Billy’s Story

I seek to trace the journey of a bicycle named Billy, which has been in human use for three generations. Through its adventurous travels and changing owners, I aim to deeply explore the nature of objects and the concept of transience. Its journey from a factory in New Jersey, USA—which closed after Billy was produced in 1974—to the streets of Istanbul across continents is merely the starting point of a 45-year odyssey.

Transience and the Nature of Things

The years Billy spent with its three different owners reveal the profound meanings objects can hold in human lives, proving they are far more than mere material items. I reflect deeply on the nature of objects, evolving values over time, and their reflections on human relationships. It is essential to showcase how Billy became a symbol and how its "character" was shaped by the bonds it formed with its owners.

Objects Outliving Humanity

Some objects, like Billy, possess a lifespan that exceeds that of humans. Their silent witness points to the fleeting nature of human existence and the shifting roles of objects through time. Considering the connection between subatomic communication and the cycles of nature, I observed Billy’s place in the world and how it evolved through the eyes of witnesses who have been in "communication" with it across three generations.

The documentary incorporates interviews and footage that allow the audience to follow Billy’s journey from the past to the present. It utilizes symbolic scenes and visual motifs to emphasize the essence and impermanence of material things.

Through Billy’s extraordinary story, we strove to offer a profound inquiry into the human relationship with objects, the nature of existence, and the beauty of transience.

Production Timeline: Filming began in 2017 and was completed in 2019.

Director & Editor: Uğur Cuya

Producer: Benian Kara

Narrators / Witnesses:

• Hasan Demirezen

• Gültekin Özkan

• Emel Öğünç Akdoğan

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