Dewran Trailer

On this project, Nido Films and Uma Sai is collaborating with Turkish/Alevi Director and Music Producer Safak (Oceavusorientalis) and various Alevi communities throughout Turkey to create "Dewran", a music-driven documentary telling the story of the Alevi people through music, poetry, ritual, and dance.

Alevis are an ancient people of Anatolia now known as Turkey.

Alevis consider Hakk(God), the cosmos, and humanity in a state of total unity.

A central part of Alevis perform ceremonies known as Cems, in these gatherings men and women come together under the same roof to perform ritual and discuss social and spiritual matters. A central part of this ritual is the Zakir (musician) playing the Baglama a sacred stringed instrument that Alevis consider their holy stringed book. Alevi deyiş (hymns) are played and the ritual whirling begins. The sacred dance known as the Semah a set of mystical and aesthetic movements in rhythmic harmony, reflecting the pattern of creation, the spiral of time, the dance between god, cosmos and humanity.

At the end of the ritual Lokma is shared, a sacred food prepared by the community to be shared with the community.

More info - alevinet.org/SAP.aspx?pid=About_en-GB