As part of the 14th Istanbul Biennial, entitled SALTWATER: A Theory of Thought Forms, Istanbul Modern Cinema presents a film program in collaboration with IKSV and with the contributions of Istanbul Modern Cinema sponsor Türk Tuborg A.Ş. Programmed by Müge Turan (feature-length films) and James Richards (artists’ films), drafted by  Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, the program pairs feature-length films with artists’ films that share similar themes. Feature-length films that use as their theme or background the concepts of salt water, seas, waves, ecological changes and fluidity are paired with artists’ film inspired by the sea and water. The program consists of four different sections: Eco-Fi, Subaquatic, Survivor, and Life on the Shore. Ranging from the silent era to the present day, the feature-length films include everything from documentaries to box office hits and European and American classics. This coupling of feature-length movies and artists’ films juxtaposes two disciplines that rarely share the same platform, revealing their common features, even if at first glance some of the paired films may seem to be quite different. The Eco- Fi and Subaquatic sections of the program will be screened from September 5 through October 4. The September section of the program features John Huston’s cinema classicMoby Dick (1956), adapted from Herman Melville’s novel; Hayao Miyazaki’sPonyo (2009), a magical animated movie about a young fish-girl; Watermark(2015) a documentary that reveals how we shape the Earth’s waters and the soil on which we live both physically and culturally.

The program also features JG (2013) by Tacita Dean; Nummer Veertien, Home(Number Fourteen, Home, 2012) by Guido Wan Der Werve; and Marguerite Duras’ 1981 L’Homme Atlantique (The Atlantic Man). These films will be screened on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.