Concept Overview

Gurbet is a motion piece that explores the feeling of distance between myself and my Turkish family, particularly my BabaAnne (Grandmother). The narrative unfolds through a real recorded phone call with her, which acts as both a bridge to and a reminder of our separation. The work reflects the emotional experience of living away from one’s homeland and loved ones, capturing the tenderness, longing, and quiet ache of belonging to more than one place. It speaks to anyone who has felt the pull of home from afar and the complex emotions that arise from such distance, including love, nostalgia, and subtle grief.

Hybrid Animation Approach

The film is created using hybrid animation, combining real photos, vector illustration, and frame-by-frame animation. The real photos ground the work in lived experience, representing concrete memories, while the animated elements convey how those memories feel, fragile, shifting, and emotionally charged rather than literal. This combination reflects how memory changes over time, how recollections are often imperfect, and how emotions from the past continue to shape the present. The phone call itself shapes the flow of the piece, with pauses, laughter, and moments of silence guiding the unfolding of memories. My process involved collecting family photos and sounds, sketching storyboards, and experimenting in After Effects to develop animated sequences that communicate the emotional truth of recollection rather than simply recreating events.

Cinematic Moments of Memory

Gurbet unfolds through cinematic snapshots of memory triggered by my conversation with BabaAnne. The visuals move through familiar experiences, visits to pebbly beaches, long road trips, small domestic gestures like hands preparing food, curtains moving in the breeze, and quiet pauses, all animated to feel alive yet intimate. Each moment is held long enough for the audience to inhabit the emotional space, allowing them to feel both the presence of family and the weight of distance. The piece balances closeness and absence, showing how ordinary, everyday details can carry profound significance when viewed through the lens of longing.

Emotional Resonance and Audience Connection

The work invites audiences to reflect on their own experiences of separation from loved ones and how memory, voice, and small routines can maintain connection across distance. By blending real and interpreted imagery, the piece expresses the emotional truth of memory and belonging rather than literal accuracy. My central message is simple, even when far away, love endures through the quiet, ordinary details we carry with us, and the relationships that matter most remain alive in memory and thought.

A Meditation on Distance

Gurbet is ultimately a meditation on distance, family, and longing, particularly the experience of being away from someone who shaped you. It explores how personal memories and moments of care persist across space, offering an intimate glimpse into the experience of gurbet and the enduring presence of love even when loved ones are far away. Through its combination of real and animated imagery, the piece highlights how memory and feeling are inseparable from the experience of being distant from home and those we love.