Young Adventurer Elif Koyutürk
Elif Koyutürk, born in Istanbul in 1993, is an internationally award-winning young adventurer, a rising director and a photographer... An artist who puts a smile on everyone's face and whose sincerity and work we admire, Elif spoke to us in a short interview...
What was your education like?
After 12 years at TED, I continued my education at Bilgi. During that time I studied cinematography for a year in Spain and was invited to a certificate programme in Norway. But of course, I'd say education is only 20% of this job. What matters is being out there and working, and working has given me a great deal of experience.
We got to know you through the lovely films you made with Transanatolia and Serkan Özdemir. How did this adventure begin for you in the motorsport community?
When I was 17, my childhood friend Kaan Sayın started taking me to off-road meetups every weekend. I grew up on a farm anyway, and I have always loved nature. On those weekends, with the mix of nature and four-wheel-drive vehicles, I began to build a very good relationship with motorsport too, and in 2015 I made a race film for Transanatolia. Viewers really liked it and I got a lot of positive feedback, and one of those who got in touch was Serkan Özdemir. I directed and shot Serkan's Dakar promotional film. We reached a nice audience and held screenings. It is a community I truly respect, and you can't do it without loving it. After a shoot we are covered in mud, and I remember kilos of sand coming out of my shoes the moment I got back to the hotel! Then there are the times when you can't get back at night and end up stuck on the road, pitching a tent and lighting a fire to wait for morning. I know I have edited or finished my writing in a tent many times, but it isn't for nothing that they say the best things happen outside your comfort zone.
In 2015, with the shoots you did for Red Bull at the Turkish Rally Championship, you left us in awe of both your creativity and the quality of your videos... How did the rally adventure you followed for 8 months in Turkey begin?
My journey with Red Bull started in 2012. It has always been one of my top five favourite brands, and shooting rallies for them for 8 months was tiring but priceless and wonderful. At every rally we shot, edited and produced two videos a day. I had one more crew mate with me, and the 2015 Turkish Rally Championship was an unforgettable memory for me.
The short video you made about Yağız Avcı's title in the Turkish Rally Championship caught our attention and we liked it very much. Will you shoot a longer version?
In my view, Yağız Avcı is one of the most respected competitors in the Turkish Rally Championship. He is a respectful, sporting person and became a friend of mine during the 8 months of rally shooting. I made a small edit of his title fight in one hour and it was very well received. But we have no plan for a long-form piece today. Maybe we will in the future! Why not...
We also know you from international productions outside Turkey. How did you come to start working abroad?
I worked as a cameraperson on the Hard-Enduro series in Brazil, produced by Red Bull Media House and Throttle Entertainment. I had the chance to meet the team at the Red Bull Sea to Sky enduro race in Kemer, where I was the director and producer for KTM. To cut a long story short, they watched my films and liked them very much. Two months later I was in Brazil, and a month after that I started working with KISKA, KTM's production company. I began shooting big-budget motorcycle commercials and brand stories. It was a 7-month adventure and I gained wonderful experience and people. Everything developed in a connected way; what matters is that the right people see the right thing in the right place...
You have achieved great things at such a young age. Most recently, the short film you made on your own, "Good Morning Luise", was widely praised. Congratulations, you showed the other side of your work beautifully, away from motorsport. How did the shoot of this film come about?
Thank you so much! Human stories are very important to me; I am always searching for a story. Luise came to Austria during the Second World War and is now 91 years old. She has always inspired me. Luise lived on the floor below me while I was living in Austria. One morning I went downstairs and we shot it in two hours. It turned out to be a lovely portrait film. Since it isn't certain yet, I can't name them, but we will be seeing Luise at festivals this summer.
What is the most important thing in life for you?
Family and a person's belief in themselves. Nothing stands in the way of someone who believes in themselves, and that matters more than anything. My family are the ones who instilled this vision in me. They are valuable people, very much so...
We also really liked your photographs that won the "Sony Photography Awards Commended Photographer" and Travel + Leisure's "100 Most Beautiful Photographs in the World" awards. What are your plans for 2017, will there be new photography exhibitions?
Yes, I will actually have a few exhibitions. One of them will open at the Austrian Consulate in April, and I look forward to seeing our readers there too!
What are your plans for the future?
I am preparing to shoot a film right now, it's a surprise! As for my future plans, I intend to keep producing work in America for a while. We'll see... Everything depends on hard work and luck.
Thank you Elif, I wish you continued success. Keep making us proud...
Link to the Good Morning Luise film: www.vimeo.com/193306686
Link to the Details in Nature film: www.vimeo.com/189763745
Instagram link: www.instagram.com/eliffkoyuturk
