Doha Film Institute
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Hilal Short Film Programme
Matters of the Heart – Short Films Programme (15+)
Enjoy moving stories about the bonds that sustain us. ‘Matters of the Heart’ presents a cinematic exploration of relationships, capturing life’s most heartfelt moments with honesty and sensitivity.
A building manager’s obsession with a strange smell leads him to take drastic steps against the new basement tenants.
A suspicious building manager becomes fixated on a mysterious smell he believes is coming from new tenants in the basement. Determined to evict them, he embarks on a campaign to gather signatures from the other residents. As tensions rise, the film subtly unravels themes of prejudice, fear, and community dynamics. Through dark humour and tense interactions, the story offers a reflection on human behaviour and the often-misguided efforts to maintain control.

Credits

Director
Ömer Ferhat Özmen
Screenwriter
Ömer Ferhat Özmen
Producer
Rûken Tekeş, Ömer Ferhat Özmen
Co-Producer
Deniz Eyüboğlu Aydın, Gizem Alpay, Ali Aga, Vefa Geylani
Cinematographer
Deniz Eyüboğlu Aydın
Editor
Ali Aga
Sound
Noyan Coşarer
Cast
Müfit Kayacan
Erol Babaoglu
Nalan Kuruçim
Senan Kara
Cem Uslu

About the Director

Ömer Ferhat Özmen
Ömer Ferhat Özmen, born in Bitlis in 1993, is a Turkish-Kurdish filmmaker. He graduated from Marmara University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, specialising in Film Design. His debut short, ‘Beyoğlu Cinema’, won 15 awards and screened at over 50 festivals. His second film, ‘Karganın Aşınan Gagası’, received support from the Ministry of Culture. His most recent short, ‘Minus One’, premiered at the Clermont