Overtime by Gürcan Keltek – seen at Dok Leipzig

The catalogue description of Overtime/Fazlamesai  got my attention at first. "Something grainy" is all I thought before seeing it. Something that defies the clean look that the HD world expects, and that alone, was enough for me. Once the screening started I felt that the 8mm look and its edginess reflected the hardships of its protagonist's lives. The camera follows them through sweatshops and the street corners where one of males sells his body. But their voices that accompany their trajectories show how conformed they have become with their poor lifestyle and their fates. Undramatic, but gripping the audience with its wonderfully shot images, we come to understand how hopeless some of Istambul's youth has become. The fragmentary style might disturb some spectators who expect a straight story and a clean execution. But if film has a surface,then this documentary reminds me that it is a surface that we can use, and if this blog wants to be true to its name, then Kelteks short film needs to be mentioned to say the least.