How Fatih Akin Breathed Life Into San Sebastian’s Haunting Opener ‘Ghost Song’
- On Friday, September 18, 2026, the San Sebastian International Film Festival opens in Spain with German filmmaker Fatih Akin's 'Ghost Song,' a haunting feature following two students who fall in love in Berlin.
- Inspired by his son's pitch, Akin collaborated with screenwriter Ruth Toma to craft this paranormal love story about 10 years ago following a professional crisis. He describes the production as 'very tough' and his most complex to date.
- Starring German-born Eren M. Güvercin and Syrian-born Mariam Dawoud, the film faced difficult financing before Warner Bros. became the primary backer. Akin and cinematographer Frank Griebe edited the movie in black and white after rejecting the initial color footage.
- The narrative centers on Farasha and Faris, two teens whose connection persists through dreams for 40 nights after a tragedy. This marks Akin's first San Sebastian appearance despite major wins at Berlin, Cannes, and Venice.
- Following the festival, which runs through September 26, the Warner Bros. film will be distributed under Akin's first-look deal with the studio, in place since 2022. Release in Germany is set for November 5.
23 Articles
23 Articles
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The Donostiarra contest gives the starting gun with a spectral story of love and death of director Fatih Aki and the award of the Donostia Prize to Master Herzog
The German Turkish director reimagines the cinema of ghosts in a fable heiress to his way of The sky over Berlin that has in its extreme simplicity its main value and its condemnation Read
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