The Story of Leylak: Grief in the Time of Pandemic
Leylak is a 2021 short drama set in present-day Queens, where a Turkish gravedigger confronts a shattering truth he's been unable to face. The film doesn't spell out what that truth is right away—and that's the point. What unfolds across 17 taut minutes is a portrait of denial, of a man whose work brings him into daily contact with death, yet who can't seem to process his own loss. His relationship with his daughter, the dearest connection left in his life, dangles precariously as he refuses to acknowledge what's happened. The pandemic provides the backdrop—not as spectacle, but as the grinding, suffocating context in which his world collapses.
How Leylak Came Together: Production and Creative Team
Leylak was directed by Scott Aharoni and Dennis Latos, with a screenplay by Mustafa Kaymak. The film was shot and edited during the COVID-19 pandemic itself, which means the filmmakers weren't simply depicting lockdown-era anxiety—they were living it while making it. That temporal proximity matters. The production involved Duo Entertainment and Latos Entertainment, and the project attracted enough industry attention to secure Colman Domingo as an executive producer, lending both credibility and resources to what could have remained a purely independent venture.
The lead role went to Nadir Sarıbacak, a Turkish actor whose performance carries the entire film. At 17 minutes, there's no room for scenery-chewing or character padding; Sarıbacak had to communicate volumes through restraint, through what he doesn't say, through the way his shoulders carry invisible weight. The film has earned a 7.6/10 rating on IMDb, which for a short film—especially one dealing with such heavy subject matter—signals genuine resonance with viewers who've discovered it. While Leylak hasn't generated mainstream box-office noise (it's a short, after all), it's found its audience on streaming platforms and at festival circuits, proving that grief doesn't need a 120-minute runtime to lodge itself in your chest.
Why Leylak Hits So Hard: The Performances and Themes
What's striking about Leylak is how it refuses easy catharsis. The father doesn't have a breakthrough moment where he suddenly understands his pain and hugs his daughter while a violin swells. Instead, the film sits with his avoidance—the way he goes to work, the way he moves through his routines, the way he can't quite look at the person he loves most. Sarıbacak's performance is almost minimalist in its approach; you're reading his face, his hesitations, the things he's clearly biting back. It's the kind of acting that doesn't announce itself, which makes it all the more effective.
The father-daughter dynamic is the emotional core here. There's tenderness between them, yes, but also a widening chasm—his inability to grieve openly is pushing her away, and she's old enough (and hurt enough) to feel it. The pandemic setting amplifies this isolation; they're locked together in a space that's supposed to be safe, yet it's become suffocating. I keep coming back to how the film uses the cemetery as both literal workplace and metaphor. He's surrounded by death all day, yet he can't acknowledge the death that's hollowed him out. That contradiction—being a gravedigger who can't face grief—is what gives the film its thematic spine.
The writing by Mustafa Kaymak is economical and true. There's no exposition dump, no moment where someone explains the backstory. You piece it together from glances, from the weight of silence, from the way the daughter flinches when her father makes a certain gesture. That's the mark of confident filmmaking—trusting your audience to understand loss without having to name it.
Where to Stream Leylak Online
Leylak is currently available on major OTT services, and you can check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page to see which platforms are streaming it in your region right now. Since it's a short film, it's typically grouped with curated collections of shorts rather than featured as a standalone title, which means you might stumble upon it while browsing a "International Shorts" or "Drama" category. If you're using Movie OTT to track where films are streaming, you'll be able to see real-time availability across all platforms—no more bouncing between apps wondering if it's still there. The 17-minute runtime makes it perfect for a lunch break or a quiet evening when you want something that packs emotional weight without demanding a huge time commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Leylak?
Leylak was directed by Scott Aharoni and Dennis Latos, with a screenplay by Mustafa Kaymak. The film was shot and edited during the COVID-19 pandemic, which informed both its production timeline and its thematic resonance.
Q: How long is Leylak?
Leylak is a short film with a runtime of 17 minutes, making it an intense, focused exploration of grief and family dynamics without any wasted moments.
Q: Is Leylak based on a true story?
There's no indication that Leylak is based on a specific true story, though it draws on the very real experiences of immigrant communities in New York and the particular trauma of the pandemic era. The specificity of the Turkish gravedigger character and the Queens setting suggest grounded, lived observation.
Q: What's the IMDb rating for Leylak?
Leylak holds a 7.6/10 rating on IMDb, reflecting strong engagement from viewers who've discovered this short film on streaming platforms and at festival screenings.
Q: Who stars in Leylak?
Turkish actor Nadir Sarıbacak leads the film in the role of the gravedigger, delivering a restrained and powerful performance. Colman Domingo serves as an executive producer on the project.
Final Thoughts on Leylak
Leylak doesn't ask for much from you—just 17 minutes of your time and your willingness to sit with discomfort. It's the kind of short that lingers, that makes you think about the people in your own life and the conversations you're not having, the truths you're not facing. It's a film about a man who buries people for a living but can't bury his own pain, and in that contradiction lies something universally human. If you're looking for emotionally intelligent cinema that respects your intelligence, Leylak's worth finding.
