November 28, 2025
Şener Levent | Founder and Editor in Chief of Avrupa/Afrika Newspaper
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In Istanbul, there were white seagulls flying over the sea; in Beirut, a child all alone amid the smoke; in the Arabian deserts, a young girl chained to a rock; in black Africa, hands reaching for a piece of bread; in El Salvador, a political prisoner electrocuted on his genitals; and in Bolivia, a guerrilla executed by firing squad...
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Fully aware of the barbarism we have experienced, we could have embraced a unique tolerance, regretting that we hurt our friends, forgiving those who hurt us, and saying, “I wish my only sin were picking flowers.” But we couldn't say it...
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What has happened cannot be brought back, and it is buried for centuries, written in thick, old books, carved into white marble columns, and left unfinished on broken gravestones. What else is history but a sorrow?
*
The houses looked out onto barricades covered in weeds. The barricades read, “One Turk is worth the world!” A soldier taking over the watch would whistle softly. Kamuran Aziz would compose a new piece. The night was filled with curses in Turkish and Greek. Both soldiers lit their cigarettes. No one counted the bullet holes in the walls. Feminists wanted equality, workers wanted raises, unions wanted strikes, the government wanted everyone to sit quietly in their place, Marxists wanted revolution, and some wanted songs from the audience's requests.
*
If you sat on a mountain top, far from the city, the noise, the sound of heavy trucks, the shouting... If you never read a newspaper, never listened to the radio, never heard of any accidents, didn't know who had killed whom in the ongoing war, how many people had lost their lives, how many had become refugees... If you had no news of unemployment, hunger, and weapons statistics in the world, if you didn't go to the cinema or the theater, if you never racked your brains about how humanity could be saved, if you never learned who was in and out of government, if you never argued with anyone, if you never fought with anyone, would you say you have lived?
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I see that most of the people we knew in our early youth have changed beyond recognition today... Many brave heroes who rebelled against injustice and inequality, who were eager to fight for this cause, are gone, replaced by sedate, dignified people with receding hairlines.
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I never believed that the friendships formed at receptions, cocktail parties, and dinners were real friendships. Neither the mutual compliments nor the wishes and hopes are sincere. Even if they were sincere, they would not last long. The warm atmosphere in the hall vanishes and disappears once everything is over and you step out onto the street.
When the curtains close, everything returns to its place. It's as if life inside is different from life outside. That's why I always feel sorrowful on nights like this.
*
I walked down a street in the world with an indescribable sadness. In the early hours of the morning, two voices shared the sorrow of death on an international phone line. In the early hours of the morning, we couldn't find any words to comfort ourselves.
And now, unable to sleep, I rushed out of the hotel room and ran towards the city, towards its slender minarets and bridges smelling of fish and salt. I passed through streets where the market noise had died down at midnight, past shuttered shops and storefronts laden with electronic goods. With a sorrow that the realization of death's inevitability did nothing to lessen...
*
There were palm trees and eucalyptus trees on both sides of the barricade. Birds flew from one side to the other. On the Greek Cypriot barricade, it said, “Don't forget Kyrenia!” On our barricade, it didn't say “Don't forget Limassol.” People don't want war, do they? Andreas doesn't want it, Tanya doesn't want it, I don't want it. But still, they fight. Tell me, what is the meaning of this?
*
I experienced happy and sorrowful nights under the Scandinavian skies. I drank wine in old cellars where everyone shut themselves off in their own worlds. How many people did I ask for addresses, how many addresses did I change... I passed through terminals, train stations, customs. I had pictures taken at Trafalgar. I drank raki in Istanbul's small local restaurants. I dreamed impossible dreams on a ship anchored in Benghazi. I thought about the hungry at the lavish tables of governments. I passed through Bucharest, where Ceaușescu was shot. I smelled the linden blossoms in democratizing Sofia. And I wrote pages and pages. I threw everything I wrote in the trash after they came out of the typesetting machine. I argued with judges, knowing I would be convicted. Cases piled up on cases. Corruption upon corruption, rallies upon rallies, pain upon pain...
*
I passed by the calls to prayer and the bells. Then I passed by the speeches and party manifestos calling for worship. I didn't say no to my child who asked, “Is there a God, daddy?” Nor did I say yes. My beliefs changed over time. I never felt compelled to remain faithful to any belief until the end of my life. The sky was not always the sky I watched from under the shade of a plane tree. I passed through all ages, but found no infinite happiness in any of them. As I lived, I stopped being surprised by what happened, because after death, it would never happen again. I squeezed happiness into moments.
*
The sirens of a car sound like the painful sirens of a buffer life in the distance. My address, like many others, is that of a martyr. And that of a primary school classmate. How strange, I always write his name on envelopes. And then I write Mersin, which I have never seen...
*
The beaches are empty. On the sand, there are dried fruit packages left over from summer, a few cigarette butts, a few empty bottles. Suddenly, the crowd disperses, and the melancholy of this lively place stirs in the dark background... Summer is gone... The wicker chairs are removed from the doorstep. A girl who came on holiday has left, leaving behind pictures of memories.
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Concerns of fame, honor, and sharing... Let us love all children as our own, feel all pain as our own. Oh, human emotions that unite us at the bedside of a beloved death... Oh, hearts beating with love and compassion as we walk behind a funeral procession... Do not fly away when this ceremony is over, stay. Stay and become immortal on earth...
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All quotations used in this publication are taken from selections of columns written by Şener Levent between 1980-1993 for the newspapers Söz, Demokrasi, Kıbrıs Postası, Ortam, and Güneş, and are included in his first book titled Mersin 10/Turkey. The publication of Mersin 10/Turkey was delayed for ten years due to censorship and was finally published in 1995.
''This book is dedicated to those who never tire in this struggle. Not to those who are blown about like leaves in the wind, but to those who can harness the wind...''
November 4, 2025
Dominika Walo is an emerging Polish actress with a fearless approach to performance and a deep passion for impactful storytelling.
I must admit that if I were asked to play a character from Dostoyevsky or Shakespeare’s dramas, I probably wouldn’t be able to say no. There is something so complex and profound in their characters that, no matter the stage of my life, always invites me to explore the world — and myself — even more deeply and on different levels.
Right now, I feel a strong need and desire to perform in a comedy. I’ve discovered that I’m funnier than I ever thought, and I would love to embrace that and can’t wait for the opportunity.
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There are two things I would advise young actors starting their careers in Poland today: staying curious and willing to try new things, and constantly asking themselves what truly belongs to them and what does not.
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I feel that art should not be bound by any philosophy. That doesn’t mean we don’t need structure, motivation, inspiration, or discipline—these things are important and can make us more visible or expand our artistic capacity. But if we try to define a strict artistic philosophy, will it still be art? I don’t know, but I feel that it should be related to our values and to the natural, limitless curiosity and free spirit within each of us. As an artist, it is my responsibility to choose it each time.
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The responsibility of art should be one thing: creating in service of ourselves
so it can serves the others.
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For me, success as an artist and as a human being are deeply connected. It means constantly learning how to take responsibility for myself and my environment
but also learning to listen to my deepest desires. Another very important part of success is finding peace in chaos, and the last is trust - in myself and in a higher order. None of these things are always easy to achieve, but I believe they are worth striving for.
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I always listen to my heart and my gut. I’m learning how to be deeply honest with myself even more and more each day.
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For me, freedom begins with acceptance. It means moments of stillness, responsibility, and acting in accordance with my beliefs — without separating my private life from my art. The two overlap and are always connected, even if they manifest themselves in different ways.
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I would never compromise on consciously trying to choosing light over dark.
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I used to want to give a voice to those who don't have one. Although this is still very important to me, I realized that I needed to give myself that voice first. Today, I know that my path in life, regardless of what I do, will always be connected with creative expression—that beautiful madness and freedom of creation, contact with other people, respect for my intuition, as well as not listening to voices telling me that what I want to create is impossible (because it hasn't been created yet!). Acting allows me to develop many of these aspects, but if I can no longer do so through acting, I will do it in a different way, till the end.
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Film sets are definitely more technical, for me the best part is the preparation—when curiosity takes over. Theater is a slightly different medium, and for me it's probably easier to work with, although on one hand it can be ruthless — it won't let a lie slip by, it verifies immediately. On the other hand, I feel a lot of freedom thanks to the possibility of almost infinite improvisation within an already existing work, and I love that. With film, such freedom is a bit more difficult to achieve due to the nature of a specific project, but the impact on the viewer is just as strong. Both of these mediums are unique and important to me.
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The most transformative role for me was Eva in Growing, written and directed by Agata Wieczorek. It is a body-horror film based on hyperminimalism in portraying a character. Through a biological process, Eva undergoes a profound transformation — from a robotic person controlled by the system into a woman who allows herself to feel her own emotions and face reality, ultimately making a difficult choice that burdens her yet frees her from systemic and family oppression. It was an extraordinary, crazy, and strange journey for which I will always be grateful to the screenwriter.
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I feel a need to watch and create more abstract and fantasy works in Polish cinema. I’m constantly searching for roles that are more characteristic and that go against my physical type.
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Although each role requires a different, fresh approach, it has always been important for me to take a close look at my feelings right after reading the text for the first time. That initial contact with the material can be both very superficial and incredibly inspiring at a later stage—when we are deep into the process and think we already know everything. Of course, doing research, looking for the character in my body, writing, listening to the music (or rather the character's soundtrack—that's what I call it) that triggers various emotional processes in me—these are the constants in my work on a role. In addition, I feel that a real creative process is always based on collaboration. There is something deeply moving about working with others, even though I also value the solitude of creating very much.
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There are so many people who will always inspire me — Susan Sontag and her approach to art, Rick Rubin’s podcast, Orson Welles’s works and statements, C. G. Jung’s books, and following Jane Goodall’s life journey. However, the people who have had the greatest influence on my work are often those who are less well-known but present in my everyday life. Observing them, drawing conclusions, interacting with them — this is an endless source of inspiration.
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Technically the most challenging role for me was Blake from a movie called Verified Target - a thriller with elements of action. It was very challenging for me to play in an action movie but also very interesting to learn how to work with the camera during stunt scenes. The help of the stunt team was invaluable.
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I am not sure if I can actually deal with vulnerability and exposure so well. I think I’m learning it all the time. Now I’m using many tools to feel more comfortable but the truth is that sometimes it’s just harder than we suspect. However, I still value moments when we influence others through our work, or when others influence us with their reactions and reflections - it is a constant exchange.
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I feel responsible for working on authenticity in order to create something unique that can serve other people — perfection that lies in its imperfection. It's the most beautiful thing. I believe that this is what enriches cinema with meaningful and visible roles.
Still image is from the short film Burial directed by Jerzy Czachowski awarded for the Best Cinematography at the 3rd Lisboeta International Short Film Festival in Lisbon, Portugal.
September 20, 2025
What attracts me most in cinema is light. Light and shadow form the basis of the world we see, the images we create. Without light, there is no vision, no beauty, no life...
For me, home is a place where you can recharge your batteries, be yourself, where you are loved and accepted for who you are... it's the people you live your life with.
In my opinion, art should not be linked to politics. Art is a way of knowing the world, a way of thinking and creating, it is beauty and an attempt to comprehend and understand the meaning of life... Politics destroys, art creates...
There is no freedom without sacrifice, you have to pay for everything, you always have to pay for your choices... Motherhood is a great gift, it is a touch of the mystery of life, it is love, and true love is freedom... without certain sacrifices, this cannot be...
Beauty in cinema is a necessity. Cinema is a visual art that creates images. Beauty is the foundation of the visual arts...
In my opinion, strength comes from endurance. An enduring person has willpower, self-discipline, self-control, and sees things through to the end, and these qualities give rise to inner strength of character.
Of course, my Armenian roots influence my perception of cinema and art in general. I love contrasting images in cinema, light and shadow, bright colours, decorativeness, emotionality and sharp drama.
I think that my works contain equal amounts of emotionality and logic. I don't know how much Russian colour, breadth and sensuality, which are characteristic of Russian culture, there is in them. It's difficult for me to judge. Perhaps there is a special, intense immersion in the inner world of the characters I photograph, an attempt to unravel their secrets through images.
Happiness is impossible without struggle. Struggle forces a person to move towards their goals, to withstand competition, to prove to themselves that they are worth something in this life. Without struggle, there is no drama, no conflict, and without conflict, there is no personal development. Happiness is a relative concept, different for everyone; it is a moment of utmost satisfaction with one's life and oneself. You can appreciate what you have and feel happy after going through struggles and losses; life itself is happiness... I think that the more life experience a person has, the happier they can be...
I dream of holding my own photo exhibitions in the coolest galleries and museums and having my own studio. I dream of leaving my mark on art. I dream of seeing my grandchildren and great-grandchildren, travelling around the world and living to be 100!
My main principle is: don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today! Life passes quickly, you need to get a lot done and not waste time. Any opportunity to create something, to share your energy with the world, is very valuable.
Freedom is the most important thing for me. Only a free person is capable of experiencing true love and trying to find the truth. Freedom, above all internal freedom, expands the boundaries of our perception of the world, asks provocative questions, seeks the new and unknown, dares to dream and is not afraid of confrontation with the world... There is a good saying: you cannot love in slavery! I completely agree with it.
An individual can change if they have enough willpower and spirit to work on themselves, admit their mistakes, search for their true self without fear of seeing the truth, learn to forgive and ask for forgiveness. But people as a whole are unlikely to change. The herd mentality always wins; it is easier to be in a pack where others have already decided what is good and what is bad for you... Unfortunately, history shows that humanity learns nothing and makes the same mistakes over and over again.
I define success for myself as the opportunity to do what I love, to take photographs and make films, and to convey this to viewers, to share my vision of the world with people, to be in constant motion forward, in creative development. As a photographer, success for me is finding my own language and style, one that is recognisable and unlike anyone else's.
I would like my photographs to be remembered, to be seen by as many people as possible. Photography for me is the meaning of life, a way of life, life itself...