Bitter Fruits
Grappling with identity and societal expectations
Directed by Paula Buchta
Words by Katie Celia Huelin
Directed by rising German director Paula Buchta, Bitter Fruits authentically captures the struggles of navigating both identity and expectations, in a world that often confines women to predefined roles. Through an authentic portrayal, this poignant short film delves into the emotional landscape of a young Turkish girl searching for solace within her own body amidst societal upheaval.
Bitter Fruits beautifully focuses on mood and emotion - offering a powerful exploration of self-discovery and resilience that viewers can emotionally connect with.
Bitter Fruits authentically navigates a young Turkish girl's search for solace in her body amidst societal turmoil. With a raw-ness and authenticity, you visually and narratively represent this sanctuary she finds - what inspired you to so poignantly depict these themes of struggle with both identity and societal expectations?
Having previously directed a documentary that focused on the role of women in sports and the injustices they face, I was accustomed to approaching projects in a more documentary style. However, during interviews with the lead actress, as well as through my own experiences and those of many young girls around me, I was inspired to create a more abstract and fictional narrative.
Helin Güler's narration feels personal and introspective, drawing us into the protagonist's mind. What inspired this particular choice of narrative and the structure in telling it?
Helin Güler provided the voiceover, though the perspective isn't hers; the text was written by me and influenced by the stories of people around me and own experiences. When it comes to narrative choices, I've always gravitated towards telling stories through emotions and subtlety. For this project, I felt that focusing on emotions rather than actions or dialogue was the most effective way to convey what I wanted to express. My goal was to create an atmosphere rather than deliver an explicit narrative!
How did you approach casting for these nuanced roles and what methods did you employ in your work with the cast to ensure their characters are emotionally resonant?
As I mentioned earlier, I approached this project with a strong documentary mindset. I searched for real female boxers and real siblings in the area, spoke with them, and relied entirely on my instincts. After our conversations, I knew immediately that I wanted to work with them—not only because they fit the roles, but because they truly understood how I wanted to tell my story. They fully embraced both the vision and the content of the project.
The sound design is subtle yet says so much, with Matteo Just's music adding a layer of intensity and intimacy. How did you, Martin Linka and Matteo approach sound to complement the film's visuals and enhance its emotional impact?
What is interesting is, that also my father who is a professional Jazz Guitarist worked on the music with matteo! It’s not easy to hear if you don’t know it but it’s completely based on a real instrument, a guitar, which matches the vibe very well I feel. It’s adding onto the authenticy of the project and that’s what we approached with Martin, who worked on the Sound design as well! We almost all the time decided to go with rather less than more and I’m very thankful Martin was so open to work so subtle and go with that very reduced version in order to keep the authencity and not make it feel like a commercial.
“My goal was to create an atmosphere rather than deliver an explicit narrative!”
How did you find that balance between portraying the protagonist's personal journey with the broader cultural commentary without losing the film's emotional core?
Well I hope I did! I think I just tried to never loose her personal perspective since it is kind of a portray though it was super important to me to have the feeling of a bigger picture and universality for the overall message. I wanted to include a few topics without giving advice to people so the best way is to go with an experience and a feeling of a real person I think and that’s what I tried!
What do you hope your audience take away from Bitter Fruits, especially regarding the struggles with identity and societal pressures?
I hope they feel something while watching it and I hope that it sticks with them and that they may understand that the generation that’s growing up right now faces different struggles then the one’s before them!
What can we expect to see next from you in your filmmaking journey?
Right now I’m working on my first real short film which is very exciting for me and will talk about the coming-of-age period again! It gives me the opportunity to extend the characters, give them more space and words of course, so I’m truly excited to make that happen soon!
Cast: Azra Nur Demirkan and Aysu Naz Demirkan (Impact Gym Augsburg),
Director: Paula Buchta
Dp: Robin Scherm
1stAC: Andreas Thomas
2nAC: Jana Sander
Steadicam: Christoph Werner
Editor: Simon Hartl
Gaffer: Dominik Haberstock
Photo: Quentin Krueger
ep: Karl Scholten
Producer, Luisa Siebert
PA: Giannina Reuter
Sytling: Valerie Specht
Music: Matteo Just and Clemens Buchta
Color: Johan Nurmilehto
Sounddesign: Martin Linka
Voice: Helin Güler
Title and Credit design: Carina Güttler
Special thanks to Boxwerk München, Impact Gym Augsburg, KLT Rental München, Superglas Rent, music-s-cool Tonstudio, David Springl, Tobias Bloier, Max Christmann