Derya was born in Istanbul and moved to Vienna in 2019 to study Theater, Film, and Media at the University of Vienna. During her studies, she worked as an assistant director, videographer, and music arranger on various film and theater productions. Her first short film, Under the Debris, received several nominations and awards in the experimental documentary category. Most recently, she worked as the assistant to the director for Nathalie Borgers on the documentary film Scars of a Putsch that premiered at the Berlinale 2025. She is currently studying editing at the Film Academy Vienna.