Turkey and Greece / 2006 / 47mins / Documentary / Turkish

Although all the countries in the Muslim world have abolished slavery, including Saudi Arabia in 1966, the social suffering and discrimination suffered by slave descendants nevertheless continues to have an effect today. This film tells the history of Mustafa Olpak, whose African grandfather was bought as a domestic slave by an Ottoman Turkish family. While his grandfather may have been legally a free man, he was still unable to feed all his children, and so he gave up one his daughters for adoption to an unknown family. Movingly Mustafa tells how his father rediscovered his sister who had once vanished into adoption. In 2006, Mustafa Olpak organized the first meeting of Afro-Turks with similar histories. Winner of the UNESCO Jury award Breaking The Chains' Prize.

Gül Büyükbese Muyan

Gül Büyükbese Muyan was born in 1963 in Ankara, Turkey. She recieved the Television Award from TRT Ankara Television for the program The Loosers. Muyan served as Program Director of MUI, and is currently working as Director of Documentary Programs. She is a member of the Belgesel Sinemacılar Birliği (Association of Documentary Filmmakers) (BSB). Learn More