May 21, 2023

Wooden Toy Workshop with Bahçeşehir University Youth TEMA Club.

In this free event, we created wooden toys with club members. Morale toys made by the members were sent to earthquake victims.

Who is Bahçeşehir University Youth TEMA Club?

Established in 2018, it is a community affiliated with the TEMA Foundation. It manages the vision, mission, and values of the TEMA Foundation in line with its goals and strategies. The club aims to provide education to young individuals, protect nature, and organize activities to guide towards sustainable living. It strives to have a quality time with colleagues with organizing events.

Related links:

https://www.instagram.com/baugenctema/

January 21, 2023

Tarsus American College Alumni Exclusive Film Screening: SELFIE!

At the event organized in collaboration with the Tarsus American College Alumni Association Istanbul Branch, we hosted a special screening of the short film ‘Selfie!’ by our 2009 graduate Gökcan İlbay, who was a finalist in Italy at the end of 2022.

Following the screening, we had a discussion about the film with our graduate Jo Amado, who is the producer and director.

Participants from the Tarsus American College Art Club also enriched our evening with their own stories and projects.

Selfie | Short Film

Synopsis:

Selman and Fidan wake up to a sunny morning in present-day Istanbul, spending most of their lives, like all other millennials, sharing extensively on social media. One day, after meeting and getting to know each other at a cafe, Sel and Fi decide to meet in the evening. However, their friends who follow their lives through their phones are about to encounter an unexpected scene.

The Fine Selfie of My Idea

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Everyone has an entrance and exit on the stage; in fact, the communication and relationships they establish with each other are a play. Those who take on these roles change, the world changes, but the stage remains unchanged; although the roles may seem to have changed, they are actually the same. Seeing this social impression, that Shakespeare put into words in the past, is not entirely unexpected today in cinema . I’m not trying to present something unknown or unseen to you. Just like when you decide to open your phone’s front camera and take a selfie, suddenly you come face to face with your own face as if looking at a familiar but perhaps tangled hair profile; Selfie is, in fact, a front camera we open to our own lives. Anyway, let me not prolong the talk further, my only expectation from you… Expectation? What a silly word. Press ‘play,’ watch until you get bored. If you like it, take a selfie.

Who is Gökcan İlbay?

Part 1:
I was born, I grew up, I went to Tarsus American College.

Part 2:
In my career spanning from Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City, I produced works that made a difference and solved problems. I was involved in advertising production stage and idea generation. In addition to pre-production (idea writing, board drawing, visual work), I also did post-production (editing, sound, color), and brand presentations. I worked with Malcolm Soh in Ho Chi Minh City and Barney Chua in Kuala Lumpur. I have award-winning short films, a broadcast documentary, and experimental Instagram stories. I was born in Beyoğlu, grew up in Nişantaşı, I’m a Beverly Hills kid. I lived within the borders of the Khmer Empire. I woke up in the early morning to watch Arsenal matches with the public.

Part 3:
Like every hero, I returned home. I blend my experiences with the values that make us who we are, and I continue on the path to being a leader, like my older brothers and sisters who inspired and guided me when I was little and who continued to be my friends and comrades as I grew up. I love you all very much.