About the Director

Kemal Yildirim is a British independent filmmaker known for emotionally intense, character-driven narratives that explore trauma, memory, and psychological conflict. His work often blends drama and thriller elements, focusing on fractured relationships and internal struggle. With Wastelands, Yildirim continues his exploration of human vulnerability, examining how unresolved grief and co-dependency can shape identity and self-perception. Through intimate cinematography and restrained pacing, Yildirim builds tension not through spectacle, but through emotional exposure and interpersonal collapse.

Film Synopsis

Wastelands follows Alice, a reclusive woman forced to care for her terminally ill father, Wilhelm. As past and present begin to blur, old wounds resurface. Unable to cope with the emotional weight of her father’s return, Alice reconnects with her former lover, Tris a relationship defined by co-dependency and toxicity. Their destructive bond accelerates Alice’s descent into self-sabotage, pushing her toward confrontation with long-buried trauma. Blending drama, romance, and psychological tension, the film explores themes of grief, obsession, memory, and the fragile boundary between self-destruction and self-discovery.

 “It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me.”

Director’s Statement

Kemal Yildirim described Wastelands as his most personal film to date, explaining that the character of Alice was a story he had been waiting to tell for years. The narrative drew from his own experiences and those of people close to him, exposing deeply personal struggles and emotional vulnerability. Through Alice, Yildirim sought to represent “lost souls”  individuals who struggled to navigate a world they did not fully understand. He characterized the film as an exploration of the human mind, an “adventure of trying to understand” behavior and mental states. Intentionally crafted for a niche audience rather than the mass market, the film embraced psychological depth over commercial appeal

Awards & Recognition

The film earned several accolades specifically at the 2021 Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival:

• Best Emerging Filmmaker: Kemal Yildirim.

• Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Natasha Linton.

• Best Feature Film & Best British Film: Awarded by the Lonely Wolf festival.

• Best Film: Won at the 2020 Kosice International Monthly Film Festival.