We had a -new- mining disaster with ca. 380 dead fathers, sons, brothers, friends. We even don't know how many bodies are burried down there after three days because we cannot reach the real figures. The mining companies and the state are responsible for all info. But who can trust the killer about a murder? [ EDIT: At the end of the rescue efforts the official death toll is 301. ]
My film 16 Tons is an ironic look at the history of humanity. It tells the story of how we came to construct the false life we live today. Could it be that our final point of arrival, the age of the free market and freedom, is just the product of a public relations campaign? Could “16 Tons”, a story of the miners’ suffering that became a hugely popular hit, be just that -a song?
16 Tons is, in large part, a “desktop” film –it contains extensive sequences of animation –made using photographs, paintings, drawings and etchings. It also includes a limited amount of "original moving pictures". And the film is based on a long and detailed research process. Its production took around 1,5 years.
You have the option of watching the entire film as a whole, or each chapter separately on the site: riyatabirleri.net. The site also features the complete text of the film. There is comprehensive additional information and further annotation on the details of the film on the page of each chapter. There are special Vimeo-channels for the Turkish and English versions ofthe film too. For the English channel please click here. Enjoy watching, and reading maybe while praying for the families of the actual victims of this killing industry.