New documentary, Movement, spotlights Istanbul’s underground club scene: Watch

A new documentary spotlighting Istanbul’s underground club scene is available online now. Watch it below. 

Movement is directed by Benjamin Muasya, and looks at queer-focussed, female-led Turkish collective Sirän, founded by Y.unan and Nene H. Label and party series XSM, run by “godmother” of the city’s scene, Kübra, and QTBIPOC artist and campaigner MX Sur also feature. 

The film dives into the past and roots of these organisations and the individuals behind them, exploring socio-political contexts, before asking big questions about an uncertain future for the community. A collaborative party between Sirän and Copenhagen promoters Endurance is the story’s focal point. This is set against the backdrop of a Turkish economic crisis, noise complaints, gentrification and venue limitations.

“Underground dancefloors are a haven for connection, expression, and introspection, but globally they face threats of gentrification, commercialisation, and political oppression,” said Muasya. “This documentary explores the resilience of communities who fight to preserve these vital spaces, proving that the dancefloor is not just a place to party, it’s a platform for change.”

Nene H added: “I wanted to get involved in the Istanbul scene because I wanted to give back to my people and my culture. And I wanted to be part of it because I was for a very long time away from it. But I knew how good it was here, so once I got the opportunity I just jumped on the train, basically. I think the gain that comes from this international solidarity is not one way. I think that they also gain a lot from us, seeing the resistance, seeing people still being happy and people still thriving.”

Kübra said: “Pride is plural. It is the ‘one’ that we collectively end up with, and that ‘one’ is always there for everyone. We must imagine and dream our futures with pride. The future is pride where we pour our struggles, sorrows and tears into little fresh gems. These gems are Us. Our way of transformation creates the parading territories in which we collectively exist and say in loud: ‘We Are Here!’. Our existence is pride: It is our fight to continue to breath and shine with proud.”

Produced by Morph Films, a studio based in the Danish capital, the connections between Turkey and Europe also form a strong theme, with the movie premiering to a sold out audience at Endurance in Copenhagen, and in Istanbul in collaboration with Berlin’s Herrensauna.

Venues including Spielraum in Amsterdam, London’s FOLD, Mina in Lisbon, and Bassiani, Tbilisi, have also been engaged to “raise awareness about the film’s topics in their respective cities”.  

Movement is available to watch via Morph Film’s YouTube channel.

In January, Nene H featured in DJ Mag’s Selections series, compiling a playlist ranging from Anatolian trance to driving techno. Around the same time, she also dropped ‘Fix & Break feat. Bubblegun‘. In 2023, she launched the label UMAY, to platform “artists from underrepresented backgrounds.”