Gaining mainstream attention in the 1990s, the Lake Van Monster became a lasting symbol of the city. This short documentary examines the phenomenon with a critical eye.

Through the shifting reflections of Anatolia’s Lake Van, debutant director Behçet Güleryüz meditates on folklore and the human need to impose meaning on the unknown. Excavating the cultural and historical currents behind belief, the film questions how legends take root and why they endure.