NON-COMPETITION THE PERSISTENT Vazgeçmeyenler November 25 - December 6, 2024 Doc. | 9 min. | 2024 | with English subtitles Directed by Eren Aybars Arpacık The documentary The Persistent follows the lives of individuals in the region one year after the devastating February 6 earthquake that struck Turkey. The film chronicles the stories of people who are striving to rebuild their lives in Antakya, Iskenderun, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya, refusing to abandon their beloved homeland.   Eren Aybars ARPACIK Eren Aybars Arpacik (1983, Istanbul graduated from the Department of Media and Communication Systems at Istanbul Bilgi University in 2006, with a minor in Cinema/TV. In 2011, he directed and produced the 27-episode travel documentary series Yolda for Beiz TV. In 2017, he helmed the cave documentary series Notes from Underground. In 2018, he directed two episodes of the Legends of War series on TRT Belgesel. In 2022, Arpacik served as the director of photography for the Tanzania: The Royal Tour program, produced by Peter Greenberg. The production aired on PBS, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+. He also began producing content for CGTN (China Global Television Network). In 2022, he was the cinematographer of the documentary Hidden Aegean for American PBS television. In 2023, Arpacik's independent documentaries, Golden Girls of Etrim, Notes from Underground, İkizköy, The Sound of the Tree, and Hello Teacher, garnered awards at various domestic and international film festivals. Arpacik's Golden Girls of Etrim was a finalist in the 18th Annual Documentary and Short Film Competition hosted by the BTF in 2023.