SPECIAL MENTION HARVEST OF LIGHT Işığın Hasadı Watch Online November 25 - December 6, 2024 Doc. | 52 min. | 2024 | with English subtitles Directed by Esin Özalp Öztürk Turkish capital Ankara’s Evren district is home to a community of seasonal workers. The workers, who come to Evren with their families to harvest onions, are trying to cope with various difficulties while holding on to life. The documentary is centered around the generator, used as a symbolic beacon of hope in the film, and operates for only two hours a day. In this short time, the workers tell their stories amidst the chaos of labor, perseverance, and the struggle to catch up with life. Alternating between light and darkness, these people forget their troubles with the light emitted by electricity, escape their daily lives, and enter a completely different world. As the documentary progresses, it crosses the boundaries of time and delves deeper into the workers' lives. Their never-ending hopes illuminate their search for a better life for themselves and their families. Through intimate interviews and captivating visuals, "Harvest of Light" interweaves the stories of seasonal workers to create a portrait of their dreams, aspirations, and daily struggles. The documentary seeks to raise awareness of workers' rights, child labor, women's empowerment, and the universal right to education. Focusing on the lives of onion harvest workers in Evren, this documentary exposes a broader global issue; the vulnerability of seasonal workers worldwide. The documentary invites viewers to reflect on their consumption habits and reminds us of our responsibility as a society. Through its compelling storytelling and visuals, the documentary encourages viewers to question the deeper consequences of their actions and reflect on what they can do for a more just and equitable society. Selected Festivals and Awards Sweden Film Awards (2024): Best Woman Filmmaker, Best Feature Documentary Eastern Europe Film Festival, Romania (2024): Best Cinematography Rolling Ideas, Romania (2024): Best Documentary for Medium Length Accolade Global Film Competition, USA (2024): Awards of Merit: Documentary Short, Liberation/Social Justice/Protest USA Film Festival International Short Film & Video Competition (2024): Finalist Cannes Film Awards, France (2024): Finalist The European Independent Film Festival, France (2024) Madrid International Film Festival, Spain (2024) Seattle Film Festival, USA (2024) ARFF Amsterdam International Awards, The Netherlands (2024)   Esin ÖZALP ÖZTÜRK Documentary filmmaker Esin Özalp Öztürk holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA), and a Master of Arts (MA) from Bilkent University, Ankara. She wrote articles for the monthly periodical TRT Vizyon mostly on social, cultural, environmental, and scientific issues. While producing documentaries for TRT In-House Productions, she organized the international category of TRT Documentary Days for two consecutive years. For almost 10 years, she has worked in various international co-productions, primarily with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). As a selected participant, she attended workshops, seminars, and meetings held by organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the European Commission, the World Science Forum, the European Journalism Center (EJC), research institutes and the foreign ministries of various countries. She is one of the founding members of the Balkan Network of Science Journalists. After working for TRT for 15 years, she founded her own production company in 2023. With ArtEA Production, she continues producing documentaries focusing on social and cultural issues in Türkiye and worldwide.