‘Chosen Families’ at Pera Museum

ISTANBUL

Pera Film presents a retrospective selection of the films of Tomer Heymann, a documentary producer and director whose films focus exclusively on the human search for truth.

“Chosen Families: Tomer Heymann,” which started on Nov. 13 and continues until Nov. 29 at Pera Museum in the Beyoğlu district, focuses on the director’s six documentary films that explore with an honest and sensitive perspective the concept of family, the ones we are born in and the ones we choose, and the feelings that arise from being together.

The program includes “It Kinda Scares Me,” which focuses on the power of gender and mutual understanding through the story of an acting coach and his “delinquent” students; “Paper Dolls,” which explores the evolving models of global migration and the expanding concept of family and their impacts told through the looking glass of Filipino trans sex workers living illegally in Israel; “I Shot My Love,” an intimate portrait of love and one’s roots told over the backdrop of Heymann’s meeting with Andreas Merk; “The Queen Has No Crown,” a poignant meditation on family, loss, and the mental maps of homelessness; “Mr. Gaga,” a documentary filmed over the course of eight years showcasing a combination of rehearsal footage, never-before-seen collection of archival material, and breathtaking scenes of dance; and finally, “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?,” the story of Saar Maoz who tries to preserve his true self as he tries to find his way in two very different worlds.

Heymann was born in Kfar Yedidia in Israel in 1970 and has directed many documentary films and series in the past 20 years. His films have been theatrically released around the world and won major awards at different prestigious film festivals, making him one of Israel’s most prominent documentary film directors.

The program’s screenings are free of charge.