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"Goodness is an Endless Challenge Against Darkness" - Interview with Hatice Aşkın
July 28, 2025
By Bessy ADUT
Hatice Aşkın is a Turkish screenwriter and director. Her debut feature, "The House with No Address", a Turkish-Greek co-production, was supported by Eurimages, one of Europe’s prestigious cinema funds. The film premiered at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and was later screened to full houses at prestigious festivals across multiple continents. "The House with No Address" won the Best Art Direction award at the 44th Istanbul Film Festival. She is currently working on her second feature film.
Where are you located?
I’m based in Istanbul, Turkey.
What are your current projects?
The past five years were largely devoted to The House with No Address. As the film’s journey continues through premieres, I am deeply focused on a brand new chapter: my second feature film.
Please share how you started and got to where you are today...
I started writing short stories when I was a child. I even won an award for one I wrote at around the age of eleven, actually (laughs.) While studying Turkish Language and Literature at Ege University, I was required, as part of a course, to prepare a presentation using the cinema method, which was assigned to me by lot. That was my first experience working with a camera, and it allowed me to discover my passion for cinema. After completing my degree, I made the bold decision to pursue directing and applied to university again, and the following year, I was accepted into the Film Design program at Dokuz Eylül University. During my studies, I’ve directed five short films, which have received awards at various national and international film festivals. The screenplay for my first feature film, The House with No Address, was my graduation thesis.
Has it been a smooth road?
A smooth journey is a journey without a story. A creative path, especially in a multilayered field like cinema, is rarely smooth, and this path doesn’t follow a straight line. Like a well-edited film, life is full of ups and downs, complex twists, uncertainties, and turns. Cinema is like an inner excavation—you constantly encounter yourself, your limits, and the unknown with each new project. Over time, I’ve learned that instead of seeking a smooth road, discovering the meaning within the roughness is far more valuable. Every challenge in my journey deepened me as a director and became a part of my cinematic language. The most powerful stories often arise not from the narrator but from the journey itself, and sometimes from the most fragile moments.
Could you tell us more about your life and career?
My debut feature film, The House with No Address, is a Turkey-Greece co-production dystopian film. We held the world premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last November. Since then, the film’s circulation has expanded across a geographical area spanning from Europe to Asia and the Americas. Screenings in different cultural contexts have allowed us to explore the universal resonances of the themes the film carries. While the premiere journey continues at full speed, we are simultaneously carrying out preparations for the film’s release.
What do you think goodness is?
Goodness is a fragile light, born in the dark tones of life. With each act, it softens the world a little more. As Tarkovsky said, goodness is an existential battle to break down the darkness within us and allow the absolute victory of light. It is not merely a choice, but an endless challenge against darkness—the purest form of courage that revives hope.
Who are you outside of your professional life?
Outside of my work as a director, I frequently travel with a focus on visiting original works of art in painting and sculpture. I’m gathering a collection of old printed books from different regions of the world. I also maintain a strong interest in literature and philosophy. When I’m in Istanbul, I occasionally devote my time to oil painting.
Are you interested in environmental issues?
I’m interested in environmental issues. The crisis our world is currently undergoing demands a confrontation not only on an individual level but also on social and artistic planes. The way we relate to nature, reflects the deep connections humans have with both their own self-awareness and other living beings. The current state of the world necessitates that individual, social, and artistic responsibilities should be assumed with greater awareness and determination.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go (and why)?
If the boundaries of space and time could be transcended, I would choose—on a purely intellectual level—to travel to the ancient Library of Alexandria, in its original state before it was consumed by fire and lost to history. Because it was one of the most profound and idealistic bonds humanity has ever formed with knowledge. Alexandria was a unique intellectual habitat, where Aristotelian thought had resonated, natural philosophy had become systematic, and the East and West had engaged in a vibrant scholarly exchange. Being there would be far more than a mere world tour in the modern sense.
Please provide media links to share...
Trailer of The House with No Address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL4hUEfv394
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