In Memoriam: Ömercan Şamlı (1989-2024)
We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Ömercan Şamlı (Mercan), who left us in December 2024.
Mercan was a dedicated and brilliant filmmaker. He was part of grassroots video collectives such as Leftvision and Artıkişler Video Kolektif, he made significant contributions through his video documentaries and short films, which highlighted social issues and the ongoing struggles for social justice.
We had the privilege of working alongside Mercan on the collection of bak.ma in 2018. During this collaboration, he traveled to Amsterdam, where he stayed with us for several weeks, first in October 2018 and again in June 2019. It was an honor to share those moments with him. The collections that Mercan worked on have not yet been processed, and are therefore not findable or accessible (yet). We hope that the work of all the people involved in this collection will be made accessible as soon as possible.
Mercan was an inspiration to everyone who got to work with him at the IISH. His warmth, kindness, and genuine spirit always brought a smile to our faces. He had a kind word for everyone, and his presence made every interaction memorable.
We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked with you, Mercan. You will be dearly missed by all of us.
Leila Musson, 24-01-2025
