Melbourne is home to more than a hundred communities from all around the world. Each and everyone has many stories to tell. The winner of this year’s prestigious , intends to tell the story of the city’s 50-thousand-strong Turkish community.
In her words, Melbourne’s Little Turkey is as Australian as it can be.
“I loved growing up in what I call Little Turkey,” says the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) graduate.
Little Turkey - the suburb of Dallas in Melbourne's north - is a microcosm of Australia, she says, encapsulating the close community spirit of many Mediterranean cultures.
“Even though to me, it was Little Turkey, yet it was so diverse. My school was filled with people who were Turkish, Arabic, Samoan, Italian, English; our race and religion is what united us rather than divide us.”
Growing up there had its ups and downs. She says she always felt safe.
“I knew if I needed help at any given moment, at least 20 people would run out of their respective businesses and offer it to me.”
“If you put a foot wrong, three aunties would have phoned your mum to tell her before you even got home.”
Now, she is grateful to have been raised to be proud of her culture, to be grateful for receiving an education and to not to apologise for having an opinion.
“These are all things that are serving me well in adulthood.”
Ms Kahraman started acting when she was a child, and her professional career began at the age of 15. At first, the community saw what she did as a niche hobby. However, once it became apparent that she took acting seriously, they were less than encouraging.
But, she doesn't blame the community.
“I blame the fact that back then, we rarely saw Muslim or ethnic stories depicted on Australian screens. So, for an overweight Muslim teenage girl trying to get her foot in the art industry, I might as well have proclaimed that I was going to fly to Mars.”
Today, she says, people are hungry for their stories to be told and to see their faces on their screens.
The community she describes is more like Australian with a hint of Turkish.
Scene from the play God of Carnage, as written by Yasmina Reza and directed by Judy Davis Source: Supplied
The film project
And she is determined to tell this very Australian story. She intends to use the award money to make a proof-of-concept reel to apply for further funding for a feature.
She wants to tell the story of a Turkish Australian woman who begins to take ownership of her life, questioning in the process her role in her family, her obligations to her Islamic community and her faith.
“The reason I am writing this film is because I don’t see these communities represented in ways in which I personally can identify with,” she says.
She sees the members of her community depicted on the screen as terrorists, new money, or sidekicks.
"But rarely do I see them as doctors, teachers, engineers, architects - many of which my friends from home are.”
People will be surprised how universal the story is, she says.
A community living in time capsules
There are certain topics she would like to explore in the future. Kahraman’s observations have led her to see that some people within the community are still hanging on to what was considered normal or acceptable in the 80s and 90s, the time they first arrived in Australia.
“This isn’t the community as a whole, by the way, just something that I think we share with other ethnic and minority groups and I think is worth exploring,” she notes.
She underlines the importance of changing with time.
“Turks are proud people with a long history; if we can’t look back and learn from mistakes we’ve made, then I don’t see how we can move forward especially in Australia where there are about half a million people of the Islamic faith.”
CAREER BACK IN TURKEY
Melissa Kahraman (L) with Declan Kelly at a scene from a play by By Bernard-Marie Kolts. Directed by Robert Schusterç Source: Supplied
When asked about the possibility of pursuing an acting career in Turkey, she cites directors and as inspirations. She says Turkey’s film and serial sector are world-renowned. However, before she contemplates any venturing out, she first has a story to tell Australians.
About her film, she says, “I still have a long way to go before we see the final film, but I am looking forward to sharing it with everyone.”
