DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Growing up in Turkey, I experienced radical conservatism, media censorship and terrorism frequently. In the past decade, I have spent a lot of time living in the US temporarily and have found a home in its safety and various career opportunities. However, living here has introduced me to a different, yet equally harsh, side of politics and law: gun control policy. I am especially disturbed by the way that gun violence impacts teens and young adults in this country as a result of lacking gun control.
Gun control is a serious matter that is constantly defused by the government and its supporters. The radical rightists that support the preservation of outdated 2nd amendment rights and the current president, that undermines the dangers of guns being accessible to many leading to inevitable outcomes. Lack of effective prevention methods and education causes tragic incidents, especially among teenagers and young adults that have an easy access to these weapons. What has specifically impacted me is the unbearable aftermath faced by victims and families following these traumatic events. The activist behavior surrounding these events, especially those fore fronted by the teenagers involved, motivated me to create this piece.
As a result of witnessing unlimited and uncontrolled gun use in my home country, I found within me the need to bring awareness to this issue. I made it my personal mission to tell the story of innocent lives that are ruined by bigotry politics. As part of this mission, I also decided to take on the sensitive matters that are finally starting to get the attention they have needed for decades: depression and suicide prevention. I see these mental health matters to be inherently tied to school shootings, especially among the individuals that witnessed such events.
As a filmmaker, I wanted to use the power of the moving image to spread awareness on these concerns in a uniform way. “Reverb” was created to aid prevention methods and to try and support communities that have experienced similar tragic events––not only in the US, but all around the world.
Arsal Asal