Sami Mermer

Sami Mermer is a filmmaker who directed the 2006 film "Box of Lanzo", a film about homeless people in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was shown at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids, Michigan. [ [http://g-rad.org/cal/2006/11/the-box-of-lanz.php G-RAD.ORG of Grand Rapids, Mi ] ]

Biography

Born in Turkey, Sami Mermer is a Kurdish-origin filmmaker. He studied Mathematics at the University of Ankara from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 2000, he studied Engineering of environment at the University of Istanbul. He studied Cinema Studies at the University of Mesopotamia from 1998 to 2000. From 2000 to 2002, he studied French/Cinema Studies at the University of Quebec.

He worked on several documentaries and fiction films, as a director and director of photography. He was co-writer and assistant director of "Ax (the land)", winner of several prices and best film in the 2000 Hamburg Film Festival. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, he directed a short fiction film called "Sortie", winner of campus arts short films competition. He directed and shot in Michigan and California another feature fiction called "Passenger" which is in editing process. Sami just finished "The Box of Lanzo", 102 minutes, his first feature documentary about homeless people that he directed, edited and shot entirely in Grand Rapids.

From December 2006 to July 2007 he lived in Morocco and he opened a production company called Turtle Productions with Hind Benchekroun based in Casablanca. Mermer and Benchekroun are co-writer, co-director and co-producers of "Traces of Time", "Les Vendeurs ambulants", "Le Pompiste" and "À quelque pas de la ligne" which are in the development process. Mermer has lived in Montreal since July 2007.

References

Filmography

*"Victoria", 2007Camera Assistant and lightingFiction by Anna KarinaIn editing

* "Misafir", 2007By Eylem KaftanFiction,editing progres

* "Taxi Casablanca", 2007Camera, DocumentaryBy Hind Benchekroun and Mary FowlesProduction process

* "The Passenger", 2006, Los AngelesWriter, director,cameraFiction,70m.Editing.

* "The Box of Lanzo", 2004-2005, Grand RapidsWriter, director, camera, producerDocumentary-fiction 14 minutesWorld urban forum, United Nations, VancouverBroadcast online on Citizenshift, website of The National Film Board of Canada,Market Clermont-Ferrand France,Casablanca International short and Documentary film festival….

*"The Box of Lanzo", long version,2007 Grand RapidsWriter,director,producer, Documentary-Fiction 100 minutesFlint film festival 2007, UICA….

*"Sortie", 2005, Grand Rapids, Writer, directorFiction, 5 m.Winner of campus arts short films competition, Casablanca International short and Documentary film festival….

*"La petite fille d’avant", 2005, Grand RapidsAdditional editingDocumentary, 19 minutes

*"The rumour", 2004, Grand RapidsDirected by Ben HoekstraCamera, Fiction, 30 m

* "Ax (the land)", 1999, TurkeyCo-writer, co-directorFiction, 16 mm, 27 m.Winner of several prices Best film in Hamburg film festival (Germany, 2000)Second best film in Milano (Italy, 2000)

* "Photograph", 1999, TurkeyActor Fiction, 70 m

Works in development

* "Pompiste", 2005, New York, New JerseyWriter,fiction

* "Les Traces du Temps",2007 Casablanca Writer, Director, Producer

* "Vendeurs ambulant", 2007 CasablancaWriter, Director, Producer

* "Last stop Istanbul", 2007 Writer, director, Producer