Your Honour

Director: Bircan Birol

Producer: Reece Cargan

Synopsis

Law student Efruz lives under constant threat to her safety and well-being for being transgender in today’s authoritarian Turkey.

Her friend Bircan films her over the years, from Efruz’s transition to becoming a pioneering trans law student in the country. When Efruz’s dream of becoming a human rights lawyer is challenged more than ever, and her future hangs in the balance, the two friends set out on a journey to find strength in the past.

Unearthing both painful and happy memories, they also find hope in their friendship, marked by a unique resilience called “gullüm,” a collective resistance infused with laughter.

Their last stop is an imaginary courtroom where Efruz can freely dream and truly be herself—ready to say her final goodbye to the judges of her life.

Bircan Birol

Bircan Birol is a documentary filmmaker working between Scotland and Turkey. After a period in journalism, she found her true passion in creative documentaries.

In 2019, she directed her first short creative documentary, My Name is Anik, as part of the Bridging the Gap programme at the Scottish Documentary Institute.

Since 2019, Bircan has been working on her debut feature documentary, Your Honour, while continuing to make short films. Her work explores themes of belonging, personal and communal resilience and resistance.

Project Updates

Your Honour is in funded development with Screen Scotland and took part in Eurodoc local workshop

Bircan won the IDA Supported Artist Award after her successful pitch as part of Close up Initiative

Bircan and producer Reece Cargan will pitch Your Honour at IDFA Forum pitch in November 2024.

Reece Cargan:

"We are applying for production funding in 2025 and looking to attach co-producers who can work with us creatively and help us work with an internationally established editor.

We are also keen to chat sales and distribution after our IDFA forum pitch".