The Whirl tells the story of our existential fight against fossil fuels and the climate crisis and underlines no matter how much darkness surrounds us; as long as we continue to fight, there is hope as long as we keep up the pressure. The performance was shot in Konya, Turkey, in November 2021.

Once known as the “granary of Turkey,” the fertile lands of Konya are now under threat of drought. As if this is not enough, coal extraction destroys the agricultural lands, basins, and livelihoods of communities there. The performance is dedicated to villagers of Ilgın, Konya, who organized protests in 2021 for the first time and temporarily stopped the expansion of the open-coal pit mine. Though the resistance was suppressed, seeds of hope were already planted – and we are waiting for these seeds to sprout again.

Story: 350 Turkey team and volunteers
Performer: Hilal Sibel Pekel
Videographer: Sıla Ünlü İntepe
Music: Ozan Baysal
Sounds FX: Ozan Baysal & Barış Manisa
Mix & Mastering: Barış Manisa
Video project coordinator: Ezgi Öz