Defending the Rights of Nature with Art: Olive Groves' Struggle for the Right to Life Awarded

Two documentaries, directed by Bulut Renas Kaçan and produced by the Doğa Association, have won two awards for their cinematic portrayal of olive groves' struggle for their right to exist and Anatolia's nature-compatible production culture. "Döngü" (Cycle) earned an Honorable Mention at the 32nd International Golden Boll Film Festival held in Adana on September 27th, while "Çağ" (Age) won first prize in the "Spirit of Nature" Short Film Competition, held for the first time this year as part of the 8th Wildlife Festival held in Istanbul on September 28th. Both documentaries were directed by Bulut Renas Kaçan.

The Story of Olive Culture

Selected from 65 films accepted into this year's Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, "Cycle" elevates nature beyond mere spectacle to the very essence of life itself. The film places the interconnectedness between humans and nature at the heart of advocacy for the right to nature. The documentary, which depicts communities' harmonious lifestyles with nature, their culture of solidarity, and their collaborative production practices, reminds us that we are part of the cycles that nourish the continuity of life.

Olive culture is a way of life that has endured for thousands of years . It's an example of a culture shaped by nature's constitution, claiming only one of three rights, coexisting with snakes, squirrels, and blackbirds. The film "Döngü" brings to the big screen the story of an ancient valley that resists all destruction, intertwining olives, people, living beings, and nonliving beings.

“The Camera Makes Room for People and Trees”

According to writer Tuba Büdüş of FilmHafızası, “Döngü establishes nature-friendly olive cultivation in a village in Seferihisar through daily practices, without resorting to a “struggle narrative.” The approximately 30-40-minute runtime deliberately leaves the threat-conflict-victory scheme of classic environmental documentaries behind; it explains step by step the year-round schedule (weed management, pasture farming, harvesting, and conservation methods) followed by local producers. Thus, instead of abstract “ecology discourse,” the film presents a working model: how it’s done, why it’s done this way, what changes in the end?”

The director stands back, the camera making room for the man and the tree. Thus, in the finale, "ecology" remains a lived practice rather than a slogan. The established cycle inverts the conventional framework of olive documentaries and demonstrates what can be done.

The Age Shows That Environmentally Friendly Production Is Possible

The documentary "Ağ" highlights the modern knitting technique, a nature-friendly production method still practiced in Anatolia. Used in the early olive groves of İzmir, this method supports the biodiversity of olive forests and increases their resilience to climate change. The film demonstrates that environmentally friendly production is possible and that ancient knowledge can shed light on the challenges we face today, such as climate change and drought.

Director Bulut Renas Kaçan said, “Our goal is to defend the rights of nature through art. 'Döngü' reveals our good relationship with nature in the fight against it, and how this relationship is maintained. This film is the collective voice of everyone who defends nature. This award belongs to everyone who defends the rights of nature.” He added, “'Döngü' is receiving the attention we expected. After Adana and Istanbul, it became one of the finalists in the 12th Bozcaada International Ecological Documentary Festival (BİFED). It will continue to meet its audiences through various festivals and special screenings in the coming days.”