Aksona "The Unsung Heroes of the Big Blue"

Synopsis

Seventy-six-year-old Aksona Mehmet is a sponge diver who has devoted sixty years of his life to the sea, keeping Bodrum’s maritime culture alive. He sets out on a sea journey from Bodrum to Çanakkale, diving at different points across the Aegean along the way. A tribute to the struggles of maritime workers who often remain out of sight, the journey is dedicated to the sponge divers who lost their lives at sea, whom he calls “The Unsung Heroes of the Big Blue.” Following a maritime tradition, the film bears witness to the past, to loss, and to a lifelong bond with the sea.

Director Biography

Ünal Altunyaymak

Filmmaker born in Bodrum in 1986. After graduating from Bodrum Anadolu Lisesi, he studied Communication Design at Kadir Has University and later directing at the Budapest Film School. His short films have screened at festivals in Turkey and abroad. In his documentary “The Unsung Heroes of the Big Blue,” he follows sponge diver Aksona Mehmet on a journey from Bodrum to Çanakkale.

Credits

Camera / Kamera

Murathan Yıldız, Ercan Zeybek, Atakan Uslu, Devrim Gürkan, Emre Şimşek, Levent Kaynak

Editing / Kurgu

Meriç Timurtaş, Ünal Altunyaymak