A movie that sheds light on early marriage

Research Assistant Sertaç Koyuncu’s short film project ‘Are Monsters Real?’ was selected as the first place in the 19th Bridge Meetings workshops and received the Public Film Award. The short film was chosen among 143 projects by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Cinema General Directorate and received Short Film Production Support.
Research Assistant Sertaç Koyuncu from Yaşar University Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Film Design and Management, won the Public Film Award worth 50,000 TL by being selected as the first place by the jury of the 19th Bridge Meetings platform held within the scope of the Istanbul Film Festival. Among 74 applicants, the jury selected 7 finalists and justified their decision with the following words:
“We were impressed by the intelligent use of genre cinema and cultural elements in this project, which stands out with the strong and clear vision of the filmmakers. The award was given to Sertaç Koyuncu’s film ‘Are Monsters Real?’.
Additionally, the short film was selected among 143 projects and received Short Film Production Support worth 150,000 TL from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Cinema General Directorate, being one of the 28 projects chosen. Directed by Sertaç Koyuncu, the film team includes Diler Ercan as the producer and Hubeyb Üzüm as the screenwriter. The illustrations designed for the film were prepared by illustrator Sevgi Mülayim and storyboarding artist Dilan Boğukoğlu. Supported by Izmir Cinema Office, the shooting of the project is planned to start in Balıklıova, Izmir in September 2024.
Koyuncu had previously received Script and Dialogue Writing Support from the Cinema General Directorate for his feature film project ‘Yeryüzünden’ and a Post-Production Award from the Antalya Film Festival.
“Highlighting Dowry Culture and Early Marriage”
‘Are Monsters Real?’ tells the story of eight-year-old Suzan living in a village in Aegea. When cousin Idil visits and tells Suzan the story of monsters living under her bed, Suzan gets deeply involved in the story. She asks her mother if there are monsters under her bed and discovers previously locked dowry items coming out of a chest. The film is also notable for a complex and detailed VFX (visual effects) planned to be used in the final scene where a dowry pillow comes to life and swallows the little girl.
The film’s theme revolves around the idea that dowry items prepared and collected to support a girl about to get married can sometimes turn into a form of violence and coercion if there are traumatic experiences in the stories of those items. Sertaç Koyuncu, explaining the remarkable aspects of the film’s theme, stated, “Starting from this point, the film creates an aesthetic that associates some dowries as objects that take away young girls’ freedom to build their own lives and matches them with monsters living under the bed. We aim to draw attention to the fact that in some circumstances, dowry culture can turn into a form of psychological violence and coercion. We point out that encouraging girls to marry at a very young age could be an obstacle to their potentials.”
“Use of Special Effects”
One of the interesting points of the project is the use of visual effects in the final scene, as mentioned by Koyuncu. He said, “A complex post-production process is anticipated for the scene where a dowry pillow comes to life and swallows the little girl. Consultation is sought from leading special effects companies in the industry for a detailed workflow including texture and model production, 3D animation, compositing, and color grading. Visual effects design, an important area of expertise where software, technology, and design intersect, is expected to appear in more short films in the coming years.”