Ayşe Polat

Ayşe Polat is a German-Kurdish film director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Malatya (Turkey) and raised in Hamburg, she studied philosophy, German literature, and cultural studies in Berlin and Bremen, where she also began making short films. Her work explores conflicts around belonging and identity, revealing the fractures that run through families, personal histories, and social structures.

At Villa Aurora, Ayşe Polat will be working on a screenplay that transposes central motifs from a text by Robert Walser into the present day. The script deals with the search for belonging, the limits of conformity, and the price of security and recognition.

Ayşe Polat is Villa Aurora Fellow of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

Selected Filmography
2023 | In the Blind Spot, feature film (director, screenwriter, and producer)
2016 | The Others, documentary film (director, screenwriter, and producer)
2013 | The Heiress, feature film (director, screenwriter, and producer)
2010 | Luk’s Luck, feature film (director, screenwriter, and producer)
2003 | En Garde, feature film (director and screenwriter)
2000 | Tour Abroad, feature film (director and screenwriter)

Selected Awards
2025 | Bavarian Film Award for Best Director
2024 | Golden Lola (German Film Award) for Best Director and Best Script
2024 | Bronze Lola for Best Film
2023 | Golden Tulip (International Istanbul Film Festival) for Best Film
2003 | Silver Leopard (Locarno Film Festival) for Best Film