Agri ve Dag

A remote village somewhere in the mountains of Turkey. It’s sunny and the wind whistles between the humble dwellings. Two men shovel snow off a roof. A third slowly leads a donkey and another carries a bundle of hay on his back. Women are kneading dough for flatbread. There’s not a car or road in sight. This village is home to Rojda. Early in the morning she gets ready for school, pulling a traditional dress over her modern jeans. Before she leaves, she lights a fire in the oven and makes the beds, just as her mother has instructed her. The wintry landscape is stunningly beautiful but her journey through the snow is long and difficult. Later, Rojda returns home exhausted. She longs to sleep. But grandfather wants his tea. This is what everyday life is like for a child in a place where the clocks seem to have stopped a century ago.