Short film 'Green Lanes' starts festival run after completing post-production

Short film ‘Green Lanes’ is preparing to head to film festivals after completing its post-production in the UK.

Set in Haringey, North London, ‘Green Lanes’ follows Yusuf, a young man who brings his girlfriend Fiona home to finally meet his Turkish parents, but the family has to come to terms with a long unspoken tragedy that has afflicted them.

Produced by Tutku Films and starring Nej Adamson, Fisun Burgess, Elizabeth Tan and Güni Koçak, 'Green Lanes' was shot on location in the UK and filmed in both English and Turkish. Güni Koçak wrote and directed the short alongside co-director Marie Drisch.

The short film aims to challenge the stereotypes of Asian minorities in Britain, often depicted in cliche roles, with an inclusive approach to the characters of Muslim faith, so that they are more accurately represented in the context of today’s society.

Güni Koçak and Elizabeth Tan in Green Lanes / © Tutku Films

Actor and filmmaker Güni Koçak noted, “There’s been a lot said about the lack of representation and diversity in the entertainment industry especially in front of and behind the camera. Instead of making demands I took responsibility and asked the question - ‘why is there a lack? Is it a lack of talent? Do we need diversity just for the sake of it?’ The answer came to me like in a dream: Tell a human, personal story about people from underrepresented communities.”

Having consulted with family, friends and people from the Turkish and Southeast Asian community, Koçak developed the characters and drew inspiration from the people he met to create the narrative of the film.

“It’s a story from and about underrepresented voices. At its core, Green Lanes is about collective grief and the importance of family. Having lost family members in recent years, the theme of collective grief, guilt, and self-forgiveness was something that stuck with me. I wanted to weave these emotions into an engaging narrative that examines the consequences of grief and how it affected different family members.”

Green Lanes short film trailer

Film synopsis: When Yusuf brings his girlfriend Fiona (Elizabeth Tan) home to finally meet his Turkish mum (Fisun Burgess) and dad (Nej Adamson), the whole family has to deal and remember an unspoken tragedy.

Having previously directed short film ‘Orhan’, Koçak’s latest film is his second collaboration with DoP Michael Spry, and was shot during the COVID pandemic. The film was also composed by Thom Thomas-Watkins. Filmed in North London, the short is currently being sent to film festivals for screenings this year and in 2022.