A Ukrainian woman comes to Istanbul to say goodbye to her mother — the only farewell the war has left her.
Yulia lands in Istanbul to say goodbye to her mother. It's the last place they were together before the war — a city her mother loved. With Ukraine's territories occupied by Russian forces, there is no body to retrieve, no grave to visit. Istanbul is the only goodbye available to her. In a city indifferent to her grief, she faces exploitation at every turn — until a taxi driver named Berk recognizes her suffering and stays.
Director — Egor Yatsenko
Egor Yatsenko is a filmmaker and screenwriter who studied directing at the Moscow Film School. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 he relocated from Russia to Türkiye, later settling in Lithuania in 2025. His background in psychology and organizational behaviour informs his nuanced exploration of character and social dynamics. He made his directorial debut with the short film "The Interview" (2021), which premiered at multiple international festivals and earned several awards. "Let It Be" continues his examination of identity and human relationships through sharp observation and dark humour.