Deniz Gamze Ergüven

Deniz Gamze Ergüven is a Turkish‑French filmmaker whose work has garnered international acclaim for its lyrical storytelling and incisive social commentary. Born on 4 June 1978 in Ankara, Turkey, she moved to France with her family in the 1980s, where she was educated in the French school system before enrolling at the prestigious La Fémis film school, graduating in 2008 after a rigorous program that honed her directing and screenwriting skills. Her early career was marked by participation in the Cannes Film Festival’s Atelier in 2011, where she met director Alice Winocour; this pivotal encounter redirected her focus from the ambitious but unfunded project The Kings to the more intimate script that would become Mustang, a film that explores the lives of five sisters navigating patriarchal constraints in a remote Turkish village. Mustang premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2015, winning the Europa Cinemas Label Award, and later secured a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards after being submitted by France. The film also earned Ergüven the César Award for Best First Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay, cementing her reputation as a bold new voice in European cinema. While promoting Mustang, Ergüven famously quipped that the buzz surrounding the film would fade after Thursday, yet the enthusiasm persisted, propelling her to further opportunities, including the invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ directors’ branch in 2016. Her subsequent feature, Kings, starring Halle Berry and set against the backdrop of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, demonstrating her versatility in tackling diverse historical and cultural settings. Throughout her career, Ergüven has balanced artistic ambition with personal milestones, giving birth to her son on 11 February 5 2015 while completing Mustang, an experience she describes as both challenging and inspiring.