self-possessed w/ Mert Ramazan Demir

We are with Mert Ramazan Demir. Cool, confident, and in control of his emotions. Although it seems normal to gather all these emotions together, they come from a place we have not been able to come across very often lately. While we all struggle to protect our individual space in the midst of chaos, being able to manage this like it’s nothing is the main reason why Mert is in our field of attraction.

The irony of loneliness is that each of us are alone at the same time and this leaves us with many questions we cannot ask out loud. I don’t know if it is being scared of life or loving it madly but I know that it is our common desire to materialize ourselves freely, proudly, unapologetically and to know every nuance. This is where I get back to Mert. It is enchanting that he pursues his dreams passionately as well as his self-actualization. Anemone from The Brian Jonestown Massacre plays in the background; as the music becomes a little louder, we get lost in the universe of Mert Ramazan Demir, somewhere between Paris and Istanbul, in a reality where our feelings predominate. What could be more important than getting away from all the chaos of life and meeting yourself again?

How did your self-actualization journey begin?

Mert Ramazan Demir: It is impossible to know how it began, I don’t think “self-actualization” comes with a decision. It is a journey, life itself. Actually I take it as “becoming real” rather than “self-actualization”. That’s why the closer I am to my own reality, the more I can be myself. This journey is life itself and its pace never slows down, the more I stay by myself and the more I become aware of reality, the more it becomes real. I try to face every detail that makes me who I am.

What does passion mean to you?

Mert Ramazan Demir: Passion makes the world go round. Everything is possible in a life you are passionately bonded to.

Is it more challenging to be yourself or to remain yourself?

Mert Ramazan Demir: In my reality, being yourself indicates a constant transformation. This means moving forward together against life and all it brings forward, so you need to strive to protect this reality as much as you strain to be yourself. When I take this from the perspective of self-compromise, being yourself becomes living the thing that you convinced yourself to believe. Being yourself is easy, so is remaining yourself. Every place where I cannot exist as myself triggers my desire to escape and disappear. To remain myself, I have to continue to be myself without stopping.

“I can draw inspiration from anything I experience. So those stories inspire me as well as I inspire them. This is where the concept of being nourished with life itself comes into play. I carry the emotions I have accumulated as an individual into my act; the characters and stories I get acquainted with as an actor feed my character in my individual journey. I think this is the best feature of this profession; you are inside a never ending story telling state about life. And every area you improve professionally makes your character stronger.”

When did the idea of becoming an actor appear to you?

Mert Ramazan Demir: This phase of my life is a bit blurry because I believe that this feeling has always existed somewhere inside me but it took me time to realize it. Acting appeared to me as a way to express myself. I can say that the idea of being an actor came into my life when I realized that this was a profession in the formal world.

What are the factors that make an actor successful in your opinion?

Mert Ramazan Demir: I can only answer this for myself but I can’t offer a list of reasons for an actor to be successful. I’m not really interested in those aspects. On my behalf, I try to parallel my personal expectations with the things I can make myself experience.

Do the stories you work on inspire your personal journey?

Mert Ramazan Demir: I can draw inspiration from anything I experience. So those stories inspire me as well as I inspire them. This is where the concept of being nourished with life itself comes into play. I carry the emotions I have accumulated as an individual into my act; the characters and stories I get acquainted with as an actor feed my character in my individual journey. I think this is the best feature of this profession; you are inside a never ending story telling state about life. And every area you improve professionally makes your character stronger.

How important is it for you to be able to be yourself?

Mert Ramazan Demir: I don’t consider anything that I haven’t done as myself to have happened.

How does the act of “making a difference” reflect in Mert Ramazan Demir’s life?

Mert Ramazan Demir: Making a difference has never been my main motivation when taking any kind of action. But if you have an idea, a behavior that has not yet been demonstrated, or a real attitude that you believe in, and if all of this matches the spirit of the period, you can make a difference.

Are there any personal traits that disturb you when you confront yourself, a part that you want to rebuild?

Mert Ramazan Demir: There are many and there are none. Isn’t this issue the starting point of all stories?

Tell us something about yourself that only those who know you know about.

Mert Ramazan Demir: I don’t like to admit that I can make mistakes, and I don’t make many of them anyway. I think I have a reflex against the concept of mistakes.

What would or wouldn’t you give up in order to protect your personal boundaries?

Mert Ramazan Demir: I think there is nothing that will push me harder than myself when it comes to pushing my individual limits. Even though it’s a bit of a vague point of view, I wouldn’t give up anything, and I could give up everything… But the intrusion to my personal boundaries by people and events beyond my control is something I cannot accept.

Making a difference has never been my main motivation when taking any kind of action. But if you have an idea, a behavior that has not yet been demonstrated, or a real attitude that you believe in, and if all of this matches the spirit of the period, you can make a difference.

How much space does dreaming take up in your life?

Mert Ramazan Demir: It’s hard for me to call myself a dreamer right now. The moment I dream of something, I begin the process of searching for a way to make it happen. I focus on the realization process rather than dreams. 

Yet do you still believe in dreaming and fighting for it?

Mert Ramazan Demir: Is it possible neither to believe in dreaming nor fighting for it?

Everything is possible. Can you dream a dream for us?

Mert Ramazan Demir: I did but I avoid the possibility of it breaking away from its own reality in case it is said out loud.

Creative Direction & Interview by Duygu Bengi

Fashion by Burak Sanuk

Photography by Ergin Turunç

Creative Production by Miray Kaya

Creative Team Ceydanur Demir, Şevval Küçüktır

Fashion Team Murat Kıvık, Selenay Tosun, Murat Şentürk

Hair & Make Up by Zeynep Dombaycıoğlu

Hair & Make Up Assistant Seda Civek

Gaffer Okan Ataş

Gaffer Assistant Ali Şimşek, Arif Bilbay, Arda Seyrek, Orhan Sever, Cüneyt Kaya

Photography Assistans Şimal Dilhan, İzgi Yılmaz, Hakan Diner, Elliot SB, Dora Okuyan

From Based Istanbul N°42 – me, myself & I Issue. “Talk to yourself like someone you love.⁠ Perhaps then, the balance might change. This time ask yourself: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” Buy your copy now!