- Blossom of Choice
Director: Tuğçe Evirgen Özmen
Script: Tuğçe Evirgen Özmen
Cinematographer: Tuğçe Evirgen Özmen
Starring: Cansu Çolakoğlu & Tuğçe Evirgen Özmen
Production Manager & Camera Operator: Efe Özmen
Camera Operator Assistant: Onur Burak Yıldırım
VFX & Edit & Sound Design: Tuğçe Evirgen Özmen
Blossom of Choice is an experimental short film exploring healing through self-reflection and the nature of constant change. The protagonist embarks on a transformative journey when a mirror-like encounter prompts her to confront and unravel the rigid roots of ego and identity. This journey leads her to a heightened state of consciousness, transcending the limitations of self-concept and ego.
Her works serve as visual representations of intricate spiritual concepts and the interconnectedness of human psychology. She particularly delves deeply into the 'being' state—the awakened state of consciousness, the essence, beyond the limitations of self-concept and ego—, the ‘self’ (self-concept/ego), and the existential balance between the two. The impact of both consciousness and subconscious states on the formation of perception, the construction of language and identity, and how it can be and does transcend itself are the main areas in which she portrays her interest through the lens of it.
She relies on an unconventional, metaphoric, and dream-like quality of narrative using a combination of techniques including live action, 2D animation, CGI, and compositing. She has shown her works in group shows both in Istanbul and the Bay Area, and had her first solo exhibition recently at staircase series in San Francisco. She graduated with a BA in Visual Communication Design from Sabanci University in Turkey and an MFA in animation/vfx/compositing in Academy of Arts University in San Francisco. She lives in Oakland and works in San Francisco.