The Hagia Sophia documentary describes one of the greatest monuments in the history of world architecture, the historical, cultural and political past of a magnificent building whose history stretches right back to the 4th century.
"The Ballad of the Wood" reveals the traditional architecture of the houses of the Western Black Sea region for centuries has been passed down from father to son, from master to apprentice through secrets and a technique known as "canti". Some of the houses shown have been standing for the last 100 to 150 years. The film honors the great craftsman of the past who utilized the "dizeme" technique through an emphasis on structures that are 300 years old. These examples are some of the most unique to be found in the Western Black Sea region. This craft has been passed down from generation to generation. Now only a few old and tired practitioners are left and they reveal to the camera their anti-earthquake construction techniques. The average age of the craftsmen is 80 years old.
Documents rapidly vanishing old houses and craftsmen in the mountainous eastern Black Sea region. The nail-less dovecoting construction of old log cabins withstands earthquakes. Sites in villages like Savsat were chosen both for their protection from snow and avalanches, and built on the poorest soil to leave the meagre arable areas for cultivation. In Ikizdere there are still stone and half-timbered structures. All these spacious homes are notable for their interior panelled walls and ceiling, elaborately carved and embellished. Various other techniques in Sumene and Rize are illustrated.
Reflects life, longings and a major “fear” in the subconscious of a 12-years old “woodcutter” girl living under very hard conditions in the forest of Toros Mountains at an altitude of approximately 2000 m. The documentary, aiming to symbolize a little-known but common practice of child labour, accomplishes a dramatic portrayal of laborers who work for Ministery of Forestry totally deprived of social security.
In 1976, Suha Arin was a tutor at the faculty of Social Sciences of Ankara University at the Press and Publishing Department (today's Communication Faculty). Like many of his films, the documentary "Safranbolu: Reflections of Time" was filmed with the help of a group of enthusiastic students. Safranbolu presents some of the few surviving examples of striking traditional Turkish architecture. The beauty of houses as well as the negative impacts of the passage of time are reflected in the documentary "Safranbolu: Reflections of Time" one of the aims of the film was to raise public awareness of the need for protection for culture and nature.
The documentary "Kariye", which introduces an "art monument" of Istanbul with a history of 700 years, showcases the artistic features of the colorful paintings that adorn the galleries of the Kariye Mosque (Chora Church). While the documentary introduces Kariye (Chora), it carries "voices" from all cultures that have existed in and around it for 700 years. The film also interprets a cultural continuity and interaction ranging from Byzantine hymns to Orthodox prayers, from the call to prayer to Ottoman takbirs, with a distinct sound pattern.
Approximately 3300 years ago, on a cuneiform tablet, the Hittite King Muvatalli begged the Storm God. However, a hundred years later, severe storms blew over Anatolia, and the "Land of Hatti" and what we call the "Land of the Hittite" today became a pile of stones and earth, from one end to the other. But this civilization still lives on the traces they left in Anatolia and will continue to live for centuries. The documentary "From Hattis to Hittites", produced by Suha Arın in 1974 with the support of the Turing and Automobile Association, as the first film in the "Traces of Anatolian Civilizations" series, is restored 45 years later from original negatives and magnetic sound tapes.
