Hemshins: A journey through the impact of urbanisation and migration on the loss of culture and language
‘Hemshins’ is a short film that follows the daily routine of an elderly Hemshin grandmother living in a remote village in the mountains of Hopa, Türkiye. With most of her children having moved away to big cities, she is left with only her daughter. The film captures their slow and quiet daily life as they make yoghurt, collect eggs, and speak in the Hemshin language. The film highlights the impact of urbanisation and migration on the loss of culture and language, using the example of the protagonist, Elmas.
Watch the film
Related content
11 May 2023
Music Beyond Borders: A short film about anti-Kurdish discrimination in Türkiye
Join us in exploring the powerful story of a banned language and a silenced culture. This short film takes you back to the 1980s in…
24 May 2023
Ana: A Journey of Resilience and Resistance in Istanbul’s Alevi Community
Ana is a film about Sevim Yalıncakoğlu, a 43-year-old accountant who leads a congregation of Alevi people in Okmeydanı, an Alevi ghetto…
18 May 2023
Anybody Hear Me: A short film that explores the endangered Kirmancki dialect
‘Anybody Hear Me’ is a poignant film about the Kirmancki language of Kurdish, which is at risk of linguistic…
1 June 2023
Karin: The journey of a minority para-athlete
Karin is a documentary about the life of a minority para-athlete from Türkiye‘s Armenian community. Despite…
A still from the film.
This content was published in the context of the programme ‘Strengthening the capacity of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in Türkiye’ (MARC). Learn more >
This content represents the views of Minority Rights Group only and is its sole responsibility. The European Union does not accept any responsibility for the use that may be made of the information it contains.
