Deniz Gürgen Atalay is a Lecturer on Film Theory and Film Practice in the Department of Film and TV at Bahçeşehir University, Turkey. She has an MA degree on the historiographical performance of the mainstream diegetic film, and is currently conducting PhD research on the same field. Her contemporary work in film practice focuses on documentary filmmaking. She recently directed a documentary series titled Pikolo, Pikolo II, funded by the International Labor Organization.