Saitabat Village is a small village in the city of Bursa of Turkey. Saitabat, having a big tourism potential with its green environment and fresh air, was just a general Anatolian village until 2001. In this village there was a routine life where men were hanging out in the coffeehouse or dealing with daily tasks, women were busy with housework. However, as of 2001 a big change started in the village.

Sermin Cakalıoğlu is a woman from the Saitabat Village. One day she realised the potential of her village when she brought a guest family visited her to an other touristic village close to Saitabat Village. And she pushes the button. She gencourages the village women who never step foot off the house and they establish together the first village women association of Turkey in 2002. They make the village money by selling village breakfast in the restaurant they opened under the roof of the association. So, they place the Saitabat Village as the one of the of the Turkish tourism assets. “If Women Want” is a story telling by Sermin Cakalıoğlu, the protagonist of this success story, about the last 15 years in the village and the changing life of the village women in this period.

About the Filmmaker

Submitted by Mustafa Koray Polat

Based in Ankara, Turkey, Mustafa Koray Polat is a filmmaker, time-lapse photographer and owner of Rüzgar Film a creative production agency.

Filmmaker’s Website: http://en.ruzgarfilm.com/