Know My Name (ATOM Study Guide)

Know My Name (2012) is a feature documentary directed by Inan Temelkuran and Kristen Stevens.

One in four female athletes in Turkey choose to compete in combat sports. Through participating in the traditionally male sports of boxing, wrestling and martial arts, girls from poor families are creating opportunities for themselves and their families.

Sixteen-year-old Evin Demirhan is a Turkish wrestling champion who is close to achieving a future she can call her own. If Evin wins an international medal, the state guarantees her a university education and a teaching career. For the moment her wrestling salary supplements the family income and in particular pays her brother Kerem's university expenses. While Kerem once objected to Evin's participation in wrestling, her success has changed his outlook. Evin's parents also understand that wrestling is important to her and they are proud of her achievements. Evin's parents and siblings are yet to attend a tournament but they have seen video footage of her bouts.

For Evin, wrestling is not just an after-school activity. Know My Name portrays her commitment to her chosen sport and her willingness to defy tradition. Despite the opposition of her community and the disadvantages of poverty, Evin wins bout after bout. Her coach Adem Kesici has trained Evin for three years and believes she can be world champion in her age division. Having never lost a bout, Evin is courted by other wrestling clubs. She chooses to continue her training in Siirt. Leaving her family and her coach would break her heart.

Evin's success in tournaments in Turkey sees her qualify for the European and World Championships in Poland and Hungary. For Evin, both championships prove more challenging than she expected and reaching the podium requires her to reassess her skills and strategy on the mat. Winning is never guaranteed and Evin must admit that she is not invincible.

Back home in Siirt, where Evin remains unknown despite her tournament success, life remains difficult. Poverty and prejudice are inescapable. Violence against women goes unpunished. Civil unrest means that the streets are far from safe. Yet Evin hopes to change Siirt. By making unconventional decisions about her life and returning to Siirt when she has finished her studies in Izmir, Evin believes that change for the better is possible.