Erim Metto
Erim Metto | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 25, 1966 Enfield, London, England |
| Nationality | Turkish-British |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2004 - present |
| Organization |
|
| Title | CEO |
| Spouse(s) | Robbi Stevens |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | raawlondon |
Erim Metto (born 25 July 1966) is a third sector Chief Executive Officer, a Philanthropist, a filmmaker, a project manager, and a community leader.[1][2] He is currently the CEO of the Turkish Cypriot Community Association (TCCA), the largest Turkish Speaking Charity in the United Kingdom, and the director of RaAw Ltd, an award-winning film, theatre, and training company.[3]
Metto is the first appointed Turkish-Speaking Magistrate in the UK and is the chairperson of parent governors at North London School. Metto was also a torchbearer for the 2012 London Olympics.[4][5]
Metto is a highly acclaimed filmmaker and has worked on several documentaries, feature-length films, and short films.[6] He is best known for incorporating a vivid representation of untold stories in his film production.[7] Metto collaborated with other filmmakers and launched a film festival called The Turkish Cypriot Film Festival under the arm of the Turkish Cypriot Filmmakers network.[8][9][10]
Metto has led several international projects and is the recipient of the first Turkish Cypriot Community Achiever Award.[11][12]
Early life and education
Metto was born in London. He is a descendent of the Turkish Cypriot lineage, who migrated to the UK in 1961. He has two children named Yasmin and Jennah.
Career
In 2012, Metto launched a film, theatre, and training company along with his partner, Robbi Stevens. This company specializes in training young and talented actors, helping them to improvise and bring forth individual creativity. Since its inception, RAaW has produced over 50 short films, six features, three full-length musicals, six straight plays, and several showreels, music videos, and documentaries. As the director of this company, Metto has contributed to its popularity by facilitating the successful adoption and implementation of unique ideas and initiatives. Metto is founder and committee lead with three charities these being Community Health Screen, Haven for the Homeless and Turkish Cypriot Filmmakers network.
Metto has directed and produced several short and feature length films throughout his career. He also assumed the role of a screenwriter for many of them. Metto is highly acclaimed for his work as a filmmaker as he seamlessly presents a collective point of view of the Turkish community. Most of his work aims at highlighting the cultural diaspora and bringing forth the ideas of personal identity, loss, and change in a dystopian world.
Metto is known for exploring genres like drama, psychological thrillers, and documentaries. Some of his widely known films include Amoc, Cultural Menace, and Coma. Amoc is a thriller film that centres on a young woman who has recently moved from Lebanon to London. This movie unfolds with the character’s varied attempts to unravel the startling mysteries of her dreams and her struggle with identifying with the reality. Cultural Menace is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and explores the societal norms related to money and expectation. Coma, on the other hand, deals with the notion of fitting in society. This film also touches on the grave subject of racial prejudice and white supremacy.
After a hiatus of eight years, Metto assumed the role of CEO at TCCA. He serves as the lead officer of the organisation. TCCA and has worked on several major projects including the establishment of the Turkish Cypriot Cultural and Arts Festival, The Turkish Cypriot Awards and launch of the Turkish Cypriot Trust UK. Metto spearheaded TCCA to receive a Cache beacon status and a bronze award from the Charity Awards Scheme in 2015. He also led several major international events and was responsible for carrying out the largest study into access of health care within the Turkish and Kurdish communities.[13]
Within the field of Project development Metto has developed projects from London to India, including three major projects in Cyprus, including the establishment of an elders' facility in Lefke. Under Metto’s leadership, TCCA was shortlisted as a top non-profit association for three consecutive years by CENTUS.
In 2020 with the covid 19 pandemic, paralysing much of society, Metto launched the Turkish Cypriot Covid-19 Initiative, a partnership of six organisations that has led in the delivery of services to the most vulnerable within the community, the intiative impacted on the lives of . His work has been commended by receiving the Haringey Hero Award and the recipient of the Bridge Renewal Trust Impact award, for funded contribution towards supporting those vulnerable within our community.[14][15][16]
Metto has also contributed to the editing of the book Departures and Arrivals, written by Hatice Abdullah and is in the process of writing a book called Our Village.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Type | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Turkish Coffee | Short film | Director and Screenwriter |
| 2004 | I Used to live in Cyprus | Documentary | Director |
| Lockdown | Short Film | Director and Screenwriter | |
| Cultural Need | Short documentary | Director | |
| Flamingo Blues | Feature Film | Producer | |
| Cultural Menace | Feature Film | Director, Producer and Screenwriter | |
| 2006 | Wartime Life | Short documentary | Director, Producer and Screenwriter |
| 2011 | Invalid Debris | Short film | Director |
| 2013 | Detention | Short film | Director |
| 2014 | Coma | Feature Film | Director, Producer and Screenwriter |
| The Tea, the Warehouse and the Tied Up Russian | Short film | Director and Producer | |
| Detention | Short film | Director | |
| 2015 | The Warehouse and the Tied Up Russian | TV Short | Director |
| Queen of Hearts | Short film | Director and Producer | |
| Steel Horse | Short film | Director and Producer | |
| Tracks | Short film | Director and Producer | |
| 2016 | Vaccine AG19 | Short film | Director and Producer |
| Aphorism | Short film | Director and Producer | |
| 2017 | Rufus | Short film | Director and Producer |
| 2018 | School | Short film | Director, Producer and Screenwriter |
| Amoc | Post-production | Director, Producer and Screenwriter | |
| Without the Roses | Short film | Director and Producer | |
| 2019 | Candle Light | Short | Director, Producer |
| 2020 | Kaleburnu | Documentary | Director, Producer |
| Ya - Suffragettes | Post-production | Director, Producer and Screenwriter |
Personal life
Metto is married to Robbi Stevens, who is also a filmmaker, and the couple has two daughters named Yasmin and Jennah.
In the media
References
- ↑ "Erim Metto". IMDb. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "CHINGFORD: Proud torchbearer reflects on historic day". East London and West Essex Guardian Series. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "Telephone Directory for Calls from Unknown Numbers". kibkomtimes.com. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ gazete, Avrupa Gazete, Hayatın tüm renklerini barındıran. "Turkish Cypriot ran with The Olympic Torch". avrupagazete.co.uk (in Türkçe). Retrieved 25 November 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Abdullah, Hatice; Sinker, Mark (2006). "Departures and arrivals: Turkish Cypriots who came to England between 1934 and 1963 : 36 interviews". Turkish Cypriot Community Association. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "Erim Metto". BFI. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "Torch route Day 64 — Greenwich to Waltham Forest". Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "CHINGFORD: Proud torchbearer reflects on historic day". East London and West Essex Guardian Series. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "Süper Başbakan Londra'da her kesimin derdini dinledi, festival sorununu da çözdü". Olay Gazetesi Turkish Newspaper in London (in Türkçe). Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "British Council Film: Cultural Menace". film-directory.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "RAaW London :: About Us". www.raawlondon.com. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "TCCA invites tenders for Turkish Cypriot café/restaurant in its North London building – T-VINE". Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ↑ "Londra Kıbrıs Türk Toplum Birliği'nden Covid-19 desteği". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ↑ "Olay Gazete". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ↑ "Kıbrıs Türk Toplum Birliği'nin yardımları devam ediyor". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ↑ "East London coronavirus support group helped vulnerable and hospitals". Retrieved 26 November 2020.