Mikes Film Talk

The 2024 short film Shadows of Violence prove that memories are, or can be, murder: To live with and to erase.

Written by Erdeniz Tunç, this is his third short as writer and producer. Can Sagir directs Shadow of Violence and it stars Ahmet Atakul as Cenk, the central character.

The story

A doctor is questioning Cenk. He talks about the lad’s good upbringing and how surprised he is to see someone like Cenk there. The young man does not speak, instead we see what has put him in this position. During a double date with his friend Batu, Cenk goes for cigarettes. When he returns his life is changed forever.

This one works

At just over 6 and half minutes Shadow of Violence works beautifully. The tale itself is told through flashbacks. We see the start of the fateful night and follow it through to the fatal conclusion.

Sagir edits this short film adroitly. He blends each scene immaculately in order to bring us to the movie’s undeniable truth. The director, who also produced and worked as editor and cinematographer could well be the next Robert Rodriguez.

*Rodriguez is well known as a cottage industry when it comes to his movies. He does everything.*

Atakul is spot on as the clearly conflicted Cenk. His journey back to the shadow of violence shows on his face during the interview. The flashbacks show him to be a good guy out to have a good time with his pal Batu Serkan Üzüm.

Kudos to Cahit Kasikcilar as the doctor in this short film. He conveys a range of emotion. Something that is all the more admirable as Cenk, the character does not respond to anything.

One complaint

The night sequences are really dark. It was difficult to see the characters as they played out the robbery scene aftermath. Still, this was the only complaint. Shadow of Violence (Şiddetin Gölgesi), as mentioned above, beautifully.

The Verdict

Shadow of Violence is a 4.5 star effort. I did take a half star off for the darkness issue. These is some violence, a shadow of it one might say, and very little blood. No foul language or nudity. The film can be seen on YouTube. Go check it out and see what you think.

This was a splendid bit of film making. Kudos to the team who put this one together.