After her studies (American Literature, Linguistics & Pedagogy) that she finished with her thesis: The Quest for Identity in African-American Literature in comparison to Turkish-German Literature, Cana took off to New York City to work in publishing (German Book Office, international branch of the Frankfurt Book Fair). In NYC she attended an independant filmschool in where she learned about directing and screenwriting. Back in Germany she graduated from screenwriting school and started her career in the creative field. Her photography was exhibited in various galleries internationally, one of her Istanbul photographies won the International Tokyo Photography Award. Her shortfilm 'Still Breathing’ was screened in various international film festivals (Finalist, Official Selections). In 2023 her design for a memorial plaque won an art competition (Duisburg 1984).

She currently lives in Alabama, US.

© 2025 Cana Yılmaz