Exam on the Edge of Time

Before they even buried their deceased, they were already plunged into the anxiety of exams after the earthquake in Hatay. For many students, the university entry exam became a way out of a city where they had lost all their memories. Meanwhile, their teachers, perhaps unknowingly, were building their own utopia. In this period of civil inattention, as they struggled to memorise exam content, they also tried to push away the memories of their ruined city. But each exam question reminded the students of something—of distances, of the state, or of a pile of debris by the sea. If the memory of a city is imprisoned in that debris by the sea, then the effort of those trying to build a future becomes nothing but an exam taken on the edge of time.

Director: İlkay Nişancı

İlkay Nişancı studied Radio-TV and Cinema at Istanbul University, earning his master’s Degree in Journalism and a Ph.D. in the same field. Combining theory with practice, he worked as a director, cinematographer, and editor in short films and documentaries. As a faculty member at Istanbul University, he taught film directing, cinematography, and editing and has also collaborated with the film and TV industry, directing and editing documentaries, fiction films, commercials, and music videos. Currently an assistant professor, he continues to blend academic work with creative pursuits in film and music.