← Official Selection 2026

I Am 12,000 Years Old

Ben 12 Bin Yaşındayım

Batuhan Karadağoğlu · Türkiye · 2026

Poster for I Am 12,000 Years Old

A shepherd single-handedly protects thousands-of-years-old rock carvings discovered in the mountains surrounding his village.

A shepherd single-handedly protects thousands-of-years-old rock carvings discovered in the mountains surrounding his village. Despite a life marked by poverty and solitude, he never stops safeguarding the voices of the past.

Director — Batuhan Karadağoğlu

Batuhan Karadağoğlu

Born in Elazığ in 1995, Batuhan Karadağoğlu studied Radio, Television, and Cinema at Istanbul University. In addition to his academic education, he further developed his expertise in visual storytelling through various courses and certification programs in color science, color design, cinematography, and cinematic lighting. Focusing primarily on independent cinema and art films, Karadağoğlu embraces an aesthetic approach to cinematography that places the relationship between light, color, and atmosphere at its core. This is his first film as a director.

Awards & Festivals

  • Winner — First Prize, National Professional Documentary Competition, 17th TRT Documentary Awards, 2026
  • Finalist — Short Documentary Competition, 11th Turkic World Documentary Film Festival, 2026
  • Official Selection — 9th Foça International Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Documentary Film Festival, 2026