North American Premiere
Stuck in a big city in a mind-numbing domestic routine, a young poetess finds herself at a crossroads and yearning for a change. Stifled by her role as a mother and wife and unable to express her identity as an artist, she sinks into a crippling depression. When her partner tries to help her find her way out, she makes the decision to leave him — and their young son — to pursue a journey of self-rediscovery. That quest takes her deep into the Turkish countryside and there, surrendering to a simpler way of life, she starts to feel alive again.
What Remains marks another strong entry by renowned Turkish director and VIFF alumna Yeşim Ustaoğlu, who tackles the taboo of a mother abandoning her child head on. This quiet, nuanced drama unfolds as a meditation on female roles, responsibilities, and creativity, and Öykü Karayel delivers a masterful, understated performance as a young woman finding the strength to put herself first.
Community Partner
Öykü Karayel, Metin Akdülger, Ali Kayra Kul, İlyas Salman
Turkey/Luxembourg/
France/Bulgaria
2026
In Turkish with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Yeşim Ustaoglu, Anna Maria Aslanoğlu, Behrooz Hashemian
Screenwriter
Yeşim Ustaoğlu
Cinematography
Kiril Prodanov
Editor
Mathilde Muyard
Production Design
Osman Özcan
Original Music
Şevket Akıncı
Yeşim Ustaoğlu
Yeşim Ustaoğlu has showcased her rich filmography of works across major global film festivals, including the Berlinale, Venice, TIFF, San Sebastián, Sundance, and Tokyo. Her notable films include award-winning titles The Trace (1994), Journey to the Sun (1999), Waiting for the Clouds (2004), Somewhere in Between (2012), and Clair Obscur (2016), among others. In 2008, she won the Golden Shell for Best Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival for Pandora’s Box (2008), which also earned its leading actress, Tsilla Chelton, the Silver Shell for Best Actress.
Filmography: Araf/Somewhere in Between (2012); Clair Obscur (2016); On the Dry Rock (2026)
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