The trailer for Sevda, the upcoming drama directed by Ufuk Emiroglu, offers a glimpse into a story set against Istanbul’s ongoing urban transformation. The film follows a real estate developer whose work brings her into conflict with an old cemetery keeper, leading her to confront a family history that connects her life to the city in unexpected ways.
Set in Istanbul, Sevda explores the tension between modern development and the history that can be lost as cities change. Its central character, Sevda, is actively involved in the city’s gentrification, working in a field that is reshaping its neighbourhoods and physical landscape. However, when an old cemetery keeper stands in the way of her plans, the conflict becomes more personal than she initially expects.
As her family’s buried past begins to come to light, Sevda discovers that her own story is more closely connected to Istanbul’s history than she had realised. The film brings together this personal discovery and the wider changes taking place around her, using the dispute over the cemetery as the starting point for a story about memory, identity and the relationship between people and the places they inhabit.
The cemetery keeper’s resistance becomes an obstacle to Sevda’s professional ambitions. At the same time, the resurfacing of her family history forces her to reconsider her connection to the city and its past. Rather than treating urban development solely as a question of construction and progress, the film explores the consequences of that transformation through the lives of its characters.
Sevda is directed by Ufuk Emiroglu, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ercan Kesal. The film stars Tülin Özen, Mert Fırat, Macit Koper and Ercan Kesal. According to the film’s official information, it is presented in Turkish, with French and English subtitles.
The production brings together companies from Switzerland, Belgium and Turkey. Akka Films, Stenola Productions, Bir Film and RTS Radio Télévision Suisse are listed among the production companies. The producers are Nadia Turincev, Omar El Kadi, Nicolas Wadimoff, Philippe Coeytaux, Eva Kuperman and Cihan Aslı Filiz.
Florent Herry served as cinematographer, while Kaya Inan handled the editing. Nicolas Rabaeus composed the music, and Carlos Ibañez Diaz worked on the location sound mix. The film has a listed runtime of 101 minutes.
Sevda had its world premiere in September 2026 and is listed as being in distribution. It was also included in the programme of the 22nd Zurich Film Festival, which ran from September 24 to October 4, 2026.
By following a real estate developer whose work brings her into conflict with a cemetery keeper, Sevda connects a local dispute to broader questions about urban change and historical memory. As Sevda uncovers more about her family, the film examines how the past can remain part of the present, even as a city continues to transform around it.
Istanbul occupies a central place in the story, serving not merely as a setting but as a city whose history shapes the lives of its residents. Through Sevda’s personal and professional challenges, the drama considers what happens when development plans come into conflict with the histories and memories attached to a particular place.
Watch Trailer:
