingSYNOPSISGated opens with a shot of a gated community in the suburbs of Istanbul. Masha, a divorced Moldovan woman,works here as a live-in-maid to support her son and save money for her dream to buy a house back home.Oblivious to the attentions of the security guard Deniz, Masha is tormented by the gap that has widenedbetween herself and her son. On her night off Masha runs into Lena, a younger woman from her village. Unbeknownstto Masha, Lena works as prostitute and after a particularly violent confrontation with her pimp;she runs away and shows up unannounced at Masha’s villa. Masha reluctantly allows Lena to stay for a while.Lena’s presence soon upsets Masha’s boss and tensions rise in the villa while the two women slowly developan intimacy. Their friendship ends in betrayal, which unexpectedly offers the possibility of a new life for both.DIRECTORS’ STATEMENTGated is a story about friendship and the transformative power it can sometimes have. It is also a story aboutbetrayal, which sometimes must occur as the needs of one’s self override one’s responsibility to others. Thescript was inspired by the stories of Eastern European women in Istanbul, mostly single mothers who leave theirchildren behind to work illegally as maids, dancers or prostitutes. In the process, new forms of isolation have occurred.My intention is to make a film that provides insight into the many complex aspects of these women’slives. Masha and Lena’s story touches on several global themes from poverty and immigration to marriage andmotherhood to religious and cultural identity. However, in my view Masha and Lena are not victims. They arestrong women who take risks to survive and to better their lives. That is how I intend to tell their story.PRODUCER’S CONTACT INFORMATIONM. +90 5332605928, +1 9172085637aslihan.unaldi@gmail.com46