Artist Hera Büyüktaşcıyan takes us on a tour of Istanbul, the city where she lives and works. Ever since a child, walking has been a way for her to better understand this complex city, which she describes as a "living organism".

In this film, we join Büyüktaşcıyan on her daily commute from the island of Heybeliada. Arriving in the city, she explores the old district of Fatih, encountering and observing paper collectors and carpet sellers, Byzantine churches converted into Ottoman mosques.

In a visit to her studio, we see how the constant layering of histories, communities and acts of resistance in Istanbul – and in other cities like Toronto and Lahore – inspires her artwork, which ranges from forests of coiled carpets to stop-motion animation and drawing.