The documentary Vibe Istanbul, which explores the underground journey of electronic music in Turkey, was screened at Beyoğlu Cinema as part of the Istanbul Film Festival. Directed by Saeed Nasiri and Nafise Motlagh, the documentary is narrated by İzzet Öz, the legendary name of Turkish radio.
Dance Floors in Istanbul
Featuring important figures of the music world such as Mehmet Cavcı, Mercan Dede, Murat Uncuoğlu, Birol Giray, Mahmut Orhan, Dubfire and Boris Brejcha, the documentary focuses on the culture of rebellion and the search for freedom created by the post-1980 generations on the dance floor.
“This documentary is a tribute to the generations that gained their freedom by dancing in a turbulent geography. It is a love letter to Istanbul. We wanted to show how a dance music culture that is associated with global centers such as Berlin and Amsterdam has sprouted in Istanbul.”
“Istanbul is Multilayered”
Nafise Motlagh, one of the directors of the documentary, expressed her satisfaction with the great interest shown in the screening and said:
“It was very valuable for us to bring the music culture of a multi-layered city like Istanbul to the cinema. The alternative universe offered by electronic music has been a space of freedom for many generations. We wanted to tell this universe together with the people who built it.”
In the post-screening discussion, with the contributions and questions of the audience, it was emphasized that the documentary is not only a narrative of the past, but also a call for the present and the future. A powerful memory work on how alternative cultures can be made visible, Vibe Istanbul stands out as a document that captures the rhythm of not only music but also social transformation.
About Saeed Nasiri
Born in 1979 in Tehran, Iran, Saeed Nasiri started his professional career as a photojournalist in Iran. With more than 20 years of experience in visual arts, Nasiri has worked with local and foreign news agencies such as BBC Persian, Voice of America and IRNA. In 2005, he decided to continue his career abroad and continued his work in England, the Netherlands and Bulgaria. In 2007, she moved to Istanbul and became one of the founding partners of Lorcaist Production. During this period, he worked on local and international film productions. Nasiri continues to work in his own studio Dorna and continues to produce in the fields of cinematography and filmmaking.
