Once Upon a Time in The Future: 2121 (2024)

Director: Serpil Altin
Stars: Sukeyna Kiliç, Aysenil Samlioglu, Selen Öztürk

100 years from now when humans are forced underground by an ecological disaster and living in bunkers throughout the world. Newborns are prized, middle-aged people are good for labor and the elderly are harvested. When a woman has an unplanned pregnancy, her mother is now in jeopardy and she must figure out how to help her mother escape before the harvesters come to collect her organs…

Once Upon a Time in the Future: 2121 sets the bar quite high by collecting numerous awards at various festivals before its theatrical release. Serpil Altin, through her ideas, plot, casting choices, and the unique qualities she brings to the film, challenges other directors who wish to make feature-length science fiction films to push their imaginations considerably. The director, who cleverly constructs a dystopian future, also earns the title of Turkey's first feature-length science fiction film director.

Some of the awards it has won include: Best Science Fiction Film at the 19th Phoenix International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival in the USA, Best Feature-Length Science Fiction Film at the 23rd London International Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival in the UK, and Best Film and Best Actress (Selen Öztürk) at the 7th International Cinema d'iDEA Women Directors Festival in Italy. This film, which is a turning point for Turkish science fiction, is a must-watch.

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