My Child (2013) in Nottingham

Cuneyt Cakirlar hosted a screening event for the documentary My Child (2013). Can Candan’s feature documentary focuses on a Turkey-based activist collective initiated by the parents of LGBTI individuals in Turkey (LISTAG). LISTAG, founded in 2008, is a solidarity and support group for friends, families and especially parents of LGBT individuals, actively working against homophobia, transphobia, discrimination and hate crimes in Turkey. To gain visibility, the group participates in discussions, panels and conferences in cooperation with NGOs and universities in Turkey. Candan’s feature documentary recounts these parents’ experiences. http://www.mychilddocumentary.com

My Child has been travelling in international festivals and its public visibility in Turkey had become an important catalyst that facilitated debates in the Turkish parliament on LGBTI rights. Mr Candan visited the UK with 2 members of LISTAG under the sponsorship of British Embassy in Ankara. NTU hosted them in Nottingham and the film was shown at Broadway Cinema on 1 December 2014. The event was followed by a Q&A session with the director and the LISTAG members, Mr Metehan Özkan and Ms Sema Yakar. 

For the Introduction and Q&A, please see below. Special thanks to NTU students Darrell Bickley, Hafsa Mirza, Umair Naushashi and Laura Shenton for preparing the film.