Unburied In The Past: The Missing Girls of Dersim

This is the story of Emoş Gülver, one of hundreds of women who decided to search for their roots after seeing the 2010 documentary “İki Tutam Saç: Dersim’in Kayıp Kızları” (Two Locks of Hair: The Lost Girls of Dersim), which recounted the stories of little girls who were separated from their parents in the late 1930s during a state intervention against the Dersim revolt in Tunceli. Emoş was 5 years old when her family was killed in Dersim, taken by a military officer who took part in the operation and raised by his family. 75 years later, she begins a journey with her daughter back to her roots.

Directed by Nezahat Gündoğan, Unburied In The Past: The Missing Girls of Dersim leans on a strong ensemble — Orhan Alkaya, Aslıhan Kandemir — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2014.