The “found story” in Derviş Zaim’s cinema: documentary reality through the possibilities of digital cinema

Abstract

Derviş Zaim’s cinema is a cinema of exploration. Zaim blends “found story” with fiction, constructing a framework in which content and form reinforce each other. His films Somersault in a Coffin (1996) and Cycle (2013), based on real events and characters, are rooted in found stories drawn from the fabric of life. Zaim’s latest film, Tavuri (2023), is a cinéma vérité style documentary that chronicles the last five years of the life of con artist Mustafa Serttaş. The possibilities offered by digital cinema contribute significantly to Zaim’s journey along the boundaries between documentary and fiction. This study examines how Derviş Zaim incorporates Siegfried Kracauer’s concept of the “found story” into the narrative structure of his films, focusing on his use of digital technology while experimenting with different forms and styles within the context of auteur theory. The aim is to analyse the selected films in terms of characters, plot, setting, mise-en-scène, and editing.