‘HisTroy’ wins Honorable Mention in Milan

ÇANAKKALE

The film “HisTroy,” written by Çanakkale’s Troy Museum Director Rıdvan Gölcük and directed and produced by Ülkü Sönmez, has been awarded an honorable mention at the Absurd Film Festival in Milan, Italy.

In a written statement, screenwriter Gölcük noted that the film, which began as a wordplay on its title, offers an unconventional take on the history of Troy by blending ancient epics, archaeology and popular culture imagery.

“For me, this film is more than just a screenplay — it is an attempt to give voice to the silent flow of time in Troy using the language of today,” Gölcük said.

“In this film, I imagined Homer with a notebook at the excavation house and Aeneas on a minibus heading to Rome. The story of Troy resides in humanity’s collective memory, and the way to tell it is by bending, even breaking, the rules. This award in Milan is not just a success; it is a celebration of courage and originality. Without Sönmez’s visionary direction and the performances of actors, this story would not have resonated so powerfully on the big screen. Every frame we shot on Troy’s lands made us feel the spirit of ancient heroes. I believe HisTroy will show audiences how enjoyable it can be to get lost in the labyrinth of ‘history,’” he added.

Director Sönmez described “History” as an attempt to dissolve history’s rigid rules through the magical realism of cinema, emphasizing how Gölcük’s screenplay transforms Troy from an archaeological site into a living character.

The film is set to premiere in Italy next month.