Ertil, a retired architect, spends his days designing 3D projects shaped by dreams of Turkey’s potential modernization. Outside, Istanbul continues to build itself layer upon layer. One day, he learns that the building he lives in is set to be demolished due to earthquake risk.

Named after an Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar poem, Yasemin Akıncı’s beautiful documentary drifts contemplatively through Istanbul, guided by a solitary observer with a keen eye for design. As the city remakes itself—in memory and stone—the rift between creative reverie and concrete reality grows ever wider.