Scriptwriter
Born:
17.12.1978, Istanbul, Turkey
Education:
MA: Department of Cinema, Fine Arts Faculty, Beykent University
BA: Communications Faculty, Marmara University
Place of Residence:
Istanbul (Turkey)
Biography
After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Marmara University – Communications Faculty, Burçak Üzen Açık got her master’s degree from Beykent University – Fine Arts Faculty, Department of Cinema. She worked in various advertising agencies as a copywriter and in the production department. After she produced several short films as a producer, writer and director, in 2016 she directed and written her first feature film BEGINNER with support fromTurkish Ministry of Culture.
Sample of previous work
Projects in development
HAVA’NIN TOHUMU / OFFSPRING
feature fiction
developed script
Offspring describes a magical journey through a woman’s inner world. The adventure of Hava, who makes this journey, represents the subconsciousness of a young urban woman during the ‘abortion’ process.
Attached to the project: director, co-writer
Looking for: producer, co-producer
Keywords: abortion, woman, fantastic, young generation
Filmography and Awards
2019 OFFSPRING, feature, writer/director
2016 BEGINNER, feature, writer/director
2014 METAPLASIA, short, writer/director
My five favourite films
- Wadjda (2012)
by Haifaa Al-Mansour - Amour (2012)
by Michael Haneke - Biutiful (2010)
by Alejandro González Iñárritu - Mr. Nobody (2009)
byJaco Van Dormael - Frances Ha (2012)
by Noah Baumbach
Favourite scene I wrote
INT.HOME/LIVING ROOM – DAY
Hava jumps and wakes up from this terrible dream.
She tries to pull herself together.
She feels nauseous and runs to the bathroom.
The camera is in the living room. We hear the puke effects.
She comes back, lies down on the couch, turns on the TV…
She watches TV.
Commercials on.
A diaper commercial.
TV COMMERCIAL
From your heart for their comfort…
she deserves the best for a good
sleep.
Hava switches the channel. Baby food commercial. She is onthe commercial.
TV COMMERCIAL
First your baby will crawl, then
take the first step and run… you
will always be there. You will
look into your baby’s eyes and go
like “you can do it”. The Natural
Selomak Baby Food… your baby will
take all the nutrition it needs
and grow up perfectly.
The “Hava” in the commercial can’t hold the baby… she can’t feed it. Everything goes wrong. Hava finds this odd… she stands up and heads for the TV. Another commercial starts
A condom commercial. Hava holds a pregnancy test with the double line. Hava in the living room looks at the screen. She sees herself on TV drinking and speaking.
TV COMMERCIAL
An unused condom in my right hand…
and a used pregnancy test in my
left hand… and this is a bottle of
whiskey. Now it is time for
packshot and the slogan. Piece of
cake! Put this on! Tear the
package, grab your weenie and put
it into the condom.
Hava watches herself in shock in silence.
Another commercial starts. A perfect family with two kids get into a car. A pretty wife, a handsome husband and lovely kids. The narrative
voice starts talking about the features of the car.
TV COMMERCIAL
With its excess interior and the
special design, Hundewai Focus is
the perfect choice for the perfect
family! Create the best memories
for your kids… we’ll create the
comfort for it.
My favourite film quote
“Ki-woo, you know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all. You know why? If you make a plan, life never works out that way.”
–
Parasite (2019)
