Yaren

Bio: Mehmet Ali Poyraz was born in 1983 in Balıkesir, Turkey. He graduated from the Department of Journalism at Selçuk University’s Faculty of Communication in 2007. During his university years, he initiated the “Last Migration” project, capturing photographs of the Yörüks, one of the last nomadic Turkic tribes, who continue the traditional nomadic way of life. Focusing on social issues in his work, Poyraz explores themes such as illness, migration, political conflicts, and climate change. Since 2012, Poyraz has expanded his focus beyond photography to include documentary filmmaking with a human-centered approach. Continuing to work independently, he focuses on real-life human stories under the banner of “Human Affairs” documentaries. Working in the Middle East and Africa, Poyraz has conducted projects in Pakistan, Egypt, Kenya, Somalia, Syria, Palestine, and Bangladesh. Poyraz operates his own production company, Image 8 Production, where he continues to work on video and photography projects. Additionally, he remains engaged in documentary and short film endeavors.