TCN Archive

HOKKABAZ | Cem Yilmaz and Ali Taner Baltaci

2007-11-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

HOKKABAZ “Conjurer”
Directed by Cem Yilmaz and Ali Taner Baltaci

Written by Cem Yilmaz
Cast: Cem Yilmaz, Mazhar Alanson, Ozlem Tekin, Tuna Orhan
2006, 122 min. 35mm.
In Turkish with English subtitles

In his latest film, the enormously popular Turkish comedian Cem Yilmaz plays the struggling magician Iskender. The only person who believes in him is his childhood friend Maradona (Tuna Orhan) and together they dream of a better life. They embark on a tour of Anatolia to escape the hustle and bustle of Istanbul's streets, and to make as much money as possible. Things go wrong almost immediately when they are forced to take along Iskender's father, the mad Sait (Mazhar Alanson), who wrote off his son years ago. On the road, they entertain at a wedding party only to have the disappearing trick go terribly wrong, leading them to leave town in a hurry with an unexpected new companion. A roller-coaster of a road movie, "The Magician" is heavy on both laughs and tears.

Directors

CEM YILMAZ was born in Istanbul in 1973. His first comic drawings were published in Leman Magazine while he was doing his tourism studies at Bogazici University. His first stage performance took place at Leman Kültür in august 1995. He has been on stage ever since and he has achieved an unbreakable record of 2500 live performances in the last 11years.

Filmography:
Hokkabaz / The Magician (Actor, Scriptwriter, Director) 2006
Organize Isler / Magic Carpet Ride (Actor) 2005
G.O.R.A. (Actor, Scriptwriter) 2004
Vizontele (Actor) 2001
Her Sey Cok Guzel Olacak (Actor, Scriptwriter) 1998

ALI TANER BALTACI was born in 1977 in Bafra. He graduated from TED Ankara College and Ankara University Communications Faculty. He received many national and international awards, in addition to the first place awards from the Ankara Film Festival for his documentaries which he made two years in a row during his studies. He started his professional carrier in 1999. He filmed music videos and advertisements. He took charge of assistant directing, post production supervising for both Vizontele and Vizontele TUUBA, also post production supervising of Organize İşler. Hokkabaz is his first big screen movie directing.

Filmography: Hokkabaz / The Magician (Director) 2006

Bes Vakit | Times and Winds

2007-10-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

TIMES AND WINDS

Dir/ scr/ editor Reha Erdem ;Prod Ömer Atay ; cam Florent Herry ; mus Arvo Pärt
Cast Özkan Özen, Ali Bey Kayal, Elit Iscan, Bülent Emin Yarar, Taner Birsel, Yigit Özsener, Selma Ergeç, Tarik Sönmez
Source Atlantik Film Yapim, Ltd., Üst Zerren sokak No. 2 Levent, 34330 Istanbul, Turkey FAX: +90-212-278-19-71 EMAIL: claudine@atlantikfilm.com

Islamic faith dictates that prayer uttered five times every day brings man face to face with his five "phases," or states of mind resulting from the tension of workaday life: fear and desire, love and grudge, faith and pain, screams and sobbing and passion and hate. Since every encounter in Islamic life is said to create new pain—whether that of growing up, growing old or merely getting by—then prayer is the panacea for the inevitable tragedy that is life. In Turkish director Reha Erdem’s sumptuously composed fourth feature, childhood life in a rural village on a mountain overlooking the sea is the incubator for an examination of that pain as experienced through the eyes of three very different children: Ömer, the son of the local imam; his best friend, Yakup, who’s enamored with the village schoolteacher; and Yildiz, who is forced to balance her studies with the household needs of her demanding mother. Their youthful internal struggles play out against a natural backdrop of passing hours, changing seasons and rural tradition, stunningly captured in widescreen by gifted cinematographer Florent Herry. Add to this evocative mix a musical score culled from the works of Arvo Pärt, and Erdem’s award-winning feature (the film earned a top prize at last year’s Istanbul Film Festival) emerges as one of the more thoughtful depictions of childhood and rural life in recent memory. Featuring a winsome cast of nonprofessional children, Times and Winds offers an unforgettable glimpse of rural Islamic life that is at once timeless, out of time and transfixed—like so many works of its kind—by the futile search for lost time.

—Andy Bailey

Perhaps the highest praise that I can give Reha Erdem's award-winning Times And Winds is that it it made me very frightened of ever becoming a father. Obviously, as somewhat recent newlyweds, my wife and I have discussed having children, and I have imagined what it'd be like to run around with my kids, teaching them to play catch, answering life's hard questions, passing on my accumulated wisdom, and so on. You know, the fun, Hallmark type of stuff. However, I've never thought much about discipline, of how I might punish my children for the wrong they but in a loving, truly parenting manner.
There's a Japanese proverb that says there are four things to be feared in life: earthquakes, thunder, fires, and fathers. This fear -- and hatred -- of fathers and their hard ways is the core theme of Times And Winds. Set in a remote Turkish village located high in the mountains, the film primarily focuses on two young pre-teen boys who are always chafing under the rule of their fathers.
Ömer despises his father, a local imam respected throughout the village, because the man dotes on Ömer's younger brother and treats his eldest worse than dirt. Yakup is ashamed of his father, who is constantly berated by Yakup's grandfather for being a terrible and lazy son. That changes, however, the moment Yakup sees his father peeking at the pretty young schoolteacher who happens to be the object of Yakup's adolescent fantasies.
However, other adults also prove to be as heavy-handed. In contrast to Ömer and Yakup, their classmate Yildiz is the apple of her father's eye, but her relationship with her mother is frosty at best. When Yildiz catches her parents making love, the jealousy causes her to break down in tears. Meanwhile, the town's shepherd is an orphan that is abused by one of the village's men, who is chastised by the village elders even as they neglect and beat their own sons.
Much of the film is spent simply settling into the rhythms of this mountain village, and while the lack of a strong narrative might prove frustrating at times, it also allows the viewer ample time to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and countrysides of this remote corner in Turkey.
Much like my discovery of Iran's beauty through that country's cinema, the views here are often eye-opening. There are many, many scenes that are simply worth studying for extended periods of time; lovely shots that spin around the town's minarest of Ömer's father calls the village to prayer, dreamlike scenes of the children asleep in the grass, a gorgeous panoramic shot of the aforementioned orphan as he tends the village's sheep, and so on. Adding to the gorgeous visuals is a an overwhelming score by noted composer Arvo Part, which lends even the most juvenile of shenanigans -- watching donkeys mate, sneaking off to smoke cigarettes -- a certain solemn, elegaic tone.
At times, the tone of the film does get a bit too portentous and heavy, a fact that isn't helped by the somewhat wooden acting of the two young leads. But when things crystallize, they do so to great effect. There's a running storyline concerning Ömer's attempts to kill his father, some of them comical (opening the windows in his parents' bedroom so his father will catch cold), some of them psychotic (gearing up to push his father off of a cliff). And one scene where Yildiz makes a terrible mistake while caring for her newborn brother caused many gasps in the audience I was with.
Unfortunately, the weighty, overbearing tone of the film does mean the ending, which might otherwise be cathartic, is somewhat overshadowed and underwhelming. But as a pure mood piece laced through with introspective thoughts concerning the roles of fathers, and the terrible consequences when they abuse their authority, Times And Winds can be quite powerful and haunting.
Istanbul
Times and Winds
Bes Vakit (Turkey)
By DEREK ELLEY

An Atlantik Film production. (International sales: Atlantik, Istanbul.) Produced by Omer Atay. Directed, written by Reha Erdem.

With: Ozkan Ozen, Ali Bey Kayali, Elit Iscan, Bulent Emin Yarar, Taner Birsel, Yigit Ozsener, Selma Ergec, Tarik Sonmez, Koksal Engur, Tilbe Saran, Sevinc Erbulak, Nihan Asli Elmas, Cuneyt Turel.

Life is composed of small truths rather than great events in Turkish stunner "Times and Winds," a hypnotic portrait of village life -- largely through the eyes of three youngsters -- that packs a poetic-spiritual punch way beyond its placid surface. Beautifully lensed in widescreen, without exoticizing the simple, rural subject-matter, this fourth feature by director Reha Erdem deserves quality fest platforming prior to niche theatrical and small-screen dates. By any country's cinematic measure, this is a considerable achievement.

Seven years ago, writer-helmer Erdem made the entertaining and inventive parable "Run for Money," about an Istanbul shop owner whose life disintegrates when he happens across a stash of dollar bills. "Times and Winds" (previously known as "5 Times," translating its Turkish title) is equally precise at scripting and tech levels, though very different in its setting and emotional temperature.

Though set in a hard-scrabble, hillside village -- shot near Ayvacik, just south of Troy, on Turkey's northwest coast -- film celebrates not the aridness or despair of the people's lives but their hidden desires and dreams, regulated by nature, the seasons and the metronomic beat of the calls to prayer that divide their days into five sections.

Cross the rural observation of Gyorgy Palfi's Hungarian "Hukkle" (2002) with the deeply spiritual feel of Peter Hall's Brit-village study "Akenfield" (1975), and you're halfway to "Times and Winds." Use of churning, chordal extracts from string works by Arvo Part (including his "Te deum") carry the same emotive power as Michael Tippett's string music in the Hall movie.

Three main characters are all aged around 12 or 13: Omer (Ozkan Ozen), whose father is the local imam (Bulent Emin Yarar), his best pal Yakup (Ali Bey Kayali) and a girl, Yildiz (Elit Iscan). When not being scolded by their parents, or at the school run by a beautiful, graceful teacher (Selma Ergec), the kids hang out in the hills, chatting, dozing in the summer heat or mixing with an older shepherd boy, Davut (Tarik Sonmez).

Omer resents his father's strictures and fantasizes about ways to get rid of him. Yakup, who secretly fancies the schoolteacher, also turns against his dad when he finds the latter spying on the young woman. Yildiz is a young woman in bud, helping out mothering her baby brother but also disturbed when she sees her parents making love one night.

Pic's content sounds like a recipe for boredom, but Erdem's calculated juggling of small events creates an atmosphere of much more going on than is actually shown on screen. When Yildiz has a small accident some 75 minutes into the film, it's a shocking event -- partly because Erdem catches the viewer by surprise. From that point on, pic develops a growing tension of other things that may or may not happen.

Technical package is aces, with the sounds of nature (wind, water, leaves) subtly accompanying the terrific widescreen visuals by Erdem's regular d.p. Florent Herry. Film won best picture award in the Istanbul fest's national competition.

Camera (color, widescreen), Florent Herry; editor, Erdem; music, works by Arvo Part; art director, Omer Atay; costume designer, Mehtap Tunay; sound (Dolby Digital), Herve Guyader, Murat Senurkmez; assistant directors, Gamze Paker, Fatih Kizilgok; casting, Ozlem Sungur. Reviewed at Istanbul Film Festival (competing), April 12, 2006. Running time: 107 MIN.
Tribeca Movie Review: Times and Winds

Posted on Friday, April 27th, 2007 at 5:13 am by: Francisco Saco

The following movie was reviewed at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival:
Times and Winds

Times and Winds 2006, Turkey by Reha Erdem

An exquisitely paced film, Times and Winds focuses on the daily lives of three preteens stuck in a mountain village in Turkey. Reha Erdem, of A Run For Money (1999) and What is a Human Anyway? (2004) fame, paints a magnificent story of longing and deep emotion as we travel along a mythic landscape following Ömer, Yakup, and Yildiz through their coming of age moments.

The three children in the film must cope with their distinct circumstances. Yakup, a boy, and Yildiz, a girl, are cousins whose fathers work together on the fields with their grandfather. While Yakup and Yildiz have to deal with their fathers, it is interesting to see how the fathers interact with the grandfather, who is overbearing and irritable. Yakup also faces love and jealousy, when he develops a crush on his schoolteacher and stands by as his father flirts with her and spies on her. He is angry and conflicted, not knowing how to approach the situation.

Ömer is the eldest of two sons, and is always being told how much smarter his sibling is. He witnesses the greater amount of love given to his younger brother and resents the whole family for this. His father, who is sick with the flu throughout the film, clashes heads with him constantly. Ömer wishes death upon his father and conspires to get him even sicker.

And then there is Yildiz, the most even-headed of the three who spends her days caring for her baby brother and who almost passes unrecognized by her parents. She is in the shadow of the newborn baby, yet deals with it in silence. We follow her walking down the pebbled paths of her village, as she goes about her chores.

A splendid picture on the lives of these children, the film is ultimately about time and the rhythms of the time they are stuck in. The stunning photography emanates rich hues and focused balance throughout. Erdem gives the characters space to breathe, move, and exist. We catch glimpses of the children lying asleep, almost lifeless, in beds of flowers, heaps of hay, and mounds of rubble. With subtle stylization, Erdem splits these characters lives into five different times of day. Morning, Noon, Afternoon, Evening, and Night divide the children’s sense of life and the specific emotions they are feeling at that particular moment. They are unadorned and allowed to just be, as they face the worries of growing up and maturing.

A superb presentation that is very personal and intimate, and yet, by some means, becomes universally resonant. The film moves ethereally, charting a course throughout the lives of Ömer, Yildiz, and Yakup. In a way, it leaves one instantly speechless and satisfied upon viewing. Not to be missed./Film Rating: 10 out of 10

Istanbul 2006
"Times and Winds":
Images for both the heart and the mind
By Antti Selkokari

What is really striking about with Reha Erdem's Times and Winds (Bes vakit) is its refusal to be explained. All it does is to invite us to look again, closer. To look at the world and its beauty with eyes we never thought we had.
Times and Winds.

The film is set in a small village that leans on high cliffs, facing the vast sea, its outskirts laced with olive groves. The village inhabitants live according to the rhythm of nature and the five daily calls to prayer. The central characters are three children on the brink of adolescence. The film follows the children and their interaction with their parents and a school teacher. One of the children wishes for the death of his father, who happens to be the imam of the village.

The boys in the film are shown to be bound by their religion. A strong contrast to the cultural ties is school: the place of reason and enlightenment. From the beginning of the film one can see the bipolarities abound; the images of the lush Turkish landscape are accompanied by western classical music. The music, Orient and Occidentby Arvo Pärt, emphasizes this duality even more. Yet in this piece of art, the music and images lyrically converge.

Times and Winds.

Erdem does not shy away from Islam. Abrahamic religions are present here and that's what makes the film even more universal. Times and Winds does not have to be seen as a religious film, but as a spiritual one. It is the inner life that Erdem is concerned with here. Times and Winds is about growing up; into the film are cut sole pictures of children lying somewhere in the woods hidden under weeds or on a bed of rocks. It seems as if these children are asleep. Maybe they are in the sleep of childhood. At the end, a boy wakes up to full consciousness and the burden of adulthood, which he realizes is crushing.

It would be rather fruitless to pin down all the possible influences in Times and Winds, since nobody, not even Tarkovski or Kiarostami, has a copyright on slow camera movement. And the consistent shooting on children's eye-level could be seen as a friendly nod to Gus van Sant's Elephant.

However, I would not want to ruin Erdem's life and career by calling him a master too early. So many genuine talents are burnt out too fast. The rage with which the media devours the new masters, never gives them time to mature.

Times and Winds proves Erdem has the talent and ability to become a master. But we have only seen the first inklings.

Antti Selkokari
© FIPRESCI 2006

Antti Selkokari lives in Helsinki and writes for Finland's second best-selling daily newspaper Aamulehti and Variety's International Film Guide.

ilm Title:
Times and Winds
(Beş Vakit)

Programme: CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA
Director: Reha Erdem
Country: Turkey
Year: 2006
Language: Turkish
Time: 111 minutes
Film Types: Colour/35mm
Producer: Ömer Atay
Screenplay: Reha Erdem
Cinematographer: Florent Herry
Editor: Reha Erdem
Production Designer: Ömer Atay
Sound: Herve Guyader, Murat Senürkmez
Music: Arvo Part
Principal Cast: Özkan Özen, Ali Bey Kayali, Elit Iscan, Bülent Emin Yarar, Taner Birsel

Times and Winds is a finely etched portrait of remote village life in Turkey composed of small, meticulously observed moments of great beauty, melancholy and lyricism. Reha Erdem's latest feature is about the bumpy emotional lives of three preteen friends, Ömer (Özkan Özen), Yakup (Ali Bey Kayali) and Yildiz (Elit Iscan), and the ways their families curb their dreams and desires as surely as the mountains and the sea confine their isolated village.

Ömer bitterly wishes for the death of his father, the local imam, who mistreats him in favour of his younger brother. Yakup is blithely in love with the teacher of their one-room schoolhouse, but his secret affections turn sour when he catches his father watching her as well. Finally, Yildiz's mother treats her like a household slave, and the girl becomes disturbed when she catches her parents making love. All three are burdened by feelings of insecurity and the apparent wickedness of the adults around them.

Erdem has a profound and innately poetic sense of the rhythmic passing of time, with each day in the village divided into five by the calls to prayer. His film was shot on location in the village of Kozlu, with many of the residents appearing in speaking parts. Despite the arduous living conditions and the domestic indignities that the young ones endure, Times and Winds is not a depressing film, for within each heartbreak lies the potential for self-discovery and redemption. A glorious soundtrack by Arvo Pärt adds to the electrifying atmosphere.

With a vast Scope frame, Erdem captures his troubled young protagonists posed against the sublime landscape, a deeply affecting motif that subtly conveys so much, so poignantly. Times and Winds is a small miracle: an intensely meditative film about young people's inner worlds.

- Dimitri Eipides

Reha Erdem was born in Istanbul, and studied history at Bosphorus University in Istanbul, and art and cinema at Université Paris VIII. He has directed shorts, commercials and the feature films Oh Moon (89), Run for Money (99), Mommy, I'm Scared (04) and Times and Winds (06), which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2006 Istanbul International Film Festival.

Times and Winds / Bes vakit / Turkey / 2006

A single, graceful motif is repeated throughout Times and Winds, offering wordless moments of contemplation with a remarkable image: Pre-Raphaelite portraits of children, sprawled on earth or among scattered foliage, lay in an innocent state of slumber. Interspersed among long scenes of daily life in a Turkish mountain village, these images offer a pastoral beauty mirrored by the deliberate pace of Reha Erdem’s film.

The idyllic environment of Times and Winds is as seemingly uncluttered as the lives of the village’s inhabitants. Focusing on three adolescent children, Erdem cautiously balances the naïve viewpoint of his young protagonists with the more complicated dynamic of their parents and other adults, maintaining a tone that is neither cloying nor ambivalent to the children’s inability to grasp the larger situations at hand. The initiation of sexual awareness is a constant theme, but without embarrassment or juvenile humor; rather, there is a delicate revelation as a young girl overhears her parents making love, a moment that brings her to confused tears, and later in the crush a young boy has on his teacher, as he avoids washing his thumb stained with blood from a wound on her foot.

Darker fixations form between parent and child as another young boy years for his father to die. In almost typical Oedipal fashion (there is no apparent obsession with his mother), the child first begs illness to take his father, then purchases a knife to speed up the process. While the stunt seems entirely youthful, with little thought of consequence, a parallel forms with the actions and repressed emotions among the adults in the film, many of whom share similar aggression. There is a particularly painful relationship between a child’s father and grandfather, as the elderly man belittles his son in a way that indicates years of verbal abuse, made obvious in the father’s physically contorted body language, and his impatience with his own children.

While Times and Winds retains focus on the small details and individual relationships within this community, a secondary theme reveals itself in the narrative structure of the piece; the Turkish title, Bes vakit, literally translates to “five times,” interpreted in the film’s use of temporal chapters. Utilizing Salah, the ritual prayer of Muslims, the film may be divided into five sections dictated by the times of day in which prayer is practiced. There is no indication of a clear significance, yet Erdem emphasizes the importance of religion and prayer in village life, underlining its meaning through the children’s unquestioning obedience to prayer hours, as well as specifically having the ill father hold the position of muezzin, leading the call to prayer. Considering the contemporary debate in Turkey between secular leadership and Islam, Erdem hints at the current political problem, illustrated with the children’s biological studies juxtaposed with the increasing illness of the muezzin.

Times and Winds’ greatest strength is in its minimalism, as well as its patience; the lush visuals and rhythmic flow gently draws us in, as the film nearly hums with the activity of life brimming among children and the natural world. This life however, as it so often happens, breaks unexpectedly, and we are left with a poignant reminder of the rush of impending adulthood and its consequences.

Jenny Jediny | © 2007 notcoming.com

Istanbul 2006
A Panorama of Contemporary Turkish Cinema
By Ayla Kanbur

It seems that Turkish Cinema has revived since the 1990's. Especially from the late 90's, a new generation has had the chance to make debut films. In other words, every year at the International Istanbul Film Festival, we have had the chance to see films of directors who are at the beginning of their careers.

The Turkish films competing in the 25th International Istanbul Film Festival comprised of both the films which have already been screened publicly and the films which were shown first at the Festival. Ice cream and I Scream (Dondurmam Kaymak) by Yüksel Aksu and Time and Winds (Bes vakit) by Reha Erdem were among the latter. Both films were eagerly anticipated.

Cinema is a Miracle (Sinema bir Mucizedir) by the master Memduh Ün, who has been in Turkish Cinema almost from the beginning, was celebrated as a jubilee. Shuttered Souls (Beyza'nın Kadınları) by Mustafa Altıoklar was rather a repetition of the Hollywood thriller genre whereas Whatever You Wish (Sen Ne Dilersen) by Cem Başeskioğlu was an undeveloped film. After gaining experience in TV series Çağan Irmak was in competition with his second feature My Father and Son (Babam ve Oğlum). The film has amazingly been a box-office hit in Turkey very nearly competing with the most popular Hollywood films. Two Girls (İki Genç Kız) was the film by Kutluğ Ataman who made award-winning films. Who Killed the Shadows (Hacivat ve Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü) by Ezel Akay is a brave approach to the subject of Turkish History. Times And Winds is an outstanding film with its compact narrative, and authenticity and won the FIPRESCI award.

Before a close look on Times and Winds, some other films are worth mentioning. Ice cream and I Scream has a corresponding side in My Father and Son by Çağan Irmak. Both films use popular language familiar to Turkish audiences from "Yeşilçam". However, both films also differ from those films with their well-observed small town people, their natural behaviour, gestures and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, the stories of the films tackle political issues in terms of the recent history of Turkey in their subtext. In this way they are separated from mainstream films which contain the dominant ideology.

Aksu, with Ice Cream and I Scream, chooses to tell the story of ordinary people who live in a seaside tourist town and focuses on the impact of global marketing on the local population. The protagonist sells home-made ice cream with genuine ingredients but he has to struggle against ready-made brands of a chain and also against the new regulations imposed by the EU. The film uses both professional actors and local people, which gives a true reflection of such towns. My Father and Son, with experienced performers, popular on television, contributed to the commercial success of the film. On the other hand, the film has some references to the 1980's coup d'état and the changing politics in daily life. Irmak is now a director accepted by all kinds of audiences.

Kutluğ Ataman's third film, Two Girls, is another film which doesn't approach its subject directly. The film touches on the conflicts of two girls with their parents. Although their backgrounds are different from each other they become very close friends. One is the black sheep of her family who lives outside the city centre, rather a slum, the other one seems to be well-off but her single mother earns her living by being the mistress of a rich man. Although it seems to be familiar subject, the film is distinguished by the authenticity of its characters.

Despite there being no apparent common tendency among these three films, we would find that in recent years new Turkish directors are more concerned with uncovering the real, distinctive connections, either in contemporary life or in the history of Turkey. In other words, their intention appears to question surface reality, to unearth simple life stories deriving from Turkey's social structure. If Ice cream and I Scream depicts an Aegean small town co-existing with Muslim and Anatolian culture, these signs can also be traced in Who Killed The Shadows by Ezel Akay. He exposes a multi-cultural atmosphere dealing with how the Ottoman Empire could have been established, points that official history has ignored. The narrative is constructed in a humorous way, in the manner of traditional comedy. The birth of two contradictory characters of the shadow arts, Hacivat and Karagöz, is paralleled with the birth of the Ottoman Empire. The film shows how all different colours of a culture can be formed into one.

Reha Erdem's Times and Winds can be praised for its courage in taking a slow pace, without loosing the attention of audience. Erdem divides the plot into five episodes according to the time period of Ezan. While we watch the inner conflicts of three boys and a girl with adults, the time of Ezan goes backwards starting from the late night call to the prayer. The film presents the pain of growing up; the conflicting emotions, guilt, revenge, jealousy and the inequality in relationships. With its well constructed plot, repetitions, contrasts, parallelism, Times and Winds, has a universal appeal though drawn from specific cultural material.

To sum up, contemporary Turkish cinema, not only in the festival but in general, has had the opportunity to create films with a subsidy from the Cultural Ministry and Eurimage as well as other sources. While television series and TV commercials are the areas to gain experience for some young directors, they have influenced art cinema. The films which are purely motivated or driven for commercial success should be put aside. One side prefers to catch the public with popular language without loosing the socio-political criticism and the other aims to make art cinema in the same critical perspective.

Ayla Kanbur
© FIPRESCI 2006
November 05, 2004
Reha Erdem's "What's A Human Anyway..."
Mavi Boncuk

Reha Erdem's "What's A Human Anyway...":
What's A Good Commercial Film Anyway...By Engin Ertan

The main problem with Turkish cinema in recent years has been to keep the industry alive. To keep the industry alive, commercial success is needed, that's for sure. Therefore directors and producers tried to find new formulas to draw people's attention to Turkish movies. Of course it was possible to imitate the old heritage of Yesilcam, "the Turkish Hollywood" so to say, but people were looking for something fresh and new. It looks like only one formula worked so far.

Nowadays Turkish popular films resemble TV series a lot. First of all, movies have as many characters as possible, played by celebrities (not necessarily actors or actresses). Another characteristic is a loose narration, where detailed storytelling and depth to characters is not evident at all. This approach leads to a structure which is based on gags or sketches, like the one used in TV series. Whilst talking about commercial filmmaking, one may think of genres, but in Turkey genre film almost never comes in question. The new Turkish popular film has to have as many emotions and as many approaches as possible, but not in a postmodern sense. It's not a mix of genres or different approaches, it's just something indefinable, so it will please everybody.

This formula, which brings cinema closer to TV, pleased the Turkish audience so far. But it's easy to guess, although there were a few exceptions, there is nothing to defend. This approach produces movies which are momentary. This is also the case with most TV productions. How many people would want to see them for a second or a third time, even it is fun at the first viewing? And since they are short-lived, these movies are usually superficial, with no statements, no connotations, whatsoever. And if they want to tell something, it is usually done in an unsubtle way. There's nothing implicit, everything is just there on the surface. This is another problem in addition to the momentary state of these films. There is hardly anything to discuss about them. When the experience you have in the theatre is finished, you are done with the movie too.

Yet, Reha Erdem's "What's a Human Anyway..." (Insan Nedir ki...), the winner of the FIPRESCI prize in the National Competition at the 23rd International Istanbul Film Festival, reminded me that there's still hope. Here we have a movie, which is closer to the European way of popular filmmaking rather than the Turkish one. Also there are similarities to the formula I've discussed above, but the main problems are left out.

The film is sweet, very humanistic (hence the title) and entertaining. Due to Erdem's background in directing commercials, it is fast and has style. But style does not overcome content, as in other examples of popular Turkish films. The film is able to raise some questions about gender problems and human relations with cultural references. The most evident one of these is to question the patriarchal image. To expand this premise, three phases of stepping into manhood in Turkish culture are discussed. There's a little boy, who refuses to be circumcised, a young man, who refuses to do his military service and two men, who are refusing to leave home. One of these men, Ali, who's living with his father, is suffering from amnesia. After a while, he is able to remember everybody around him except his father.

Whilst discussing these subjects, the film tries to solve the conflicts between its characters and is looking for a happy end. This leads to a somehow unsatisfying final, where forgetting and forgiving are suggested as a solution. So, even though it could have been something intense, the film prefers to be reconcilable. Still it's not as disturbing as it sounds, because this final solution fits to the humanistic and cute nature of the film.

Still it is not easy to say, that "What's a Human Anyway..." is a flawless film. First of all, it is too long. And some scenes may look too much like a TV commercial. Also resemblances to "Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" are evident, but one cannot suggest that this a huge problem. But still, there are lots of other things to admire. Such as Erdem's skill with the visuals and editing. He also succeeded in creating a colorful and cute atmosphere in an urban city. Also the film has no linear storyline, but it never adopts the loose narration style of the other recent commercial Turkish movies. Here, the music, the editing and the dialogue hold everything together and give the audience an insight into the subject matter.

"What's a Human Anyway..." is a film dealing with universal problems, but with a national approach. It has the potential to please audiences all around the world. And yet, it's not just about fun, it is also serious in some aspects. Since the statements of the movie are not only explicit, there's a lot to think about it afterwards. So, this is a film which combines good filmmaking, commercial intentions and seriousness. The main reason of the FIPRESCI jury to award this film was to promote a different style of moviemaking from Turkey around the world. Hopefully, "What's a Human Anyway..." will reach audiences in foreign countries (whether at festivals or with a theatrical release) and show, that Turkey can produce young and fresh films as well. Turkish cinema is not supposed to be based on just art-house movies dealing with political issues or superficial commercial movies. We have filmmakers who can be fun, serious and inventive at the same time too. Such as Reha Erdem.
Engin Ertan© FIPRESCI 2004

Film Review | Eternal Themes of Exile
Mavi Boncuk

Eternal Themes of Exile in "Waiting for the Clouds"
and "A Little Bit of Freedom"By Annika Gustafsson

A life in exile and the resulting problems of identity are examined in two vastly different films, Yesim Ustaoglu's "Waiting for the Clouds" (Bulutlari beklerken) and the German-Turkish coproduction "A Little Bit of Freedom" (Kleine Freiheit) directed by Yüksel Yavuz. Both films took part in competition in the national section at the 23rd International Film Festival in Istanbul and stayed in the FIPRESCI jury's discussions up until and during its final deliberations.

Ustaoglu's second feature "Journey to the Sun", 1999, brought her an international breakthrough and recognition. Her new film, with a script partly developed during a Sundance festival workshop, deals with a historical trauma going back to the antagonistic Turkish-Greek relations in 1916, when Greek families had to be evacuated from Turkey.
The film opens with grayish-brown documentary sequences from the evacuation, immediately striking an intense note of desperation and tragedy.

The little girl Eleni flees with her parents and her small brother through bitter cold and snow along the Black Sea coast. The parents die, and after a Turkish family takes care of her, she grows up as Ayse. Her brother Nico ends up in a children's home and is eventually brought to Greece, while Eleni leads a life in secrecy with her double identities.

She undergoes a grave crisis when her elder sister dies and the psychological repression mechanisms begins to crack. Gradually, the Greek language returns to her, and she finally learns that Nico lives in Thessaloniki. Elini travels there, only to discover that she remains a stranger.

Ustaoglu handles this strong drama in a visually taut, restrained style. The maturity of the director's treatment comes across in the seamless fusion of content and form into a powerful personal statement, showing obvious affinities with Theo Angelopoulos's films and, surprisingly enough, even with Michelangelo Antonioni and his trilogy about modern urban alienation, "L'Avventura", "La Notte" and "L'Eclisse".

Despite not being awarded by FIPRESCI, "Waiting for the Clouds" will hopefully reach an international audience, not only on the festival circuit, but also through normal exposure in theaters.

The same goes for "A Little Bit of Freedom". Here the story takes place in the St. Paul area in Hamburg, since 20 years an environment very familiar to the director, attracting illegal immigrants from the Balkan countries as well as North Africa and Turkey. The main character is teenage Baran, a delivery boy and all-purpose helper in a Turkish restaurant. Baran is waiting for a decision regarding a residence permit, while his new friend, Chenor from Africa, can't produce any papers at all when the two of them are stopped and questioned by the police.
This drama is complicated by the fact that Baran hails from a Kurdish family. His parents were killed by a political traitor unexpectedly showing up in Hamburg one day.

Whereas Ustaoglu has chosen a calm narrative tempo characterized by well-composed, lucid long shots favoring reflection from a distance on the part of the spectator, Yavuz, with a style in the social-realistic mode, belongs to a category of directors influenced by documentary cinema, such as Ken Loach, for instance. A fast-moving, nervous camera accentuates a predominant climate of insecurity. As with Loach, there is nothing pretentious or superfluous in the treatment of the material. The drama unfolds organically; different destinies are woven into the story in a natural way and mirror a reality of urgent interest against a complex political background.

Annika Gustafsson© FIPRESCI 2004

Waiting for the Clouds | Poster

2007-10-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

Waiting for The Clouds (6:32 min. clip)

2007-09-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

Interview with Yesim Ustaoglu on Waiting for the Clouds

2007-09-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

Interview with Turkish writer-director Yesim Ustaoglu:

Historical Tragedy and Hidden Identity illuminated in Waiting for the Clouds

by Alissa Simon

Turkish writer-director Yesim Ustaoglou, whose acclaimed second feature Journey to the Sun (1999) dealt with the treatment of Kurds in contemporary Turkey, treats another taboo topic with Waiting for the Clouds. It highlights a little-known historical tragedy, the forced deportation of the Pontic Greeks from Turkey after World War I, and again after the founding of the Turkish Republic. "I have always been interested in the patchwork that actually makes up Turkish history and culture," says Ustaoglu. "When I first heard the stories of people like [my heroine] Ayshe in northeastern Turkey which I know very well, I felt this was a part of history which had remained in the dark for too long."

The Pontic Greeks settled in the Black Sea region some 3000 years ago. At the beginning of the 20th century, their communities were thriving, and boasted their own schools, theatre groups and newspapers. After WWI, Turkish nationalists took power and moved against minority populations such as the Armenians and Pontic Greeks. Forced into exile during the harsh winter of 1916, many died of hunger and exposure. In 1924, the rulers of Greece and Turkey agreed to repatriate ethnic Greeks and ethnic Turks, so another massive deportation took place. In Waiting for the Clouds, the character Ayshe survived the exodus of 1925 and Thanasis that of 1916.

Ustaoglu's script won the 2003 Sundance/NHK Filmmaker Award. It is based in part on the novella Tamama by Yorgios Andreadis, and also on extensive research. "I read many books," she says, "of history and of interviews written by Pontus historians and Turkish historians living outside of Turkey. I also found exiled people who are still alive and recorded their stories."

Ayshe was born as Eleni in the Turkish fishing village of Treblolu. She was only ten when she was forced to flee with her parents and younger siblings in the bitter snow and cold in a forced march along the Black Sea coast. The journey killed hundreds of "evacuees." Eleni and her five-year-old brother Niko saw their father branded a "rebel" and shot, and their mother and baby sister die of starvation and exposure. Eleni's strong will kept Niko and herself alive and moving, until a Turkish family discovered them in the snow. Eleni bonded with Selma, daughter of the Turkish family, and chose to remain with them while Niko joined other orphans in a barracks. When the order came for the orphans to sail to Greece, Eleni stayed with Selma's family, hiding her real identity.

For fifty years, Eleni/Ayshe has felt a terrible guilt over abandoning her brother. When her beloved Selma dies in 1975, the memories of her past life become overwhelming. She breaks down. Her memory of her language returns. But does she dare reveal her secrets? Outsiders are still regarded as infidels, particularly in this corner of northeastern Turkey where intolerance and suspicion reign supreme. In the 1970s, as in the 1920s, Turkish life was marked by great social and political upheaval. The Soviet Union was deemed a particular threat, and Turkish communists watched by the government.

Eight-year-old Mehmet observes Ayshe's difficulties. When a white haired stranger arrives in the fishing village, Mehmet thinks that his accent resembles Ayshe's. He introduces the two and for the first time in five decades, Ayshe discusses her past. The stranger is called Thanasis. His background is similar to Ayshe's. After being transported with other orphans to Greece, he joined the partisans during the war and was then forced into exile. He lived for a number of years in Russia. Now he has returned to Greece, settling in Thessaloniki. With the help of Thanasis, Eleni is ultimately able to confront her past.

Waiting for the Clouds was shot in the same harsh and beautiful locations where the story unfolds. The highland scenes took place in an encampment 3500 meters high with no electricity. Cast and crew carried their equipment along a narrow path and lived in the same conditions as the characters they portrayed. Given these challenges, the performance of the older actors is remarkable, particularly that of Ruchan Caliskur who plays Ayshe. She won the Best Actress prize at the 2004 Istanbul Film Festival. Ustaoglu notes, "I try to choose actors who feel the story very deeply or who have a similar background to the characters in my script. I spend a long time in the locations where I shoot and choose the actors from there. Most of the cast are non-professionals from northeastern Turkey. Others are Pontic Greeks from Thessaloniki. I try to make all the cast feel very close to each other. We have long rehearsal periods and examine the locations together before shooting. For all the non-professional cast, it was very easy to work in such locations, but the older cast from Istanbul and Thessaloniki took their time to be part of the area. They examined the living conditions and even the body language of those living there to be able to perform naturally. Everyone really wanted to be in this movie, and they were ready for all the difficulties which was important to me."

While preparing Waiting for the Clouds, Ustaoglu also made a documentary about another minority population living in the area. She says, "My documentary tells a story about the Laz people who are from a more Georgian and Caucasian origin. They kept their own language and culture, but also have so many struggles, especially the women. My story talks about these brave, strong women who are living in an amazing wild nature, but always keep their strange ways."

What does the future hold for this talented filmmaker? "I am developing two projects," she says. "Both will be contemporary stories focused on the problems of our youth: their wishes, hopes and struggles to change their lives."

Yesim Ustaoglu was born in 1960 near Kars, an area with a large Kurdish population, not far from Turkey's border with Armenia. She went to university in Trabzon, on the Black Sea, where she studied architecture. She worked for a number of years as an architect, designer and restoration expert, but was always interested in cinema. She used earnings from her architecture work to direct several short films that went on to win prizes. The Trace (1994), her debut feature, screened at numerous international festivals. Her next feature, Journey to the Sun, received the Blue Angel Award for Best European Film as well as the Peace Film Prize at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival and swept the Istanbul Festival, winning Best Film and Best Director. "I learned a lot when I was living in northeastern Turkey," she says. I listened to many stories from old people. I also studied the history of art and architecture. I was always interested in the mosaics of our history and culture. It's a pity that once nationalism takes hold, people start to ignore the rest of the cultural elements that belong to others."

Yesim USTAOGLU ( 1960- )

2007-09-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Yesim USTAOGLU 18/11/1960, Sarikamis, Turkey
After studying architecture at Karadeniz Technical University, she completed her master’s degree at Yildiz University in Istanbul. She worked for a number of years as an architect, designer and restoration expert, and used her income to finance several short films that went on to receive critical acclaim. Her debut feature Iz (The Trace) was screened at numerous international festivals. Her next feature film, Günese Yolculuk (Journey to the Sun) told the moving story of a courageous friendship undaunted by political cruelty, and brought her international recognition and success. In competition at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival, Günese Yolculuk received the Blue Angel Award for Best European Film and the Peace Prize, and swept the International Istanbul Film Festival by winning the Best Film, Best Director, FIPRESCI and Audience Awards. The screenplay for Bulutlari Beklerken (Waiting for the Clouds) her latest film, won the prestigious Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award in 2003.

Filmography

1984 Bir Ani Yakalamak (kisa) / To Catch a Moment (short)
1987 Magnafantanga (short)
1990 Düet (kisa) / Duet (short)
1992 Otel (kisa) / Hotel (short)

1994 Iz / The Trace | Turkey
Kemal is a plainclothes policeman investigating a suicide whose face has been obliterated. He becomes obsessed with the real appearance of the dead man.

1999 Günese Yolculuk / Journey to the Sun | Turkey, Netherlands, United Germany
Mehmet and Berzan, both from Anatolia, have come to Istanbul in search of work and a better life. By chance the two meet and become friends; Mehmet also befriends a young woman, Arzu, another newcomer struggling to survive in the city. The promising new start comes to an abrupt end when Mehmet loses his job and finds himself escorting Berzan's dead body back to a village that no longer exists - having been flooded to make an artificial lake.

2004 Bulutlari Beklerken / Waiting for the Clouds | France, United Germany, Greece
In the 1970s, the Turkish Republic was a country in great social and political upheaval, and its gargantuan neighbour, the Soviet Union, was a constant source of fear and paranoia. Turkish Communists and anyone else deemed an 'other' were watched closely by the government. Intolerance and suspicion reigned supreme. This atmosphere was especially intense in Turkey's north-eastern region which includes the Black Sea city of Trabzon, only a few hundred kilometres from the border with Soviet Georgia. Since antiquity, north-eastern Turkey was a crossroads of Greek and Turkish cultures, and these co-existed peacefully until the fall of the heterogeneous Ottoman Empire during WWI. Not far west of Trabzon is Tirebolu, a fishing village formerly populated by Pontic Greeks. Through one of Tirebolu's elderly inhabitants, a woman named Ayshe, we will learn of one nearly-forgotten episode of the war, a terrible result of Turkish-Greek animosity, in which the Ottoman army in the winter of 1916 evacuated villages west of Russian-occupied Trabzon. Greek residents were forced to suffer hasty, haphazard and deadly deportations in what was an early example of ethnic cleansing.

2004 Sirtlarindaki Hayat (belgesel) / Life on their Shoulders (documentary)

References:

DOCKHORN, Katharina: Dunkles Kapitel türkischer Geschichte
Film-Echo/Filmwoche (0015-1149) n.36 , 06 September 2003, p.54, German, illus
A report on Yesim Ustaoglu's third feature film WAITING FOR THE CLOUDS.

DONMEZ-COLIN, Gönül: New Turkish Cinema - Individual Tales of Common Concerns
Asian Cinema (1059-440X) v.14 n.1 , May 2003, p.138-145, English
Looks at the work of the young generation of filmmakers, born in the 1960's and making films from the 1990's - Dervis Zaim, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Zeki Demirkubuz and Yesim Ustaoglu. Also looks at Turkish films shown at recent film festivals.

TASCIYAN, Alin: Turkey territory focus: Turkey turns up the heat
Screen International (0307-4617) n.1400 , 11 April 2003, p.7-9, English, illus
An analysis of the severe economic problems currently affecting the Turking film industry, and at the films nevertheless emerging. Refers to Turkish filmmakers Yesim Ustaoglu, Zeki Demirkubuz, Dervis Zaim and Nuri Bilge Ceylan

MONCEAU, Nicolas: Confronting Turkey's Social Realities: An Interview with Y..
Cinéaste v.26 n.3 , June 2001, p.28-30, English, illus
Career profile and interview with Yesim Ustaoglu. She talks particularly about her film GUNESE YOLCULUK (Journey to the Sun) featuring the realities of the Turkish-Kurdish conflict through the story of the friendship between two young men.

KHOSHCHEHREH & HAFTVAN, Levon Kh: Face to Face: An interview with Yesim Ustoglu: The Drowned..
Film International (1021-6510) v.7 n.4 , April 2000, p.43-44, English, illus
'The Drowned Culture of The Kurds' - Interview with Yesim Ustaoglu about GUNESE YOLCULUK (Journey to the Sun).

DÖNMEZ-COLIN, Gönül: The journey must go on
Cinemaya (0970-8782) n.44 , June 1999, p.4-8, English, illus
Yesim Ustoaglu talks about making JOURNEY TO THE SUN

KULAOGLU, Tunçay and PRIESSNER, Martina: Suche nach indetität: die türkische filmemacherin Yesim...
Filmforum (1431-7664) n.17 , May 1999, p.7-8, German, illus
Portrait of Yesim Ustaoglu.

DÖNMEZ-COLIN, Gönül: Personal Stories Need Not Be Autobiographical
Cinemaya (0970-8782) n.30 , October 1995, p.30-32, English, illus
Interview with Yesim Ustaoglu mentioning the success of IZ

Interview with Dervis Zaim on Somersault in a Coffin

2007-09-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

Interview with Dervis Zaim,
director of Somersault in a Coffin

By David Walsh |20 October 1997

David Walsh: These days films about ordinary people are very rare. Why did you choose such a subject?

Dervis Zaim: Because it's a subject really close to me. I saw these people around. Actually, the main character is based on a real person. Besides, the environment in Turkey, in Istanbul, is so much like this. This is a low-budget, no-budget film. No institution helped us. We produced it with friends, by guerrilla filmmaking, and this helped me to think more independently. The market dictates certain kinds of thinking, of aesthetic production. Since I had relatively free conditions, I was able to talk about this guy, his environment, Turkey's environment as well.

DW: What are the social conditions in Istanbul today?

DZ: Poverty is growing day by day. Turkey is in the process of integrating itself into the capitalist system. It is speeding up. These are the consequences of this process. Every day more people lose their jobs. The level of hunger, which was something rare 20 years ago, is increasing. All these things affect my thinking. Besides, I like Italian neorealism. My aesthetic choices, together with the conditions, prompted me to do this film.

DW: Do you have difficulties with your government?

DZ: This is my first film. Up to now I haven't had any difficulties. We produced this film independently. Censorship is less severe now, compared with five or six years ago. You needed enormous determination to make a film ten years ago.

DW: Is there an audience for your film in Turkey?

DZ: Americanization, standardization is everywhere around the world. People want Terminator. These are the films that enjoy box office success. My film is not successful in this sense. Thirty thousand people have seen it, in the big cities. Distribution is a big problem for me. You know the problem, you make a film but you are not able to distribute it.

DW: American films are everywhere?

DZ: You cannot believe it, in every single theater. Even in small towns. The production level of Turkish cinema is decreasing year by year. Fifteen years ago there were forty films a year made, now there are less than fifteen. If we make that many the press and the critics are happy. Fifteen films is good for Turkey now.

DW: What influence can or should art have on the lives of people?

DZ: It's not an immediate effect, of course. I don't think that people see a film and go to change their lives immediately. This is a long-term process. It takes time. But in the long run, I think people can change from films they have seen. At least I have changed in this process. I am not the same person I was before I started to make this film. There is hope.

DW: What is the relationship between film and reality?

DZ: I believe in fiction. All art is fiction, after all. You have to fictionalize everything in order to give it a truly realistic sense. It is a very complicated concept. The problems of the external world interest me. Postmodernism, that sort of thing, is a luxury for us. Between these two extremes, fiction and reality, together both of them create the film itself. I'm fictionalizing something, but I'm careful not to take it too far from reality.

DW: Why do you make films?

DZ: First of all, personally, I feel better when I make films. I tried to be an insurance salesman. After two months, I quit. Filmmaking in Third World countries is dangerous. You put yourself in danger. I like making films. I like the rhythm of directing, of watching, of writing, even of trying to find money. I even like this painful stage. Of course there are other things, a lot of problems in the outside world. I want to represent these problems, to create these celluloid works. These concerns are integrated into my personal situation and feelings.

Tabutta Rovasata |Somersault in a Coffin 1996

2007-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Tabutta Rovasata |Somersault in a coffin |Turkey 1996 |35mm / Colour 74'
Direction and Screenplay: Dervis Zaim;Cinematography: Mustafa Kusçu; Editing: Mustafa Preseva; Music: Baba Zula, Bab-i Esrar.; Sound: Ender Akay; Cast: Ahmet Ugurlu, Tuncel Kurtiz, Aysen Aydemir, Serif Erol; Producer: Ezel Akay, Dervis Zaim; Production: Istisnai Filmler ve Reklamlar Ltd. Sti. / World Sales: Istisnai Filmler ve Reklamlar Ltd. Sti., Eski Büyükdere Cad. No. 75, 80670 Maslak-Istanbul, Turkey, T: +90 212 285 2322, F: +90 212 276 6276

The main character, Mahsun, is unemployed and lives on the street, staying alive with the help of local fishermen. He steals cars either to find a warm place to sleep in or to satisfy his yearning for high technology. One day, he overhears a TV crew outside Rumelihisar Castle, talking about the peacocks that Mehmet the Conqueror had brought from Iran and put in the Castle, since it was believed that the peacock was a symbol of prosperity, fertility and protection against evil. Mahsun will eventually steal one of the peacocks, but his luck will not change. He will continue to steal cars and be hounded by the police, he will fall in love with a young heroin addict, and will almost drown in the sea. Stealing a second peacock, Mahsun will attract the attention of the media and, ironically, the destitute Mahsun will have his fifteen minutes of fame.

References:

DÖNMEZ-COLIN, Gönul: Tabutta Rövasata
Cinemaya (0970-8782) n.37 , July 1997, p.24,25, English, illus

YOUNG, Deborah
Variety (0042-2738) , 05 May 1997, p.76, English

DONMEZ-COLIN, Gönül: New Turkish Cinema - Individual Tales of Common Concerns
Asian Cinema (1059-440X) v.14 n.1 , May 2003, p.138-145, English
Looks at the work of the young generation of filmmakers, born in the 1960's and making films from the 1990's - Dervis Zaim, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Zeki Demirkubuz and Yesim Ustaoglu. Also looks at Turkish films shown at recent film festivals.

TASCIYAN, Alin: Turkey territory focus: Turkey turns up the heat
Screen International (0307-4617) n.1400 , 11 April 2003, p.7-9, English, illus
An analysis of the severe economic problems currently affecting the Turking film industry, and at the films nevertheless emerging. Refers to Turkish filmmakers Yesim Ustaoglu, Zeki Demirkubuz, Dervis Zaim and Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Review | Somersault in a Coffin (1997)

2007-09-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

Life isn't any less difficult for a homeless man living in Turkey than it is for someone trying to survive on the streets of New York. Dervis Zaim's ''Somersault in a Coffin'' is a compassionate but hopelessly sketchy study of a drifter and petty criminal named Mahsun (Ahmet Ugurlu), who compulsively steals cars, sleeps in abandoned fishing boats and survives on day-old bread.

The compassionate portrait drawn by the Turkish film makes Mahsun almost likable in a sad-sack way. As portrayed by Mr. Ugurlu, a bearded, weatherbeaten actor with a haunted, hollow-eyed look, Mahsun is more comic victim than social predator. An essentially gentle being who endures a vicious beating by the police (he is trussed up and swatted violently on the soles of his feet), Mahsun is touchingly loyal to his fellow outcasts. When one crony dies, he gathers a group of friends for a sentimental graveside tribute in which they sing, drink toasts and pour wine on the earth.

After learning from a television news crew that a local castle has been turned into a tourist attraction housing several dozen peacocks, Mahsun scales its walls and captures one of the beautiful birds, which symbolize the abundant life he will never have. In the course of his daily travels, he also runs afoul of a local criminal boss and befriends a homeless woman who spends her days nodding out on heroin.

If its characters are intriguing, this cinema-verite-style movie never finds its narrative focus. Key incidents in Mahsun's sad life are insufficiently developed, and the abrupt changes in his relationships remain frustratingly inexplicable. The movie, which New Directors/New Films is showing at the Museum of Modern Art tomorrow at 6 P.M. and Monday at 9 P.M., adds up to little more than a diffuse collection of cinematic snapshots of a colorful loser.

SOMERSAULT IN A COFFIN

Written (in Turkish, with English subtitles) and directed by Dervis Zaim; director of photography, Mustafa Kuscu; edited by Mustafa Presheva; music by Baba Zula and Bab-i Esrar; production designer, Asli Kurnaz; produced by Ezel Akay and Mr. Zaim. Shown tomorrow at 6 P.M. and Monday at 9 P.M. at the Roy and Niuta Titus Theater, Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53d Street, Manhattan, as part of the 27th New Directors/New Films series of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art. Running time: 76 minutes. This film is not rated.

WITH: Ahmet Ugurlu (Mahsun) and Tuncel Kurtiz (Reis).

Derviş Zaim (1964- )

2007-09-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

Derviş Zaim (born 1964 in Famagusta, Cyprus) is a Turkish Cypriot novelist and filmmaker. In 1995, his first novel won the prestigious "Yunus Nadi" literary prize in Turkey.

He graduated from Warwick University in England. He attended a course in independent film production in London, organized by the Hollywood Film Institute. He also graduated from the Department of Business Management of the University of Bogazici in 1988. He started experimenting with film in 1991, and worked as a TV producer and director from 1992 to 1995. In 1992 he made the TV documentary Rock Around the Mosque, and he has also written a novel, Ares in Wonderland. Somersault in a Coffin is his first feature film.

In 1995, his first novel won the prestigious "Yunus Nadi" literary prize in Turkey.

In 1996, Tabutta Rövaşata ("Somersault in a Coffin") was his debut as director and screenwriter; it featured a soundtrack by Baba Zula and Yansımalar.

Filmography

1996 - Tabutta Rövaşata ("Somersault in a Coffin") – director, screenwriter
Story of down-and-out Mashun, who earns a pittance working on a fishing boat, but at night has to steal cars to sleep in to avoid freezing to death. He spends much of the time cold and hungry, briefly getting a job in a tea bar, but, despite regular, brutual harrassment by the police, he won't give up.
2000 - Filler ve Çimen ("Elephants and Grass") – director, screenwriter, producer
2003 - Çamur ("Mud") – director, screenwriter, producer
A tract of mud in a salt water lake in Cyprus contains memories of war, ancient legends and clay with healing powers. Inter-related are the stories of four Turkish friends hoping to achieve reconciliation with the past, in a still divided Cyprus.
2006 - Cenneti Beklerken ("Waiting for Heaven") – director, screenwriter, producer

Lola and Bilidikid (1999 ) Kutlug Ataman

2007-09-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Lola and Bilidikid

Dir: E. Kutlug Ataman, Germany, 1999

A Review by Filiz Cicek, Indiana University, USA

Scholars often describe the guest worker/Turkish immigrant in Germany as a mute man/woman, who is unable or not allowed to integrate. I propose that his/her muteness in some cases preceded their Diasporic journey and has been accentuated since he/she became an immigrant. Further, I will argue that until recently, contemporary Turkish-German Cinema has perpetuated this muteness rather than giving a voice to the realities of the immigrant men and women.

This representation of muteness has its roots in the Kemalist reforms started in 1923, whereby the government tried to force the filmmakers to create films that would reflect the idea of a "new Turk" which was supposed to end the image of the "backward Ottoman". This concept ignored the actual realities of the average both male and female Turkish citizen, who remained basically unchanged. It was this population that made up the majority of the immigrants who went to Germany. I will argue that in Germany, the government policy of "affirmative action", which sought to give voice to the mute immigrant, instead "produced well-meaning projects encouraging multi-culturalism that, however often result in the construction of binary opposition between Turkish Culture and German Culture." Thus the immigrant, who was struck mute in his/her homeland, was further silenced by the good intentions of his/her host country. The films, produced with money from the German government, overemphasized the immigrant's victim status and were unable to go beyond the existing stereotype of the "Muslim Turk from the East" complete with the image of the oppressing male and the oppressed female. Lost was the depiction of the immigrant as a modern worker who attempts to adapt to the exigencies of a modern capitalist society and becomes integral part of German culture and economy in the process.

Kevin Robins and Asu Aksoy argue that the western modernity that was introduced after WWI by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the new Turkish Republic, created a distance between the average Turkish citizen and the State. The new Turkish Republic defined its model "new Turk" by their difference from the Ottoman culture because the Ottoman experience was regarded as non-Turkish and backwards. Therefore the Kemalist reforms abolished the caliphate, religious brotherhoods, attire, language, calendar and so on. Thus began the "tradition of discontinuity with the past which culminated in a state of amnesia imbued in the psyche of the 'new Turks'" Instead, they looked towards the West, which represented modernity. Yet most of the Turks, especially those who lived in countryside, continued to live according to their folk Islamic traditions as they did for centuries. Even the six centuries of Ottoman rule, which was heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic cultures and languages, was not enough to change that reality. The Kemalist reform did not either.

But what Kemalist reforms did was to effectively create a gap between its average citizen and the elitist state. The state-run radio, television and later cinema, all promoted the ideal New Turkish citizen as a reality, creating an ongoing conflict between what he/she should be and what he/she is. In a sense, the entire country was forced to play a game of pretending to be western and modern. In doing so, they silenced any elements that did not go along with that image and ideal, thus creating a whole new mute population alongside the elite Republicans.

The majority of those immigrants, who journeyed to Germany for better life, were the mute citizens of Turkey coming from the countryside to escape their economic hardship. When in Germany, they came face to face with the same silencing dilemma that they experienced in Turkey, but in a much larger scale. If they were not able to or willing to adapt to the new Turkish citizen image in their homeland, how and why were they going to adapt to their new German identity?

In Turkey, the government by implementing various censorship rules tried to force the filmmakers to create films that reflected the idea of "new Turk" as a reality, not giving voice to actual realities of its average Turkish citizen. In Germany a government policy, an American type of affirmative action, sought to give voice to the mute immigrant. This policy as Deniz Gokturk describes "produced well-meaning projects encouraging multi-culturalism that, however often result in the construction of binary opposition between Turkish Culture and German Culture." She also states: "the postulate of cultural difference, though it purports to be liberating, has obstructed the perception of the cross-cultural exchanges that in fact already exist, and often hindered dialogue instead of facilitating it."

It is hard to disagree with Gokturk: most of the Turkish-German films from Germany 40squaremeters to Almanya Aci Vatan that were produced over three decades followed the blueprint of Turkish stereotypes regarding such subjects as rape, violence, revenge, prison, hospital, virtue, honour, honour killings, women in domestic space, masculinity in crisis and so on. While such issues do exist in Turkish-German daily life as in other cultures, continual portrayal of pitiful noble victim in these films did little to better the image of the mute Turkish immigrant. On the contrary, it cemented that image and in the process gave the average German audience an outlet to temporarily feel sympathy for him/her but nothing further. In fact it silenced him/her in much the same way Turkish modernism did, portraying his/her traditional values backwards, putting him in an inescapable negative cultural box, without reflecting the greys in between the binary cultural experiences which exist on a daily basis.

But does cinema have such responsibility? Since it is one of the most powerful and influential media outlets in global popular culture, one could argue that cinema has a responsibility to be honest about the reality of the time, people and places they attempt to portray. Cinema could help create a space, perhaps that third space, as Homi Babaha would put it, where an immigrant exists daily, not as a two-dimensional cartoon character of him/herself but as real individual. In this regard, Kutlug Ataman's film Lola and Bilikid (1999) serves as the first Turkish-German film that embodies that honesty, reality, exposing the daily life of Turkish-German's immigrant in Berlin in a groundbreaking way. The irony of the film is that it mobilizes the marginal immigrants in Germany through the voices of most marginal of them all -- Turkish transvestites in Berlin -- to expose the reality of the Turkish-German community at large.

Starting with Kutlug Ataman's Lola and Bilidikid, muteness of the Turkish immigrant was complicated. Such attempts were repeated in films like Short Sharp Shocked and Head-On by Fatih Akin, which are distinctly different then earlier films, such as Berlin Berlin by Sinan Cetin. However, Akin's work has competing ideals that further complicate the situation. For example, Akin's Head-On which won the Golden Bear award in Germany in 2004, is a film about two Turkish-German characters' quest for visibility, quest for third space to exist. Turkish German characters in this film are portrayed rather "raw" as some film critics put it, which is a progress considering other Turkish German films glorification of the sympathetic noble victim characters. The film is more entertaining to the general audience than Lola and Bilidikid. It has all the usual Turkish film themes of rape, murder, jealousy, and virtue, honour, hospital, jail and so on but the way in which Akin presents these themes doesn't quite deconstruct the stereotypes. Rather, he makes them grander. Also, the epilogues that are built in between scenes further accentuate Turkish culture and Turkey as the promised land. In an interview Akin sates that he wanted to create an imaginary space where his two loveable loser Turkish-German characters could escape. However, that imaginary space ends up being homeland Turkey. This idea of "Homeland-Turkey" comes to serve as a space of resistance to German subordination. The option of being able to go back to homeland is a survival skill to most Turkish Immigrants in Europe. It provides the immigrant in identity struggle with an imaginary space where he/she can negotiate his/her identity: namely identifying themselves as Germans to Turks in Turkey and as Turkish to Germans in Germany. However, that journey back to homeland-Turkey usually doesn't happen. This is problematic, since it creates a vicious cycle of a catch-22 without hope of upward mobility in either of the countries. Unlike Lola and Bilidikid, Akin's ending in Head On says to us that there is no chance of visibility for his characters in Germany other than being victims and/or criminals and offers no realistic alternative for third space of existence. This feeds into the German-media's focus on the "hyphenated" identity of the Turks, which stresses the national and religious identities at the expense of other forms of identification.

Similarly in his earlier film, In July, Akin takes his four characters, both German and Turkish, to Turkey, away from the boring summer in Hamburg. But once in Turkey, they end up with partners of their own race: German girl with German boy, Turkish Girl with a Turkish boy. It is ironic that Fatih Akin, who was born and raised in Germany, and who has achieved success and visibility in Germany, sees Turkey as the Promised Land for his seemingly hopeless (victim-criminals) characters. The international success of Akin's two films, along with German media attention to "Muslim-Turkish" born actress Sibel Kekilli's past as a porn star, to a certain degree testifies to the enduring effects of Orientalism, this time internalized by Turks and aided by empathetic Germans.

On the other hand, Lola and Bilikid is a drama that takes place in the streets, nightclubs, toilets, abandoned buildings and the Turkish ghetto neighbourhood. It tells the tale of Turkish transvestites in Berlin, a group of ultra marginalized people both as immigrants and homosexuals who experience alienation from Germans, from their fellow Turks and, at worst, from each other. Director Kutlug Ataman portrays the homosexual community as confused and ambiguous. Lola's lover Bilidikid, who sees himself as a man since he is the one who penetrates, mimics the homophobic behaviours of his fellow Turks. Not knowing he is Lola's baby brother, he advises Murat to never admit that he is gay and never let himself be penetrated. He states, "living as a fag is no way to live". He insists that Lola should have the operation the get rid of his "dick", and become a woman so they can move to Turkey and live like normal people do. When Lola asks "why not you why me" he answers laughingly, "because I am a man."

Lola works as an oriental belly dancer at a Turkish nightclub. He is happy with being in love with Bilidikid and want things to remain the same. He is realistic enough to know that what Bilidikid wants from him and for them, which is to live like "normal" people, will eventually destroy them, because he recognizes that becoming a woman would only make Bilidikid leave him at the end because he won't be the same person that he fell in love with. In reality what Bilidikid wants is to be able to live without being discriminated against and he thinks the way to achieve that is to become like everyone else, not realizing that such self-inflicted imitation would only further contribute to his own oppression. Events take a turn for the worse when Lola confronts his older brother Osman and discovers that he has a younger brother Murat. Lola's attempts to befriend his new brother Murat prove to be fatal, as Osman, who acts as the Turkish patriarch of the family, kills Lola.

Murat, the younger son, who is introduced in the dark streets of Berlin, against the backdrop of the statue of an angel, represents the redemption and hope in the film. After exploring his own homosexuality with a German boy from his school, he discovers that he has an estranged homosexual brother -- Lola. After being beaten by the neo-Nazis, he questions his mother about Lola. The mother, who is ignorant of her older son Osman's actions, explains how the whole family disowned Lola after he "came out." She advises Murat that "in these foreign lands they must stick together and obey Osman as the head of the family as his intentions and deeds are essentially good and well intended."

Murat helps Bilidikid to avenge Lola's death. He pretends to be Lola to lure the Neo-Nazi group into an abandon building. There we see the two radical characters of both cultures, Bilidikid, who embodies the machismo of the Turkish male, and the Hitler-inspired neo-Nazi leader, attack and kill each other. After the self-destruction of the extreme elements of both cultures, director Ataman places Murat and one of the neo-Nazi youth at a corner in the building, abandoned both physically and metaphorically. There, in a state of panic, beaten and bloodied, the two are stripped of their cultural differences, they become human, and they become the same.

It is after the deaths of Bilidikid and the Neo-Nazi leader that Murat learns from his German love interest that it was not the neo-Nazis who killed Lola. Murat next confronts his older brother Osman about Lola's death and in the process both he and his mother realize that it was Osman who killed Lola in order to hide his own homosexual inclinations, and to hide the truth that he raped Lola repeatedly in the past. The mother, who saw herself as an uneducated woman, with unquestioning obeisance to patriarchy, recognizes her own failure and strikes the patriarch Osman in the face. She leaves her domestic space, and blends into the German streets as she tears off her headscarf. She transforms and delivers herself and becomes her own other.

Osman is left in the Ghetto crying. Murat now follows his mother. The mother's appropriation of space is repeated by the transvestites as they pass by Tiergarten and the Victory Column, the same column that Murat walked by at night in the beginning of the film. But now, in the daylight, the two transvestites declare to the Turkish cab driver their identity openly: one of them says, "I am a woman with balls, don't say I didn't tell you!"

On a secondary level, the film explores an upper-class rich German mother and son relationship with each other and with the son's Turkish lover Iskender. The son, Frederick, is very gentle and understanding with Iskender but his mother is distrustful of him, thinking he is only after their money. Iskender is equally distrustful of both of them. However, after Lola's death, he decides to give love a try with Frederick. Also, after a bickering car ride together to her house they come to an understanding on a mutual space of existence. The film ends with a Turkish female's transformation from domestic to public space, second generation Murat's rejection of patriarchy that is oppressive to his identity, transvestites becoming open with their identity, and middle aged Turkish and German men putting their differences aside to become lovers.

What is the significance of Ataman's characters in this film? Ataman tackles the certain stereotypes of German and Turkish cultures. But he does it in a way that complicates the stereotypes without perpetuating them. For example, the orientalist scene where Murat walks into a nightclub is quickly problematized when Bilidikid beats up a German customer who wants to have some oriental sexual delight. The examination of the internal struggles of the transvestite characters, as they interact with each other and the Turkish German society, displays a more nuanced approach than most other Turkish films. Turks struggle to survive daily, yet they mimic the very elements that discriminate against them—the same elements to which they aspire. Such complicit behaviours come from the desire to become visible, as opposed to being invisible if they were openly homosexual men. In the process, they silence themselves in much the same way that the mother is silenced by the patriarchy. As for the patriarchy, there is triple articulation of the silence: first of all, Osman is silenced by his traditional idea of male identity that does not allow him to explore his hidden homosexual desires. Secondly, he comes from a country where his traditional Turkish identity is already silenced: the elitist Turkish government only provides him space to exist as a "new Turk," which requires him to deny his Traditional Islamic identity. Last, German culture silences Osman by keeping him in the ghetto and in the cultural ethnic box, not providing him with the tools and resources to integrate into the society.

It is through the three-dimensional depictions of the individuals in Lola and Bilidikid that we get a glimpse of a more realistic look at the daily lives of mute immigrants, without displacing the problem to one or the other culture. Going back to Turkey is an option for the characters in Lola and Bilidikid, but there also exists a space in Germany where Turks and Germans can co-exist. There is a space where, at the end of the film, transvestites can come out of the oriental nightclub into the daylight and be visible as who they are.

How realistic is Ataman's realistic portrayals of such characters? Ataman, a native of Turkey who attended UCLA film school and currently lives in London, spent two years in Berlin with the homosexual community before shooting the film. His latest project, which depicts the people of Cuba, a shantytown near Istanbul, won the Tate Museums Turner prize. Critics praised his focus on the individual in this project in many of the same terms that I use for Lola and Bilidikid. This attentiveness to individuals is a true breakthrough in Turkish cinema, as this cinema generally operates from the collective's point of view. It is the focus on the individual that enables Ataman to get away from the binary depiction of Turkish-German Cultures. It is through the individual that we get to see a more three-dimensional picture of the collective, and that collective in Lola and Bilidikid at the end consists of German and Turks, not one against the other.

Perhaps then it is Ataman's distance to Turkish-German experience that enables him to reflect them in a more fully realized way. And to his credit, he does it through exploring the most marginal segment of that society without being condescending, claiming authority, and most importantly without perpetuating the victim-criminal stereotypes. Akin focuses on east-west conflict, much in the same way the German media portrays the immigrant Turks daily, yet Ataman is able to portray the same subject as a human conflict.

Films such as these help redefine national and gender identities and the identity of Germany. More study has to be done in the area of immigrant films not only in Germany but elsewhere in the continent in order to further understand and contribute to the ever-changing culture of Europe as an immigrant society.

The Bandit | Eskiya 1996

2007-09-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

"-çok korkuyorum eşkiya.. çok.. beni bırakma..
-korkma.. önce toprağa gideceksin.. sonra toprak olacaksın. sonra bir gül olacaksın.. o güle bir arı konacak.. o arı ben olacam.."

The Bandit | Eskiya Turkey, France, Bulgaria
1996 121 minutes, color
Production Company: Filma-Cass, ArtCam International, Geopoly ; Directed by: Yavuz Turgul, Writing credits:Yavuz Turgul ; Produced by:Gulengul Arliel .... co-producer,Abdullah Baykal .... executive producer,Georgi Cholakov .... executive producer, Pavlina Jeleva .... executive producer, Sener Sen .... executive producer, Eliane Stutterheim .... executive producer, Yavuz Turgul .... executive producer, Mine Vargi .... producer, Ömer Vargi .... producer, Ugur Yücel .... executive producer ; Original Music by: Askin Arsunan, Erkan Ogur ; Cinematography by:Ugur Icbak
Film Editing by: Hakan Akol,Onur Tan ; Casting by:Rengin Altun ; Art Direction by:Idil Akcil(co-art director),Selda Cicek (co-art director),Ziya Ulkenciler ; Costume Design by: Gulay Dogan, Ozlem Sekercioglu.
Cast (in credits order)
Sener Sen ... Baran
Ugur Yücel ... Cumali
Sermin Hürmeric ... Keje (as Sermin Sen)
Yesim Salkim ... Emel
Kamran Usluer ... Berfo (as Kamuran Usluer)
Ulku Duru ... Mother of Emel (as Ülkü Duru)
Özkan Ugur ... Sedat
Necdet Mahfi Ayral ... Andref Miskin
Kayhan Yildizoglu ... Artist Kemal
Güven Hokna ... Sevim
Kemal Inci ... Mustafa
Melih Cardak ... Demircan
Settar Tanriogen ... Laz Naci (as Settar Tanriögen)
Celal Perk ... Deli Selim
Umit Cirak ... Cimbom (as Ümit Cirak)
Riza Sonmez ... Avarel (as Riza Sönmez)
Romina ... Sekine
Kezban Sardan ... Fatma (as Kezban Altug)
Kurtcebe Turgul ... Jilet Cemal
Can Yilmaz ... Hakan
Yurdan Edgu ... Father of Cemali
Zubeyde Erden ... Ceran
Cevat Capan ... Man on the Street
Selim Erdogan ... Cop #1
Hakan Kiremitci ... Cop #2
Hakan Bilgin ... Cop #3
Yasar Uzel ... Cop #4
Yosi Mizrahi ... Cop #5
Konuralp Sunal ... Cop #6
Nazim Sutluoglu ... Demircan's Man #1
Erkan Kara ... Demircan's Man #2
Erdal Atik ... Demircan's Man #3
Suat Tok ... Demircan's Man #4
Mahmut Gungor ... Demircan's Man #5
Ahmet Erciyes ... Demircan's Man #6
Tarkan Oguz Yasli ... Demircan's Man #7
Hakan Sutluoglu ... Dj
Burc Bakan ... Bodyguard

Synopsis
After serving a 35-year jail sentence, Baran, a bandit, is released from prison in a city in Eastern Turkey. The first thing he does is to return to the village he left. But the village has been long submerged under an artificial reservoir. Baran's undoing was Berfo, a friend who had once been closer to him than a brother. In order to snare Keje, Baran's sweetheart, Berfo seized his best friend gold and have Baran arrested by the gendarme on Mountain Cudi. Then Berfo purchases Keje from her father against her will, and disappears. According to rumor, he is in Istanbul. While traveling to Istanbul by train, Baran meets Cumali, a young man. Cumali was raised in the alleys of Beyoglu, his life revolving around bars, gambling joints, alcohol, dope and woman. Cumali dreams of joining the mafia and making it big. He takes Baran to a dilapidated hotel in the backstreet's of Beyoglu. After a while, Cumali and friends discover that Baran used to be a bandit, but they can't take it seriously. For them, it is just a laugh. Cumali's dreams of a new life include Emel, his girlfriend. Emel has a convict brother, who is in trouble with the other prisoners in his jail. His life is in danger, and he needs high amount of money to get out. Cumali promises Emel to get the Money for her brother as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the bandit is going through Istanbul in a daze, lost in totally alien world, with no idea where to start looking for the woman he loves and the mortal enemy who was stolen her...

References:L.G.[GUICHARD, Louis]
Télérama n.2525 , 03 June 1998, p.62, French

J.-Y.K.[KATELAN, Jean-Yves]
Premiere (0399-3698) n.255 , June 1998, p.74, French, illus
Brief credits and review

THORAVAL, Yves
Avant-Scène du Cinéma (0045-1150) n.473 , June 1998, p.104, French

dock: Eskya-Premiere in Berlin
Film-Echo/Filmwoche n.42 , 18 October 1997, p.8, German

BLANEY, Martin: Marketing News: Turkish delight
Screen International (0307-4617) n.1121 , 15 August 1997, p.13, English, illus
on the marketing for Turkish films in Germany

YOUNG, Deborah
Variety (0042-2738) , 05 May 1997, p.76, English

Yavuz Turgul

2007-09-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Yavuz Turgul

Born in 1946 in Istanbul. He graduated from the Institute of Journalism in Istanbul University. He worked as a journalist for six years then began to write scripts. He won Best Screenplay Awards in Antalya Film Festival with Abbas in Flower (1982), The Agha (1986) and Muhsin Bey (1987). His debut as a director was in 1984. In 1988 he won the Special Prize of the Jury with his film Muhsin Bey (screened at the 4th Boston Turkish Film Festival in 2005 as a part of the 10 Best Turkish Films) in the international competition of the Istanbul International Filmdays and also received the Special Prize of the Jury in San Sebastian. He directed The Bandit in 1996 which was a great commercial success in Turkey.

Filmography (director):

Gönül Yarasi (2005)
Retired primary school teacher Nazim returns to Istanbul after 15 years working in an impoverished village in south-east Turkey. During one of his night shifts in his friend's taxi, he encounters nightclub singer Dünya and her daughter Melek, fleeing her ex-husband Halil. Warming to Nazim, she asks him to be her chauffeur. Halil seriously assaults Dünya in the nightclub; Nazim rushes her to hospital and ends up taking her and Melek to his flat.
... aka Lovelorn (International: English title)

The Bandit (Eskiya, 1996)
Romantic action film about an ageing mountain outlaw who, after 35 years in prison, returns to find his village flooded and his sweetheart stolen by his best friend. He follows them to Istanbul and discovers his best friend has become the richest man in the country. In the city, he is befriended by a young urban gangster who falls foul of the local mafia. The old outlaw soon shows that he has not lost his touch and is more than a match for the city mafia.

Ask Filmlerinin Unutulmaz Yonetmeni |The UNFORGETTABLE DIRECTOR OF LOVE MOVIES (1990)
About a down-on-his-luck director trying to find funding for his next project.

Muhsin Bey (1987)
The life of a dour middle-aged cafe owner who as an aging bachelor maintains his conservative habits and lifestyle, until several new people enter into his life and change it forever.

Fahriye Abla (1984)

Writng Credits
Kabadayi (2007)

Eskiya (1996)
... aka The Bandit (USA)
Gölge oyunu (1992)
Ask filmlerinin unutulmaz yonetmeni (1990)
Muhsin Bey (1987)
Zügürt Aga (1985)
... aka The Agha (International: English title: festival title)
Fahriye Abla (1984)
Aile kadini (1983)
Sekerpare (1983)
Cicek abbas (1982)
... aka Abbas in Flower (International: English title)
Hababam sinifi güle güle (1981)
... aka Bye Bye, Crazy Class
Sultan (1978)
Tosun Pasa (1976)

Yol 1982 | Credits

2007-09-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

YOL | Year: 1982; Release: 1982 Alternate Title:The WAY, The TREK OF LIFE, The ROAD
Awards: Cannes Festival Awards 1982 - Palme d'Or
Running Time: 114 minutes | Length: 10251 ft, 3126 m | Fujicolor

Director: Serif GÖREN
Production Company: Güney Film, Cactus Film, Maran-Film, Schweizerische Radio- und Fernsehgesellschaft, Antenne 2
Country: Switzerland
Synopsis: Portrait of contemporary Turkish life as seen through the eyes of three convicts on a week's leave from a semi-open prison.
Cast:
Seyit Ali Tarik AKAN
Mehmet Salih Halil ERGÜN
Omer Necmettin ÇOBANOGLU
Ziné Serif SEZER
Emine Meral ORHONSAY
Gülbahar Semra UCAR
Mevlüt Hikmet CELIK
Meral Sevda AKTOLGA
Yusaf Tuncay AKÇA
Sevran Hale AKINLI
Zafer Turgut SAVAS
Sevket Hikmet TASDEMIR
Mirza Enging ÇELIK
Berber Elim Osman BARDAKCI
Cindé Enver GÜNEY
Abdullah Erdogan SEREN
Credits:
Director Serif GÖREN
Producer Edi HUBSCHMID
Producer K.L. PULDI
Production team Edi HUBSCHMID, K.L. PULDI, Nihat BEHRAM, Erol GÖZMEN, Sabri ASLANKARA, Thierry MAITREJEAN
Technicians Ali DÖVENCI, Mustafa KOÇYIGIT, Nuretin AKÇABAY, Ekrem ÜLGEY, Necip KOÇAK, Seref YILMAZ, Ibrahim KUL
Assistant Director sMuzaffer HIÇDURMAZ, Ahmet SONER, Turgay AKSOY
Screenplay and dialogue Yilmaz GÜNEY
Photography Erdogan ENGIN
Editor Yilmaz GÜNEY, Elisabeth WAELCHLI, Laura MONTOYA, Hélène ARNAL, Serge GUILLEMIN
Titles Télétitres
Music Sebastian ARGOL, KENDAL
Sound Record Film
Sound Gérard COHEN
Sound Studio Marcadet, Paris
Sound Henri HUMBERT, Gérard TILLY, Lois KOENIGSWERTHER, Patrick JOULIN, Charles NOBEL, André SIMMEN, Laurent BARBEY
Dubbing director Yilmaz GÜNEY

Sound Code: Sound

Yilmaz Güney [1931–1984]

2007-09-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

GÜNEY, YILMAZ [b. 1/4/1937, Yenice, Turkey d.9/9/1984, Paris, France]

Turkish film actor, writer, and director. His real name is Yilmaz Putun.

Born the son of a peasant in Siverek, a village near Adana, Yilmaz Güney earned his keep as a boy toting water, caring for horses, and selling simits (pretzels) and soda. He attended law school at Ankara University and returned to Adana, where he got a job with Dar Film. He began scriptwriting and acting in 1958, and moved to Istanbul, becoming a popular star by the mid-1960s. Güney directed his first film in 1966, and went on to become the preeminent filmmaker of the era, with more than a dozen more films. His 1970 film Hope, about the mystical adventures of a poor carriage driver from Adana, was a turning point in Turkish film, marking the beginning of an era of neorealism. His 1982 Yol (The road) shared the Palme d'Or award at Cannes with Costa-Gavras's Missing.

Güney wrote the script for Yol while serving a nineteen-year prison sentence for killing a judge in 1974, over a question of honor. The film was directed by Şerif Gören, but Güney escaped from prison in time to finish editing it in France. The film, about five prisoners on hometown leaves, has never been shown publicly in Turkey [1]. Since his death, numerous books have been written about him, and the scripts for all his important films have been published. His films, short stories, and novels reflect his own outspoken Marxism and his preference for outlawed figures on the fringes of society.

YOLDA RÜZGAR GERI GETIRIRSE (2005) -- [Subject of Film]
YILMAZ GÜNEY - HIS LIFE, HIS FILMS (1987) -- [Subject of Film]; On-screen Participant
Le MUR (1983) -- Director; Assistant Director; Screenplay
AUTOUR DU MUR (1983)
YOL (1982) -- Screenplay and dialogue; Editor; Dubbing director
DÜSMAN (1979) -- Script
SÜRÜ (1978) -- Script
ZAVALLILAR (1975) -- Director; Script
ENDISE (1974) -- Director; Script
ARKADAS (1974) -- Director; Script
AGIT (1972) -- Director; Script
IBRET (1971) -- Script
BABA (1971) -- Director; Script
UMUT (1970) -- Director; Script
SEYYIT HAN (1968) -- Director; Screenplay
AÇ KURTLAR (1967) -- Director

Note by Erju Ackman
[1] Not at the time of this article but 17 years later in 1999

Bibliography

Dorsay, Atilla. "An Overview of Turkish Cinema from Its Origins." In The Transformation of Turkish Culture, edited by Günsel Renda and C. Max Kortepeter. Princeton, NJ: Kingston Press, 1986.

Özgüç, Agâh. "A Chronological History of the Turkish Cinema." Turkish Review (Winter 1989): 53–115.

ELIZABETH THOMPSON
Source Citation: THOMPSON, ELIZABETH. "Güney, Yilmaz [1931–1984]." Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Ed. Philip Mattar. Vol. 2. 2nd ed. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 955. 4 vols.

Yilmaz Guney's Last Interview

BASUTCU, Mehmet: The Exile & The Refugee
Cinemaya (0970-8782) n.9 , October 1990, p.17-19, English, illus
Discusses the work of both Yilmaz Güney and Tevfik Baser as examples of Turkish filmmakers who work abroad

Cinemaya (0970-8782) n.5 , October 1989, p.48-61, English, illus
Articles discussing the life and work of Yilmaz Guney, and an interview with his wife about him.

AKMAN, Eris: Double perspective
Cinemaya (0970-8782) n.4 , July 1989, p.34-35, English, illus
Discusses censorship in Turkey mentioning the experiences of filmmaker Yilmaz Guney

City Limits (0262-2505) n.276 , 15 January 1987, p.51, English
Notes on a TV documentary on Guney, YILMAZ GUNEY - HIS LIFE, HIS FILMS.

Listener (0024-4392) v.117 n.2994 , 15 January 1987, p.25-26, English
Article on the career of Guney as seen in the Channel 4 season and documentary YILMAZ GUNEY - HIS LIFE, HIS FILMS.

Revue du Cinéma/Image et Son n.399 , November 1984, p.91-92, French
Obituary.

Cinema Sessanta (0392-3428) n.160 , November 1984, p.40-45, Italian
Biographical and career article with filmography.

Technicien du Film (1628-1101) n.329 , 15 October 1984, p.32, French
Obituary.

Cinéma n.310 , October 1984, p.2,9, French
Obituary.

Monthly Film Bulletin (0027-0407) v.51 n.609 , October 1984, p.324, English
Article on Turkish cinema and the work of Yilmaz Guney.

Stills (0263-2608) n.13 , October 1984, p.48-50, English
Interview with Guney shortly before his death, in which he talks of his exile, his period in jail and how this has affected the production of his films and their depiction of life in Turkey.

Cineinforme (1135-3910) n.139 , October 1984, p.8, Spanish
Obituary.

Ciné-Revue v.64 n.38 , 20 September 1984, p.48, French
Obituary.

Télérama n.1810 , 19 September 1984, p.39, French
Obituary with some quotations.

Screen International (0307-4617) n.463 , 15 September 1984, p.21, English
Brief obituary.

Film-Echo/Filmwoche (0015-1149) n.51 , 15 September 1984, p.7, German
Obituary.

City Limits (0262-2505) n.154 , 14 September 1984, p.5, English
Obituary.

Film Francais (0397-8702) n.2002 , 14 September 1984, p.30, French
Obituary and filmography.

City Limits (0262-2505) n.153 , 07 September 1984, p.17, English
Interview with Guney on his films and on the political situation in Turkey.

Retro (0174-3783) n.21 , October 1983, p.43-44, German
Interview with, about his film Le MUR.

Revue du Cinéma/Image et Son n.384 , June 1983, p.16-19, French
Biographical and career article.

Sight and Sound (0037-4806) v.52 n.2 , April 1983, p.88-93, English
Interview with, on his early experiences of film as an actor and scriptwriter and his subsequent films as a director as well as his prison experiences.

Films (0261-8001) v.3 n.3 , February 1983, p.8, English
Guney comments on the making of YOL, and his time in prison.

Time Out (0049-3910) n.647 , 14 January 1983, p.10-12, English
Guney talks about his imprisonment, his acting career, and his work as screenwriter/director, and the experience of making films from prison.

City Limits (0262-2505) n.67 , 14 January 1983, p.11, English
Interview with, on his political beliefs and how these are reflected in his films.

Film Francais (0397-8702) n.1930 , 14 January 1983, p.8, French
Güney talks about his film, which he is presently making in Paris, with French money, le MUR.

Dirigido Por... (0212-7245) n.99 , December 1982, p.16-21, Spanish
Interview with, on YOL.

Jeune Cinéma (0758-4202) n.144 , July 1982, p.11-15, French
Article on his film YOL which he created while in prison and was directed by Serif Goren. Interview with, on the making of the film and the difficulties encountered.

Image et Son/Ecran n.374 , July 1982, p.82-87, French
Article on his work.

Image et Son/Ecran n.374 , July 1982, p.82-87,88-96, French
Article on his work followed by Güney talking about his life and work. Filmography.

Jump Cut (0146-5546) n.27 , July 1982, p.35-37, English
Article on revolutionary cinema in Turkey and the work of Guney.

Positif (0048-4911) n.256 , June 1982, p.34-41, French
Interview with, on his life and work, following his escape from prison in Turkey.

Dirigido Por... (0212-7245) n.94 , June 1982, p.33, Spanish
Interview with, on what forms the basis of his films, censorship in cinema, what attracted him to cinema and working in Turkey.

Revue Belge du Cinéma n.21 , July 1981, p.17-18, French
Biofilmography.

Framework (0306-7661) n.15/17 , July 1981, p.7-8,9-11, English
Interview with, on the effect on his work of censorship and state control, his imprisonment and how he has been able to continue writing scripts for films and the sources and traditions he draws on. Includes biographical article.

Positif (0048-4911) n.243 , June 1981, p.51, French
Most recent details of his imprisonment, a note on his direction of the making of the film SURU from prison, and plans for future work despite his continuing imprisonment.

Jeune Cinéma (0758-4202) n.134 , April 1981, p.18-20, French
Article on the eight films of Güney which were shown at the Berlin Festival in 1981.

BFI News (0308-2822) n.46 , January 1981, p.4, English
Adrian Turner introduces the retrospective of Guney's work at the National Film Theatre.

National Film Theatre Programmes , January 1981, p.10-12, English
Introductory notes to a season of films to be screened at the National Film Theartre.

Cinéma n.262 , October 1980, p.52-57,58-60,61-63, French
Article on his career and life, and present imprisonment in an 'open' Turkish prison. Filmography and interview with in prison in which he talks about the screenplays for his films.

Positif (0048-4911) n.234 , September 1980, p.46-49, French
Interview with Güney conducted in the Turkish prison where he is confined in which he talks about his imprisonment and the concerns of his work in the cinema.

Positif (0048-4911) n.229 , April 1980, p.60, French
Addition and correction to filmography given in February issue, no.227.

Positif (0048-4911) n.227 , February 1980, p.29-35,36-45,46-47, French
Article by Adrian Turner on the work of this director, his imprisonment and political stance, and one film in particular, SURU. Elia Kazan writes about the visit he made made to Gúney in the Turkish prison of Toptashi. Filmography

Cinema Sessanta (0392-3428) n.117 , September 1977, p.44-51, Italian
Report on the Güney retrospective at the 1977 San Remo festival. Interview with critic Atilla Dorsay about the cinema in Turkey, about Güney's imprisonment and about his films. Biofilmography.

Jeune Cinéma (0758-4202) n.89 , September 1975, p.17-20, French
Article on the director and his films.

Film Comment (0015-119X) v.11 n.1 , January 1975, p.4,87, English
Article on his films and the Turkish film business.

Yol, 1982

2007-09-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Yol, 1982 [The Road]

"Basically in Yol I wanted to talk about the oppression people live through. I never intended to depict it as though the government alone were to blame. At any rate, that wouldn't be telling the truth. Oppression arises not only from the government but also from the fact that in their lives people are ruthless among each other (and that's closely linked with the social and economic conditions of life). That ruthlessness stems from a feudal background that western countries experienced in the Dark Ages. In concrete terms I mean the traditions, mores, way of life and obsolete ethics. When you consider both these forms of oppression simultaneously, you can comprehend the general coercion of the system. On the one hand the social pressure people exert on one another and which is due to feudal remnants and on the other, government pressure from the top by force of arms. Those two forms of oppression are part of a system and we must consider the system as a whole."

"I'm a politicized person but I have a different approach to art. I don't consider cinema as a tool meant to express a theoretical truth. Me, I talk about people's suffering at the heart of life. I'm against a cinema based on slogans, a cinema reduced to the role of a propaganda machine. I'm against a didactic concept of cinema. However, I strongly believe that my art has a political content. That it has a powerful impact on the masses. I owe it to myself to use an artistic language. For political reasons I write articles and hold conferences. But a movie theater isn't a conference hall. One must distinguish between those two different languages."

Yilmaz Guney

At a "half-open" detention facility and work camp on the island of Imrali, a group of hopeful, but resigned men ritualistically converge on the entrance of the main penitentiary ward: first, for the disbursement of weekly mail and subsequently, for the eagerly anticipated posting of the list of prisoners authorized for a one-week furlough. A soft-spoken, unassuming man named Yusuf (Tuncay Akça), dispirited by the scarcity of letters from home, seemingly finds his fortune changed when he finds his name among the privileged list of furloughed prisoners. Mehmet (Halil Ergün), a pensive and conflicted man faces his trip to Diyarbakir with great trepidation and anxiety, having found his marriage increasingly strained when his wife begins to question his role in her brother's death during a bungled robbery. A vibrant and self-assured young man, Mevlat (Hikmet Çelik), finds his romantic notions to reunite with his fiancée Meral (Sevda Aktolga) thwarted when her family dispatches chaperones in order to prevent the couple from being alone. An idealistic and apolitical man named Omer (Necmettin Çobanoglu) who daydreams of his idyllic life amid the lush, grazing open fields of his beloved village in Kurdistan returns home to the chaotic sight of his town under siege by the military as they attempt to root out suspected insurgents in the closely knit community. A rugged, unemotional prisoner named Seyit (Tarik Akan) receives a letter from his family explaining that his wife Ziné (Serif Sezer) had dishonored their clan by resorting to prostitution, and was sent with their son to her parents' home at a mountain village in the frozen hinterlands. Now issued a temporary permit to return home, he vows to redress the shame of his wife's infidelity and restore honor to both families.

KURDISH FILM FILES

2006-10-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

KURDISH FILM FILES
Kurdish Film Files and links are provided as a resource without editing and commentary.

Links:
Kurdfilm Articles about film and TV in Kurdish (Sorani) E Mail: sina@chello.se
Kurdweb/Germany Film related information hosted by German Human Rights Server

1. A Song for Beko
2. The Edinburgh Festival/ Gas Attack |Roadblocks' - A Greek Film about Kurdish Refugees.
3. GOOD KURDS, BAD KURDS No Friends but the Mountains
4. Kurdish Film In Exile (KFE)
5. Creativity Refuses to Wilt in Iran
6. Blackboards' director chalks up artistic success
7. When the Horses Got Drunk By Siamak R. Durroei
8. Bahman Hobadi Interview with Ozgur Politika
9. KURDISH FILMS AVAILABLE ON VIDEO
10 Materialien zu Filmen von und �ber Kurden
11. Kurdische Filme aus der T�rkei und aus dem Iran
12. Filme von Kurden und Kurdinnen, entstanden in der Schweiz
13. Schweizer Filme zum Thema
14. Deutsche Filme zum Thema
15. LES CHANSONS DU PAYS DE MA MÈRE / AVAZHA-YE SARZAMIN-E MADARI-AM
16. 1st London Kurdish Film Festival 9– 15 November 2001
17. 2nd London Kurdish Film Festival 15 – 28 November 2002
18. Introduction by Bahman Ghobadi / Welcome to the 2nd London Kurdish Film Festival
19. Songs of My Homeland by Bahman Ghobadi
20. Jhíyan (Jiyan)

1. A Song for Beko

A Song for Beko / Klamek Ji Bo Beko / Beko�nun Turkusu ( Germany) 1992, 100 min. In Kurdish with English subtitles
Directed by: Nizamettin Aric; Written by: Nizamettin Aric and Christine Kernich; Cinematography by: Thomas Mauch; Music by: Nizamettin Aric; Costume Design by : Nizamettin Ariç , Christine Kernich Produced by :Margarita Woskanjan; Cast: Beko (Nizamettin Aric), Zine (Bezara Arsen), Zeyno (Lusika Hesen), Cemal (Cemale Jora)
Distributed by Nizamettin Aric, Wilhelmshoher Str. 2612161 Berlin, Germany, Tel: 011-49-30-851-4786 Fax: 011-49-30-852-9974.
Nizamettin Aric makes his directorial debut and also stars in A Song for Beko, one of the first films in Kurdish (he also scripted this eloquent film and composed and played its musical score). Aric himself was imprisoned for speaking the Kurdish language in public and exiled from Turkey. Beko begins his long pilgrimage -- in search of his brother -- in Kurdirsh areas of Turkey, where he escapes arrest. Fleeing into Syria, this modern-day Odysseus then makes his way into the serenely beautiful highlands of the Kurdish areas of Iraq. Here, in a nomadic community caring for refugee children, Beko finds himself and a homeland. But inevitably this peace is broken."To be a refugee is a Kurdish fate," says Aric. "The more the people of the world know about us, the more we can hope. That is why I made this film."
'Ein Lied für Beko' ist der erste in kurdischer Sprache gedrehte Film. Die Geschichte, die von einer emotionalen Kraft der Bilder getragen ist, spielt 1988. Beko wird von den türkischen Militärs verschleppt, doch gelingt ihm die Flucht über den Euphrat nach Syrisch-Kurdistan, um nach seinem Bruder zu suchen, der vom Militär desertiert ist. In Irakisch-Kurdistan trifft er auf Menschen, die in einem Zeltlager vor dem iranisch-irakischen Krieg Zuflucht gefunden haben. Aus Sicherheitsgründen bleibt er mit ihnen. Während Beko weiterhin auf Nachricht von seinem Bruder wartet, beschäftigt er sich mit den zum Teil elternlosen und vom Krieg traumatiserten Kindern. Als die Flüchtlinge endlich wagen, in ihr Dorf zurückzukehren, wird dieses mit Giftgas bombardiert. Nur Beko und die kleine Zinê überleben. Ihnen gelingt die Flucht nach Deutschland. Dort erfährt Beko, dass sein Bruder vom Militär eingezogen und bei einem Überfall von kurdischen Widerstandskämpfern erschossen wurde.
Der Film wurde unter schwierigsten und durchwegs illegalen Bedingungen an der armenischen Grenze zur Türkei gedreht. Der Regisseur sagt von sich, er habe die Geschichte im kollektiven Gedächtnis seines Volkes gefunden, da sie dem Schicksal vieler Landsleute gleiche: 'Natürlich war klar, dass wir einen politischen Film machen würden, aber nicht so einen,der schreit. Wir wollten eine Form finden, die Lage der Kurden so darzustellen, dass der Zuschauer auch Zugang zur Problematik findet.'
Since 1974, Nizamettin Aric has performed as a singer/actor on several radio and television programs in Istanbul and Turkey. He starred in Sabah, directed by Sina Cetin. The film won First Prize at the Hyeres Festival in 1982. He also starred in Kurban Oldugum, directed by Sahin Gok, which won a Special Jury Award at the Antalya Festival in 1985. In addition, Aric composed the score for both films. A military revolt forced Aric into exile in 1980, after which time he had to serve a short term in prison for using the Kurdish language in public in Turkey. The use of the Kurdish language in any written or spoken form is considered illegal and can be punished by a long prison sentence. Since 1981, Aric has lived in Berlin. He was granted political asylum in 1984. A Song for Beko is Aric's directorial debut and is the first Kurdish language film.

2. Gas Attack

Gas Attack (Scotland, UK) 2001 70 mins
Directed by: Kenny Glenaan Produced by: Samantha Kingsley Written by: Rowan Joffe Edited by: Kristina Hetherington DoP: Graham Smith; Production Designer: Zoe McLeod; Music by: Max De Wardener ; Cast:Sherko Zen-Aloush, Benae Hassan, Robina Qureshi, Laurie Ventry, Morag Caulder
Dist co/int sales: prod co: Hart Ryan Scotland, 41 St Vincent Place, Glasgow, G1 2ER, Scotland, UK. tel: +44 (0) 141 248 8522 fax: +44 (0) 141 248 8322 email: scothartryan@aol.com
Film about Kurdish refugees wins Edinburgh film fest .A controversial docudrama about alleged mistreatment of refugees in Glasgow was selected as the best new British feature film at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The film,Gas Attack (Silent Killer) garnered a $7,000 cash prize. Produced for less than $1 million, the 70-minute film describes the life of a family of Turkish Kurds and was described in the festival program as "a horrifying picture of the experience of the asylum seeker." The festival jury praised "the way it has taken the by now over-familiar style of reality television and made of it something profound and thought provoking."
"The film is about what would happen if the unthinkable occurred in a city like Glasgow - if a right wing terrorist, instead of using a bomb (like the nailbomber), unleashed a lethal gas on a heavily ethnic area of the city. It is an entirely fictional scenario, but one which throws up many issues which are frighteningly pertinent in today�s climate. This is partly due to the fact that there was a long and intense casting period, around five months, during which time we trawled Glasgow for as many non-actors as possible to play the key parts in the film. A rich and intensely fascinating by-product of this process was a wealth of real stories from all kinds of local people, including asylum seekers many of whose stories were incorporated into the script by the writer Rowan Joffe.
I was shocked by the savagery of these stories and stunned by people�s fortitude in the face of trauma both in Glasgow and in their home countries. Ultimately, the four central roles in the drama went to non-actors, with some excellent support from experienced actors. For me, it is both the authenticity of the script and the strength of the performances that creates what I feel is a very powerful piece of drama with a chillingly topical message."
� Kenny Glenaan, director
Modern life really is rubbish, especially if you are an asylum seeker. But life seems to be getting worse for Turkish Kurds housed on high-rise estates in Glasgow. One man dies from a �flu virus, then a child gets sick. Is it �flu or tuberculosis, or something worse? Focussing on the experience of a refugee father and daughter, Gas Attack paints a horrifying picture of the experience of the asylum seeker. And, in drawing comparisons with the culling of animals during the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak, this compelling low budget film offers much to ponder on.
Rod White (Source: http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/2001/ September 2, 2001)

Roadblocks' - A Greek Film about Kurdish Refugees.
The Edinburgh Festival also showed a film by Greek documentary film-maker Stavros Ioannou called Klisti Dromi - Roadblocks. It focusses on the fate of a pair of Kurdish refugee brothers who flee to Greece after their village is bombed. Ayat searches frantically for his brother Ahmed amongst the refugee community in Athens. He tries to reach Italy, where he thinks he can start life afresh, but runs into great danger dealing with smugglers and border officials. This film centres on the dangers of refugees attempting to break into Fortress Europe and was filmed completely at night.

3. GOOD KURDS, BAD KURDS No Friends but the Mountains

An independent documentary film by Kevin McKiernan Cinematography: Haskell Wexler
Nine years in the making, the film probes an issue largely ignored by the mainstream media: the Turkish military�s violations of the human rights of Kurds in southeast Turkey, with the compliance of the U.S. government. Thefilm moves from a Kurdish refugee family in Santa Barbara, to the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., to Kurdish villages, examining inconsistencies of U.S. foreign policy towards Kurds in Turkey and Iraq. Awarded the Human Rights Prize at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

4. Kurdish Film In Exile (KFE)

Kurdish Film In Exlie (KFE) was established in London on November 1996. by Kurdish Exiles who are studding Cinema in Europe with supplort from virous Kurdish Organizations and Individuals.
Address: 195B Kennington Road London SE11 6ST
Tel: 0171- 582 6635 Fax: 0181- 429 4225
Chiman Rahimi Chair-Person ,Rzgar Said, Secretary ;Mehdi Falahati Treasury. Counsellors
Ken McMullen, Yousif Zangana Peshro Namo.
Kurdish Film In Exlie (KFE) was established in London on November 1996. by Kurdish Exiles who are studding Cinema in Europe with support from various Kurdish Organizations and Individuals.
Please send us your comment and views to: KurdishFilmInExile(KFE)

5. Creativity Refuses to Wilt in Iran

By ROBIN WRIGHT, Times Staff Writer
In a society bursting with new ideas despite religious restrictions, filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf is a post-revolution symbol of a country where culture is helping raise the national consciousness.
TEHRAN--Samira Makhmalbaf got the idea for her first movie from a small item on the evening news. Twin girls, age 12, had been rescued from parents who had kept them housebound since they were born. Unschooled and unexposed to anyone but their blind mother and elderly, deeply religious father, they walked as if severely disabled and couldn't pronounce real words. They had never even been bathed.
With a sense of urgency, Makhmalbaf convinced reluctant authorities and the family to let her make a film about the case--and rather than use actors, she wanted the twins, their parents, neighbors and social workers to play themselves. Eleven days after she began shooting, with an idea but no formal script--and with out ever doing a second take--"The Apple" was finished.
"I couldn't wait to start, because I knew the kids would change quickly," she explained recently. And they did. Her anguishing yet often sweetly humorous film, completed in 1997, chronicles the girls discovering life, from their first walk in the sun and their first look in a mirror to their first game. It was soon hailed by reviewers from Paris to New York, shown at 70 film festivals around the world and awarded prizes in Britain, Switzerland, Greece, Brazil and Argentina.
After "The Apple" was released, the only young person in Iran more famous than the twins was Makhmalbaf herself. She was just 17--the youngest director ever to have a work shown at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Makhmalbaf is a symbol of Iran two decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It is a society bursting with creativity despite stiff religious restrictions. It's a country where culture is helping shape public discussion and raise the national consciousness. It's also a land in transition, home both to children sequestered from birth and a world-renowned teenage film director.
Makhmalbaf's emergence reflects what arguably is the revolution's most unexpected byproduct: a vibrant and original cinema that, in an ironic twist, now challenges many of the goals of the mullahs who toppled the shah. The saga of the twins, for example, has fueled heated debate about the degree of liberty the paternal clergy allows its flock, particularly its female flock.
"What I noticed about the girls is that the more they came into contact with society, the more complete they became as human beings. For me, their story became a metaphor for all women," Makhmalbaf said. Now 20, she still wears her raven hair in girlish braids, but she speaks with a maturity far beyond her years.
In the twins' father's simplistic devotion to rigid Islamic codes, "The Apple" also pointedly warns of the dangers of religious fanaticism.
"The Koran explains the reason for the father's behavior," Makhmalbaf said. "It says girls are like flowers, that they'll wilt if exposed to sunlight. It sounds beautiful, like poetry. But it's not good that these bad things are written like poetry in ways you believe are absolute truths."
The film, however, ends on a surprisingly upbeat note. In one of several poignant scenes, a social worker discovers that the father has locked up the girls again before going off to work--selling prayers for coins, a locally acceptable form of begging--because he doesn't know how else to "protect" them. Upon his return, she locks him up instead and frees the girls to roam their neighborhood, play for the first time with other children, taste ice cream and pet a goat.
Again, the message is clear: Freedom is essential to the growth of the human spirit.
Iran's bold film industry has flourished because of the isolation provided by a revolution that initially cut off the outside world. With limited foreign competition, local filmmakers filled the void. The monarchy's end also opened the way for artists to explore forms of expression beyond what the royal court had ordered, supported or condoned and beyond the American, European and Indian models that had dominated local screens.
Like many in her generation, Makhmalbaf grew up with out seeing any of world cinema's classics. Her family didn't even have a videocassette player to show foreign movies brought into the country illegally and circulated on Tehran's black market.
The resulting freshness of Makhmalbaf's style--a kind of rawness that often blurs the lines between reality and fiction--also is on display in her second film, "Blackboards." Set along the Iran-Iraq border in the rugged region known as Kurdistan as war raged between the two countries in the 1980s, it tells the story of two itinerant teachers. With large blackboards strapped to their backs, they search for students or anyone else willing to learn.
The subplot that unfolds amid the teachers' encounters with child smugglers and refugees is an unusual love story. After one of the pair weds a widowed refugee in an arranged marriage--a practice still prevalent in Iran--he uses his blackboard to try to explain love and commitment to his new wife. But she balks. And in the end, she leaves him.
"You can't teach love or impose loyalty," Makhmalbaf said, voicing another theme with strong resonance with in Iran's social and political systems.
Letting Characters Be Themselves
For all the obstacles faced by the characters, from chemical weapons to poverty, this second film also is filled with moments of subtle humor, even hilarity. The blackboards often wind up being used for other purposes, from serving as a stretcher to paying the price for a bride.
With one exception, the cast of the movie is made up of amateurs, all local Kurds.
"I loved the geography of their faces," the young director said. Most of the new actors had never seen a movie before.
One of the two leads was a porter who helped Makhmalbaf, then 19, ferry equipment into the Kurdish mountains.
"He inspired me to make his character," she said. "I don't try to make a form and then force these characters to fit. I want real life to happen in my movies. I told them the kinds of things to say, but I didn't dictate. I knew they'd say the right things because they were the characters themselves.
"In the same way, I didn't tell them what was going to happen--in part because I wasn't sure. There wasn't an exact script," she added, laughing. "I had different endings, but I didn't know till the last moment which one I wanted. They inspired me to decide what would happen."
To remain true to the culture, Makhmalbaf also shot the movie in the relatively obscure Kurdish language, making it a foreign-language film even in Iran--despite the fact that there are only a handful of movie houses in Kurdish enclaves in Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria.
"At least 99% of the audience for this movie won't speak Kurdish, but I had to make it in Kurdish for the same reasons I had to make it in Kurdistan," Makhmalbaf said. "To capture the reality, I had to make it in the real language and the real conditions."
She also remained true to the landscape, filming in narrow mountain passes and fields where Iraqi mines planted during the Mideast's bloodiest modern war are still buried. Cast members helped the crew navigate around them. The company had limited electricity and little access to fresh water, and the climate was bone-chillingly cold. The film was shot with a single hand-held camera in 30 days. Total production took three months on a budget of about $200,000--large by Iranian standards.
Overcoming the Generation Gap
And those weren't the only problems. Most of the cast members were two or three times older than Makhmalbaf, and all but one were male.
"At first, it's hard--especially in our culture--to get men to take a younger woman seriously," she said. "They think they're superior. Some say you can't be young and thin and female and be a serious director. But who says you have to be old and fat and male to make movies?
"A lot of barriers are being broken in Iran today. I show the men I work with that I'm their equal. I never ask them to do something I won't do too," she said.
In May, "Blackboards" became Makhmalbaf's second film to be screened at Cannes, this time as part of the competition. But any recognition seemed so unlikely that she almost missed the awards ceremony.
"I didn't intend to go. I was planning to go to Paris with some friends, but we couldn't get a hotel," she said.
Then her name was called. At the grand old age of 20, Makhmalbaf was co-winner of the Jury Prize, one of the four top awards at the festival. She is the youngest director ever to be honored at Cannes.
She used her victory to reflect on its meaning for Iran.
"I accept this prize on behalf of a new generation in my country and young people who are trying their best to create democracy and a better life," she told the audience.
"I know I'm a metaphor for Iran," she added in an interview later. "I represent a generation that is willing to go out and express its ideas. It's like the girls in 'The Apple,' once having little communication and being retarded and then suddenly having exposure and growing rapidly to create something new."
Makhmalbaf wasn't the only Iranian to win at Cannes this year. The Camera d'Or prize for best first feature film was shared by two Iranian films: "A Time for Drunken Horses" and "Djomeh." The latter was named after its lead character, a young boy. Together, Iranian films won more prizes than movies from any other country.
Two weeks after Cannes, Makhmalbaf also won Italy's Fellini Prize, named for its greatest director--one whose work Makhmalbaf still has never seen.
Artists Getting More Recognition
Nor was this the first year that Iran's cinema scored big on the festival circuit. Over the last six years, films from the Islamic Republic--many of them about children--have won dozens of awards at major festivals. "The White Balloon" won the Cannes Camera d'Or in 1995 and the New York Film Critics Award for best foreign film in 1996. "The Taste of Cherry," the story of a man planning to kill himself, won the Palme d'Or, Cannes' highest honor, in 1997. "Children of Heaven" was one of five finalists for the foreign film Oscar in 1999.
Iranian directors also are being increasingly recognized. Last year, Lincoln Center in New York, the American Film Institute in Washington and the Chicago Art Institute all held retrospectives of the work of Dariush Mehrjui, a UCLA alumnus and one of the first major directors to emerge after the revolution. His award-winning quartet of movies about women--who all either set out on their own or leave their husbands--has been shown worldwide.
Another of Iranian cinema's post-revolutionary heavyweights is Makhmalbaf's father, Mohsen. Imprisoned for five years by the shah for attacking a policeman, a crime he committed when he was 17, Mohsen Makhmalbaf made some of the country's most religious and ardently revolutionary films after 1979.
In the mid-1980s, however, his films began to challenge the ruling orthodoxy. One, made at the height of the Iran-Iraq War, was blatantly antiwar. Another, titled "Time of Love," told the story of a married woman who falls for a younger man. It was banned in Iran for five years, not because of its theme of forbidden love but because it had three endings--from the perspectives of the woman, her husband and the younger man. Implicit was the message that perception varies, and so does the truth. There is no "single path," as orthodox Muslims believe.
The elder Makhmalbaf's most unusual movie is "A Moment of Innocence," about his knife attack on one of the shah's policemen. He and the officer he assaulted play themselves. As the largely unscripted story unfolded, both discovered how much they had changed since the incident.
Makhmalbaf's influence on his daughter is obvious. At 6 months of age and again at age 8, Samira had minor roles in his films. She pressured him to let her drop out of school when she was 15 to be tutored in movie-making--by him. She brought along friends, and his impromptu classes eventually became known as their "Ecole du Cinema."
"Loving cinema was part of loving my family," she said.
Nor is she the only other movie-maker in the family. Her younger sister Hanna was only 8 when she made her first short film, "The Day My Aunt Was Ill." Her younger brother made a documentary about the filming of "Blackboards." And her stepmother recently finished "The Day That I Became a Woman."
The senior Makhmalbaf talked Samira through the ideas for both of her movies and then edited them. And she still lives with the family and works out of their small apartment-cum-office, which is decorated with posters from their films.
But the strong-willed older daughter is just as clearly already a force unto herself. While in Kurdistan, she didn't even call home during the filming.
"I'm like the new generation in Iran," she said, smiling. "I can do this on my own."

6. Blackboards' director chalks up artistic success

Blackboards (Takhte Siah) (Drama, Iran-Italy co-production, Kurdish dialogue, 1:24)
By David Stratton
CANNES (Variety) - The second feature by 20-year-old Samira Makmalbaf is in many ways an advance on her first, more intimate offering, ``The Apple.''
A bold and provocative look at the plight of refugees and other outsiders struggling to survive on the dangerous Iran-Iraq border, ``Blackboards'' is accomplished in many ways, though a certain repetitiousness may alienate some Western viewers.
A tough theatrical sell, pic should find enthusiastic audiences on the festival route this summer and gain the kudos required for niche theatrical exposure, followed by quality TV slotting.
The blackboards of the film's title are carried on the backs of a group of male teachers, first seen, in an almost surreal image, trekking up stony mountain paths in search of illiterates to educate. Exactly why these displaced pedagogues are looking for clients in this godforsaken place is never spelled out, but the assumption is that these are Kurds who have no place in mainstream Iranian society. At the very outset, the notion of an Iranian film centering on members of such a minority seems a powerful statement.
Forced to hide from helicopters that patrol the mountainous border region, the would-be teachers split up. Two of them, Reeboir (Bahman Ghobadi) and Said (Said Mohamadi), cover their boards with brown mud so they will be less visible from the air and later take separate paths. Reeboir meets a bunch of adolescent boys whose scarred faces make them look old beyond their years; these lads are literally beasts of burden, carrying heavy baggage through the steep mountain passes, presumably smuggling goods across the border.
Reeboir [Rebwar] tries to convince the boys that, even while engaged in this dangerous activity, they should learn to read and write. One boy disdains the benefit of education because he already has a fund of stories and proceeds to tell a grisly one involving a rabbit.
Meanwhile, Said encounters a group of old men who seem doomed to travel the rocky roads in search of somewhere they can find peace. One old man, so sick he can no longer urinate, has a daughter, Halaleh (Behnaz Jafari), and small grandson; in a bizarre wedding ceremony, Said and Halaleh marry with the blackboard as dowry.
No doubt there's more to be read into this elliptical tale of hunted fugitives, but on the most basic level Samira Makmalbaf has directed an often suspenseful drama that builds to a frightening climax when both groups are attacked by mostly unseen soldiers employing lethal firepower. The young helmer also creates some memorable characters, including the two indefatigable would-be teachers and many of the refugees and shepherds whose paths they cross.
Especially effective is a scene in which a very old man asks one of the teachers to read the contents of a letter he's received from his son, who is in prison in Iraq; the teacher cannot read the letter, which is in Arabic, but makes up what he thinks the son might have written to his aged father.
The screenplay, by Samira and her more established film director father, Mohsen Makmalbaf (who also edited), is based on a considerable amount of repetitive speech patterns, which irritate at times. For the uninitiated viewer, it is also necessary to read quite a bit between the lines. But the mood of fear coupled with dogged determination to survive is most effectively conveyed. Outstanding location photography by Ebrahim Ghafori is a major component of a challenging but ultimately rewarding film.
Reeboir ... Bahman Ghobadi
Said ...... Said Mohamadi
Halaleh ... Behnaz Jafari
A Makhmalbaf Film House (Tehran)/Fabrica Cinema (Rome) production, in association with Raicinema, T-Mark (Japan). (International sales: Wild Bunch/Le Studio Canal Plus, Paris.) Produced by Mohsen Makmalbaf, Marco Muller. Executive producer, Mohamad Ahmadi.
Directed by Samira Makmalbaf. Screenplay, Mohsen Makmalbaf, Samira Makmalbaf. Camera (color), Ebrahim Ghafori; editor, Mohsen Makmalbaf; music, Monamed Reza Darvishi; sound, Behroz Shahamat. Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (competing), May 11, 2000.
Reuters/Variety

7. When the Horses Got Drunk
By Siamak R. Durroei
"When the Horses Got Drunk", the first long film of Bahman Ghobadi, which won 3 prizes in Cann festival was shown in Kurdistan cities in Iran. The film which is in Kurdish, was shown earlier with Persian captions in Cinema tech of the contemporary museum of Art and Khaneh cinema (cinema house) both in Tehran.
Bahman Ghobadi was born in 1969 in the city of Bane, in Eastern Kurdistan. After working in a radio station during his years as a student, Ghobadi began making short films with a group of friends. Later moving to Tehran because of his passion for the cinema, he enrolled in the Cinema Faculty of Tehran University. The artist made over ten short films during the period 1995-99, of which nine won prizes at various Iranian and international film festivals. Becoming interested in the fact that Abbas Kiarostami, one of Iran's most renowned directors, was shooting a film in Kurdistan, Ghobadi asked to assist him, won his favor, and then worked as his first assistant in the film "The Wind Will Carry Us Away". Later, while Ghobadi was filming "When the Horses Got Drunk", he became acquainted with the Makhmalbaf family, which had come to Kurdistan to film "Takht-e Siyah" (The Blackboard). He then, at the suggestion of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, played the role of the teacher in that film [1].
The film is about a Kurdish family who lives near Iran-Iraq border. The 2 sons and 2 daughters in the family have no mother and their father dies in a mine explosion. The eldest son is sick (with Nanism) and looks likes a 2 years old baby despite being around 15 years old. The child is dying in a year and the children try to delay his death. The other son (around 11) who is the main character of the film works as a smuggler and the 12-13 years old daughter of the family marries to another Kurdish family across the border to help his sick brother. The Iraqi Kurdish family agrees that they pay the cost and expenses of curing the sick brother of the bride; this is the dowry for the bride.
The family is set for Iraq where they can cure the sick boy . In the cold mountains of Kurdistan, they feed their horses with alcohol to resist the cold and hard conditions. The drunken horses and the family are set to cross the Iran-Iraq mountainous border when they face the border patrols that ruin their plans. ...
The message of the film is clear, the family is happy, despite their miseries. The sick boy can be relieved from his misery, but his family tries prolong his life. The Kurdish language of the film and the death of the father, the marriage of the Kurds across the border in order to cure the sick and retarded son may have symbolic reference to the status of Kurds and the retarded and war stricken Kurdish regions. The family can be considered as a mirror of the Kurdish society.

In reply to a question that Ghobadi has made his film in order to win prizes in International film festivals, Ghobadi says: "If a filmmaker wants to think of this issue, he cannot make his film at all. During the making of this film, I only thought about the film and nothing else and what I never thought about was prize and festival, because none has had any attraction for me. Of course it is possible that some make films for festivals, but I have made this film and the previous short films in order to learn the cinema.
For me it wasn't the case that I want to make a long film to be accepted in film-festivals, but I felt that this story needs to be made as a long film in order to be watched. Because short films usually are left isolated and don't get the chance to be shown in any place but festivals."
On film-festivals, their selection criteria, Ghobadi explains that "For film festivals, one should see what is the philosophy behind setting one? In these festivals, people come not to let the art of cinema die, because now cinema has become "art-industry" or business. A group of people who are in love with cinema and art gather and with a small budget they set up a film festival to encourage those filmmakers who want to make an artistic film and open a new path in cinema and innovate. These people invite the filmmakers who experience other types of cinema to these festivals and in this way, these films find a global market. One of the biggest markets for selling films is also the market in the Cannes film festival. If the film "time for hourses drunkenness" was only shown in Iran, only Iranian people could watch it. When it was awarded prizes in Cannes film festival, this attracts the viewers to the cinema saloons throughout the world. So this type of films will have more viewers in contrast to the Iranian action movies and top-selling movies, in addition the people of the rest of the world will become familiar with our culture and traditions and it can serve our culture. Therefor film-festivals are useful and are a guarantee for the selling and inviting people for watching the film, the continuation of the work of filmmaker and an encouragement for the filmmakers who experience with cinema with a new approach. "
On Cannes film festival and films shown there, Ghobadi explains that "Cannes film festival is a big festival which is held very majestic, and in my opinion is one of the best festivals. When I watched the films there, I felt the empty place of Iranian great film masters. Because of the present potential of the Iranian cinema, in my opinion, we can have at least three films each year in the main events of the festival as we had this year films from Iran "Friday" and "When the Horses Got Drunk". The reason is the evaluation of the commentators (referees), that among the films by some famous and experienced film directors, the topmost evaluation of 5-heart was given to the film "When the Horses Got Drunk". No commentator evaluated the film normal or with out value and the film was shown 5 times that this high number of showing is the one of the highest. The reaction to the film was such that in the last screening in Cannes, some of the viewers were sitting on the floor to watch it. In my opinion, the viewers of the Cannes film festival are among the best because they watch the films so well and away from emotions that if they don't like a film they leave the saloon and you will hear their criticisms. If they enjoy a film they clap and encourage the film.
In the section "two weeks with film-directors", the film "dancer" or other films with the budget of more than 45 million dollars were the main rivals for "When the Horses Got Drunk". But when you put them close to each other, they won't have one percent of the humanistic issues which was raised in our films. ...
The films shown from other countries in different sections of the festival merely have used the technical issues, violence and sex which are not very important in human life. In fact the film-directors there have reached a kind of repetition and have nothing to say in front of Iranian filmmakers! In other words, the foreign filmmakers because of the speed in passing different stages had not the opportunity to elaborate on the stage we are in. We Iranians"
Ghobadi elaborates on the making of the film "When the Horses Got Drunk" and from where the story of the film came from. He says "I liked to make a cinema movie that has a story and a documentary structure. A film that the viewers can believe it and replace themselves with the main characters of the film. I like this kind of cinema. When I decided to make my first long movie, I was interested to incorporate all the features of a short film in it. I wanted to make a film that broke the structures. I have lived in the conditions and context of this film. I know these people very well. Although I have created works outside Kurdistan, but I have tried to make films close to reality. In my view, art is that the filmmaker is not from the region [of the film] and be able to portray the place well. In two short works that I have made outside Kurdistan, these features exist. If this type of structure can get its response from the viewers, I will continue this way. I like the cinema that it will satisfy the viewers in
first place and in second place be a cinema-art."
In a private talk with Ghobadi, the filmmaker told us that his next film would also be about Kurdistan.

8. Bahman Hobadi Interview with Ozgur Politika

[OP] If someone should want to become familiar with Bahman Ghobadi, how would you describe yourself?
I was born in the city of Bane in the Iranian part of Kurdistan. I have been involved with film for about ten years now. It was my interest in photography that brought me to the cinema, and it was in fact the topography of Kurdistan that attracted me. I started to study cinema at Tehran University, and made a number of 8 mm films. I made over ten short films.
[OP] How did "When the Horses Got Drunk" come about?
My greatest dream was to make a full-length film in Kurdistan, in the Kurdish language. On a trip to Kurdistan for this purpose some three years ago, I met Ayoub Ahmadi. What Ayoub told me corresponded with my own ideas completely. He plays a role in the film, and helped me a great deal.
[OP]As the first Kurdish film-maker in Iran, have you encountered any difficulties?
On the contrary, everyone was very supportive. We had to wait until winter to complete the filming in this film, which we began with an Iranian producer. He was very helpful to me throughout the entire time. And I can't begin to tell convey to you the degree of interest and help we got in the Kurdish villagers where we were filming. Everything was unbelievable.
[OP] How was it that you worked with two of Iran's most famous directors? How did you meet them? As I mentioned earlier, one of my most cherished dreams was always to make a film about the Kurds and Kurdistan. To date, no important film has been made about the Kurds. The ones made have all impressed me as being "light", or banal. I'm greatly attached to my country and my culture. My goal was to attract great producers to Kurdistan, and to make films about Kurdistan and the Kurds. Because there was really a need for this. This is why I worked as first assistant to Abbas Kiarostami. The film that we made introduced Kurdistan to people at international festivals. And again, that the Makhmalbaf family is making films in Kurdistan, about the Kurds, is very encouraging. I had a great responsibility to help people making films in my country. And so, at the suggestion of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, I played the role of the teacher in that film.
[OP] Had you had any acting experience before that?
No, none. I'm not an actor. When I was filming "When the Horses Got Drunk", they said they were looking for actors for "Takht-e Siyah" and asked me to help. So I stopped filming for a while and played that role. The only real reason for this was my passion for my country. I'm ready to help anyone who creates something for Kurdistan. "Takht-e Siyah" portrayed my country and my people. It made me proud that the film spoke of Kurdistan. And now both these films have brought Kurdistan to Cannes. That's the important thing.
[OP] If just any producer wanted to make a film in Eastern Kurdistan, are the conditions suitable for this?
If anyone wants to make a film in the Iranian part of Kurdistan about Kurdistan and the Kurds, whether they be Iranian or foreign, all of us, and especially my family and I, will be ready to help them. As long as the theme is Kurdistan.
[OP] What is your next project?
Let me say again, I'm in love with Kurdish culture. I have work underway in both the Iranian and the Iraqi parts of Kurdistan on this theme. When I return, I'll get back to work on these projects.
[OP] Do you have any final comments or messages?
I extend my greetings and my respects to our entire people. I'm an artist, and I want to speak as a Kurdish artist. I want to appeal to the Kurdish artists in the other parts of Kurdistan, and in the diaspora. My greatest wish is that Kurdish artists use their artistic talents and capabilities for Kurdistan and the Kurds. Whether they be film-makers or novelists. After all, art is the mirror of society. I'm more than willing, to the extent of my abilities, to provide them help and support.
Reference

[1] "Bahman Ghobadi - A Kurdish Director at Cannes Translation of Ozgur Politika by Kurdish Media, Issue May 20, 2000.
[2] "baray-e Jashnvareha film nemisazam�." (I don't make films for festivals �), Hamshahri, 27 Jul 2000, No 2177
[3] "esteghbal-e mardum-e Kurdistan az avvalin film-e kurdi"(The welcome of people of Kurdistan from the first Kurdish film ), Hamshahri, 27 Jul 2000, No 2177
Kurdish Media and Cinema II
This is the second issue of KURDICA on Kurdish Media and Cinema. In this issue we look at recent films and developments related to Kurdish media. One article in this issue is about Bahman Ghobadi, the first Iranian Kurd whose film was sent to the Cannes film festival and won prizes there. He is the first wellknown Kurdish filmmaker who makes long films in Iran. The Kurdish policy of Iran has recently been relaxed a bit and an increasing number of Kurdish films are being developed in Iran by non-govermental personalities.
Blackboard, another film in Iran portrays the Kurdish life in Iran or eastern Kurdistan region. The film is directed by Samira Makhbalbaf, the youngest female film-director in Iran and in her film Bahman Ghobadi is also playing as the teacher who meets boys who are smuggling in the mountains. This smuggling boys scene links blackboard to Ghobadi's film. Makhbalbaf's film raises the banned issue of Kurdish education in Iran. The picture above is from blackboard.
[Siamak R. D.] 31 July 2000 / KURDICA 4(6), Jul-Aug 2000, No. 42

9. KURDISH FILMS AVAILABLE ON VIDEO

Memuzin video production in Toronto (Canada) is one of the places to order Kurdish films.
Their web site also gives a list of Kurdish films.

E MAIL: memuzin@hotmail.com
1. Yol - Rêga, (1982) English subtitles Diredted by : Serif GÖREN
Screenplay & Dialogue by: Yilmaz GÜNEY Starring Tarik AKAN, Halil ERGUN and Necmettin ÇOBANOGLU
2. The Wall - Dîwar,(1983) Diredted by : Yilmaz GÜNEY
3. The Flock - Mêgel, (1983) Diredted by: Zeki Okten
Screenplay & Dialogue by: Yilmaz GÜNEY
4. Journey Of Hope - Karwanî Hîwa, (1990) Diredted by : Xavier Koller
With Necmettin Cobanoglu, et al
5. Nergiz, Bride of Kurdistan - Nêrgiz Bûkî Kurdistan, (1990) (Kurdish) (Not Available)
Diredted by : Jafar Ali
6. Flock of Wolves - Gelê Gurg, (1990) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Mehdi Umêd
7. Tunnel - Tunêl (1993) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Mehdi Umêd
8. A Song for Beko - Stranek Ji bo Beko (1993Diredted by : Nizammettin Ariç
With Nizammettin Ariç, Bêzara Arsen, et al
9. Aso, (1989) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Salman Fayiq
With Fehmi Kakeyi
10. Fate - Çarenûs (1993) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Salman Fayiq
11. Mem & Zin - Mem û Zîn (1992) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Ûmit Elci
With Musa Anter, et al
12. Khaj & Siyaband - Xec û Sîyabend (1994) (Kurdish)
Diredted by : Ûmit Elci Format : NTSC & PAL, Colour
13. Purpel Death - Mergî Erxewanî (1994) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Kamaran Rauf
With Ali Kerim, Kamal Sabir, Hussein Misri, et al
14. Black Tears - Firmêskî Re� (1993) Diredted by : Kamaran Rauf
With Ali Kerim, Hussein Misri, et al
15. Kingdom Of Sun - Memleketî Xor (1994) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Kamaran Rauf
With Ali Kerim, et al
16. Jale (1984) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Nasir Hasan
With Ali Kerim, Jihad Dilpak & et al
17. Gule Mêxek - Pink Flower (1990) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Osman Çêwar
With Kamal Sabir, Sîrwan Gemal, & et al
18. Xewxo� - Sweet Dreamer (1990) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Nasir Hasan
With Ahmad Salar & et al
19. Nuserî Seyr - Weird Playwright (1990) (Kurdish) Diredted by : Nasir Hasan
With Kamaran Rauf, Kamal Sabir & et al
20. Berd le cêy xoy sengîne - A Stone is Heavy in its Place (Kurdish) Diredted by : Nasir Hasan
With Newzad Mejid, Mekki Abdulla & et al
21. Îtir ture nabim - I will never be angry (Kurdish) Diredted by : Adil Abdulla
With Taha Baban, et al
22. Bukî Jêr Dewarî Re� - The Bride of the Black Tent (Kurdish) Diredted by : Adil Abdulla
With Abbas Jajeleyî, et al
23. Gulala (Kurdish) Diredted by : Sadun Yunis
With �amal Abdulla & et al
24. Lanewazan - The Unfortunates (Kurdish)
Diredted by : M. Ali Ramazan
With Wasta Ali, Kamal Sabir & et al
25. Beharî Dzraw - The Stolen Spring (Kurdish) Diredted by : Salman Fayiq
With Ali Kerim, Jihad Dilpak & et al
26. Çexmaxe - The Gun Dealer (Kurdish) Diredted by : Hasan Tenya
With Ahad Salar, Simko Nakam, et al
27. Jin be Jin - A Woman for a Woman (Kurdish) Directed by : Adil Abdulla
With Makki Abdulla (Ali Afani), Umer Chawshin & Abbas Zhazhaleyi
28. Mehemed & Sêwê (Kurdish) Directed by : Bextiyar Siyamesouri
With Saadoun Yunis, et al
29. Habu Nebu (Receb) - Once Upon a Time (Kurdish) Directed by : Bextiyar Siyamesouri
With Sadun Yunis, et al
30. Kewne Derga - The Old Door (Kurdish) Directed by : Sadun Yunis
With Ali Ahmad, Semîre, et al
31. Gerekekeman - Our Neiborghood (Kurdish)
Directed by : Ha�im Zeynel
With Sadun Yunis, Semîre Sadun, et al
32. Tapo Heqi Çîye - Land Registary Office has nothing to do with it. (Kurdish) Directed by : Zuhêr Abdulmesîh
With Salam Koyî, Gewher Bapîr, et al
33.
34. Las & Xezal (Kurdish)
Directed by : Bextiyar Siyamesouri
With Sabir Abdulrahman, et al
35. Xanzad (Kurdish)
Directed by : Adil Abdulla
With Axter Kerîm, Yasîn Berzingî, et al
36. Glkoy tazey Leyl - The New Love of Layla (1992) (Kurdish) Directed by : Abbas Jajeleyî
With Abbas Jajaleyî, et al
37. Çarenusî Ademîzad - A Man's Determination (1992) (Kurdish) Directed by : Bekir Re�îd
With Jihad Dilpak, et al
38. Heley Lawêk - A Young Man's Fault (1992) (Kurdish) Directed by : Newzad Mejid
With Newzad Mejid, Mekki Abdulla, et al
39. Senger (1992) (Kurdish) Directed by : Îsmaîl Berzingî
With Îsmaîl Berzingî, Mahamad Kak Hemze, et al
40. Serbazî Helatu - A runaway Soldier (1991) (Kurdish) Directed by : Bextîyar Kurdî
With Fuad Fayiq, Ziyab Kakeyî, et al
41. Jan û Raperîn - Pain and Uprising (1991) (Kurdish)
Directed by : Aso Îbrahîm With Aso Îbrahîm, Umer Salih, et al
42. Tawan - Sin (1991) (Kurdish) Directed by : Hasan Dilsoz
With Gemal Mahamad �erîf, Fatima Abdulrahman, et al
43. Hama Deçê bo �ar - Hama goes to town (1994) (Kurdish)
44. Zemawendî Hama - Hama's Wedding (1994) (Kurdish)
45. Hama Deçê bo henderan - Hama goes to Exile (1996) (Kurdish)
46. Rawî Sekosan û Hamay derbeder - Three Musketeers and the Fugitive Hama (1997) (Kurdish)
47. Hama û hawel Zawakey - Hama and his Brother-in-Law (1997) (Kurdish)
48. Hama Dengxo�î Seqizî - Saqizian Hama of pleasant voice (1995) (Kurdish)
49. Bizava Gundîya - The Struggle of a Village (1992) (Kurdish) Directed by : Azad Abdulla
With Abdulsalam Sulaiman, et al
50. Av û Xwên - Water and Blood (1992) (Kurdish) Directed by : Îbrahim Suleyman
With Abdulsalam Sulaiman, et al
51. Wîjdan - The Conscience (1993) (Kurdish) Directed by : Muwaffaq Ru�di
With Abdulsalam Sulaiman, et al
52. Bê Pelamar - The Pardon Seeker (1998) (Kurdish) Directed by : Nasir Saffar
With Sayid Jafar Xulami, Xulam �îrazî, et al
53. Melî Awat - The Wish Bird (1998) (Kurdish) Directed by : Qadrok
With Nasir Razazi, et al
54. Guman Nêkem Flanî - I do not doubt You! (1987) (Kurdish)
55. Ke�kol û Perleman - Hodgepodge and the Parliament, (1992)

10. Materialien zu Filmen von und �ber Kurden Kurdische Filme aus der T�rkei und aus dem Iran Filme von Kurden und Kurdinnen, entstanden in der Schweiz Schweizer Filme zum Thema Deutsche Filme zum Thema

11.Kurdische Filme aus der T�rkei und aus dem Iran

Yol. Der Weg Spielfilm von Yilmaz G�ney (T�rkei 1982) Vgl. G�neys Biografie und Filmografie sowie den Beitrag von Martin Schaub zu "Yol" als Schl�sselfilm und Verm�chtnis von G�ney.

Ein Lied f�r Beko Spielfilm von Nizammetin Aric (T�rkei 1993)
Desten me we bibin bask em e bifirin herin. Wenn unsere H�nde zu Fl�geln werden - fliegen wir .... Dokumentation, Navenda Canda Mezopotamiya (Mesopotamisches Kulturzentrum in Istanbul 1996), Originalversion: kurdisch und t�rkisch mit deutschen oder englischen Untertiteln, 27 Minuten Haci und Gule, ein altes kurdisches Ehepaar aus einem Dorf bei Nusaybin, leben mit ihrem taubstummen Sohn Haci in einem feuchten Kellerloch in Istanbul. Die Erinnerungen der Eltern werden erg�nzt durch Aussagen von Mahmut Sakar vom IHD, dem Menschenrechtsverein von Diyarbakir, sowie von anderen Fl�chtlingen.

G�nese yolculuk. Reise zur Sonne Spielfilm der t�rkischen Autorin Yesim Ustaoglu (Regie und Buch); Kamera: Jacek Petrycki; Darsteller: Mewroz Baz (Mehmet), Nazmi Qirix (Berzan) und Laiendarsteller; 104 Min.; T�rkei 1998, Behrooz Hashemian; Verleih Trigon Baden; Auszeichnungen: Blauer Engel und Friedensfilmpreis Berlin 1999, Preise in Istanbul und Ankara Zwei junge M�nner begegnen sich zuf�llig in Istanbul. Beide hoffen auf eine bessere Zukunft und versuchen, in der Grossstadt ein Auskommen zu finden. Berzan stammt aus einem kurdischen Dorf im �ussersten Osten und schiebt als fliegender H�ndler jeden Morgen seinen Karren mit Musikkassetten in die Stadt. Mehmed ist erst k�rzlich aus der Westt�rkei angekommen. Doch dann kommt Berzan bei einer Demonstration um. Mehmed, der sich bisher nicht darum gek�mmert hat, dass sein Freund Kurde ist, macht sich mit der Leiche auf eine Reise quer durch die T�rkei in die Heimat von Berzan. Elegisches Testament einer Freundschaft, welche st�rker ist als die politischen Wirren und der Tod.

Ax. Die Erde Regie: Kazim �z, Produktion: Navenda Canda Mezopotamiya (Mesopotamisches Kulturzentrum in Istanbul 1999), Videoversion: kurdisch / t�rkisch mit englischen Untertiteln, 27 Min. Der Kurzfilm Ax zeigt einen alten kurdischen Mann, der letzte �berlebende eines t�rkischen Dorfes. Dieser alte Mann geht durch sein entv�lkertes Dorf, erinnert sich an seine Familie, seine Freunde, an die Vertreibung durch das t�rkische Milit�r. Was ihm einmal wichtig war, ist verschwunden, gestorben, weggegangen oder zerst�rt. - Mit dem Film werden die massiven Zerst�rungen kurdischer D�rfer durch die t�rkische Armee an einem einzelnen Schicksal exemplarisch und eindr�cklich dargestellt. Wegen seiner politischen Brisanz wurde die �ffentliche Vorf�hrung des Films in der T�rkei verboten. Preis f�r den besten Kurzfilm in Milano 1999. Spezialpreis f�r die Vermittlung humanit�rer Inhalte in Hamburg 1999.

Boran Dokumentarszenen mit fiktiven Elementen. Von H�seyin Karabey, T�rkei 1999 Der Film erz�hlt die Geschichten von drei Verschwundenen (Hasan Ocak, D�zg�n Tekin und Ferhat Tepe) und ihren M�ttern. Die M�tter spielen in diesem Film sich selber. Die eine wartet zwei Wochen am Fenster vergeblich auf ihren Sohn. Die andere ist �berzeugt, dass ihr Sohn bei seinem gewaltsamen Tod sich in eine Taube verwandelte, die sie seither auf den Pl�tzen von Istanbul f�ttert. Die dritte Mutter eines der Verschwundenen sucht ihren toten Sohn in einer Kehrrichthalde. - Der Film erhielt am Festival von Antalya im Oktober 1999 die goldene Orange, den Spezialpreis des t�rkischen Kulturministeriums.
Le vent nous emportera Spielfilm von Abbas Kiarostami, Iran 1999. Besetzung: Behzad Dourani und Einwohner von Siah Dareh. Verleih: Filmcooperative Z�rich. Zusammen mit zwei Kollegen ist Behsad von Teheran in ein kurdisches Bergdorf gefahren. Dort soll er Material f�r eine Reportage �ber eine selten gewordene traditionelle Trauerfeier sammeln. Doch die uralte Frau, zu deren Ehre die Trauerzeremonie gegeben werden soll, will und will nicht sterben. Der Film ist eine Ode ans Leben, die Natur und das Sterben - und eine liebenswerte Satire �ber die ganz normale Bizarrheit der heutigen Welt. Er sei auf der Suche nach einem Schatz, erz�hlt der Reporter, doch mindestens einmal am Tag klingelt sein Handy und er f�hrt mit dem Jeep auf den n�chsten H�gel, um telefonieren zu k�nnen.

Zamani baray� masti asbha. A Time for Drunken Horses Regie, Buch: Bahman Ghobadi; Kamera: Saed Nikzat; Schnitt: Samad Tavazoee; Musik: Hossein Alizadeh; Besetzung: Ayoub Ahmadi, Rojin Younessi, Amaneh Ekhtiar-dini, Madi Ekhtiar-dini, Kolsolum Ekhtiar-dini, Rahman Salehi, Osman Karimi u. a.; Produktion: Iran/F 2000, Bahman Ghobadi/MK 2, 80 Min.; Verleih: LOOK NOW!, Z�rich. Der im Stil des Neorealismus erz�hlte iranische Film erm�glicht einen authentischen Blick in das Alltagsleben kurdischer Kinder an der iranisch-irakischen Grenze. Die Erz�hlkraft und die �berw�ltigende Sch�nheit der Bilder verbinden sich mit der hervorragenden Schauspielf�hrung der Kinder. Die Kamera bleibt nahe an den Figuren, als w�re sie ein Teil von ihnen. Ein aussergew�hnliches Werk �ber den bitteren Kampf des kurdischen Volkes. - Ab etwa 16.
Die Wandtafel Spielfilm von Samira Machmalbaf (Iran 2001)

12. Filme von Kurden und Kurdinnen, entstanden in der Schweiz

Esen Isik

Geboren 1969 in Istambul, 1990 Einreise in die Schweiz, 1992 - 97 HGKZ (Hochschule f�r Gestaltung und Kunst Z�rich), Studienbereich Film/Video
Filmographie Askin, 1993 (kurzer Dokumentarfilm) In den Keller, 1994 (kurzer Dokumentarfilm) Weggehen, 1995 (Kurzspielfilm) Linie 83, 1996 (Kurzspielfilm) �lmeye Yatmak - Sich zum Sterben hinlegen, 1997 (Kurzspielfilm) Babami Hirsizlar Caldi - Vaterdiebe - The Stolen Father, 1999 (Kurzspielfilm) Reise ohne R�ckkehr, 2001 (Kurzspielfilm)
Babami Hirsizlar Caldi. Vaterdiebe Regie, Buch: Esen Isik; Kamera: Pierre Mennel; Schnitt: Thomas Isler; Musik: Cihat Askin; Besetzung: Ali Can Altun (Meir�), F�sun Demirel (Mutter), Nurettin Sen (Vater), Dogac Yildiz (Serkan) u.a.; Produktion: Schweiz 1999, Dschoint Ventschr, 24 Min.; Verleih ZOOM Z�rich Der Vater des kleinen Meri� wird am helllichten Tag von der politischen Polizei verschleppt. Meri� kann nicht verstehen, dass ein Vater einfach verschwinden kann. Er fl�chtet sich in seine Phantasiebilder. Der Film erz�hlt mit den Augen eines Kindes glaubw�rdig von den traumatischen Erfahrungen, die Angeh�rige von Opfern politischer Gewalt erleiden.
Reise ohne R�ckkehr Regie, Buch: Esen Isik; Kamera: Jutta Tr�nkle; Schnitt: Kathrin Pl�ss; Musik: Cihat Askin; Besetzung: Sevine Yildiz, Stefan A. Kollmuss, F�sun Demirel u.a.; Produktion Schweiz 2000, Dschoint Ventschr, 40 Min. Die junge Untergrundk�mpferin Emine ist aus der T�rkei in die Schweiz gefl�chtet und wartet im Durchgangsheim auf ihren Asylbescheid. Hin- und hergerissen zwischen Erinnerungen an die Vergangenheit und dem Wunsch, ein neues Leben zu beginnen, entdeckt sie bisher unterdr�ckte Gef�hle und Sehns�chte. Sie verliebt sich in Peter, einen jungen Betreuer. Als Emine einen illegalen Fl�chtling im Heim betreut, wird ihre Gastfreundschaft auf eine harte Probe gestellt.

Ayten Mutlu

Geboren 1969 in P�l�m�r/TR.; 1993-97 Studium Journalismus und Kommunikationswissenschaften in Fribourg sowie Ethnologie und Religionswissenschaften in Fribourg und an der Freien Universit�t Berlin; 1994-96 Journalistische T�tigkeit in der Schweiz und in der T�rkei; 1997 Kamera- und Drehbuchkurse in Berlin; seit 1999 ESAV (Ecole Sup�rieure d'Art Visual Gen�ve).
Filmography Xerema Waye - Willkommen Schwester, 1997 (Dokumentarfilm) Kurdischer Zauberstab, 1998 (Dokumentarfilm) Das Leben ist wie ein Stein auf dem Ei. 2000 (Dokumentarfilm, zusammen mit Hanspeter Giuliani)
Das Leben ist wie ein Stein auf dem Ei Regie, Buch: Ayten Mutlu, Hanspeter Giuliani; Kamera: Adana Ndiayg, Arthur Manz; Schnitt: Daniel Gibel; Produktion: point de vue Basel (video@pointdevue.ch) Die Senegalesin Alima l�sst sich zur Heirat mit einem �lteren Schweizer �berreden, weil er ihr eine Ausbildung verspricht. Konflikte in der Ehe f�hren zur Trennung. Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes droht ihr die Ausweisung.
Mano Khalil Kurdischer Filmemacher, lebt seit 1996 in der Schweiz.
Solo Dance

Mano Khalil
Born in 1964, Kurd. 1981-86 Studies in History and Law (1981-86) at Damascous University. 1986-94 Studies in fiction film direction in the former Czechoslovakia. Since 1996 residence in Switzerland.

Filmography:(all documentaries)
1988 Oh World /Ax Dinya
1989 My Pain, my Hope /Esa Min Heviya Min
1990 Embassy /Qunsilxane
1991 Oh Father /Ya Xweda(all short films)
1992 My God / Bav
1993 The Place Where God Sleeps /Kurdistan Cihe Xwede Le Xew Kiriye
1995 Kinoeye /Sinema Cav
1998 Triumph of Iron | Slovak/Kurdish/Albanian/German/Italian/English (German subtitles), colour and b/w, BetaSP, 31 min.
Directed, Written,Cinematography by:Mano Khalil; Editing by:Giorgio Andreoli, Mano Khalil; Production and World Rights: Mano Khalil; World Premiere:June 1998; Awards:Swiss Film Prize, Best Short Film 2000 (Nomination)
Synopsis:It is hard to be a Kurd. It is bad luck to be a Kurd film director. It is bitter to be refugee Kurd film director. I lived in a refugee camp for two years with all kinds of people. I shot almost all of this film there, using a Hi-8 video camera operated by remote control.
(Source: http://www.swissfilms.ch/detail_f.asp?PNr=450)
"Demgegenüber steht der ans Gemüt gehende, aber in seiner Einfachheit auch erfrischende Kurzfilm über das Schicksal eines in einem Tessiner Flüchtlingsheim verödenden kurdischen Regisseurs. Mit «Triumph of Iron» von Mano Khalil blicken wir in den Alltag eines Flüchtlings, dessen unsinniges Warten («months later» und nichts hat sich verändert) an das auf Godot erinnert. In einem Intreview gesteht er, die Politik zu verachten, aber unausweichlich als Kurde verdammt dazu zu sein, politische Filme zu drehen. Die Missstände hier wie dort stellt er dar, verzichtet aber auf Vorschläge zu ihrer Behebung. Weiter betont er die Generalität der problematischen Situation des Flüchtlings. Das authentische Werk richtet sich daher an alle westeuropäischen Adressen. Für «Triumph of Iron» erhielt er am numinosen Samstagabend zurecht den UBS-Anerkennungspreis. Nicht weniger eindrücklich sind drei weitere Kurzfilme, die sich mit Problematik der Verfolgten und Fliehenden auseinandersetzen." (Christoph Albrecht)
1998-99 Sekeftina Hesin
1998-2000 Solo Dans Mano Khalil documents the demonstrations and protest actions of the Kurds in Berne, Basel, Geneva, Berlin and Rome after the arrest of Abdullah Ocalan. The 29 minute documentary contains the last interview with Abdullah Ocalan before his arrest.
Nach der Festnahme von Abdullah �calan dokumentiert Mano Khalil die Demonstrationen und Protestaktionen der Kurden in Bern, Basel, Genf, Berlin und Rom . Die 29min�tige Dokumentation enth�lt das letzte Interview mit Abdullah �calan vor seiner Festnahme.
(Source: http://www.medienheft.ch/kurdenkonflikt/4materialien.htm)
2001 Gala (Locarno 54. Screenplay Award)
Synopsis: Gala is the Swiss daughter of a Kurdish refugee from a short marriage. She decides to find her father after 28 years.

12. Schweizer Filme zum Thema

Reise der Hoffnung Spielfilm von Xavier Koller (Schweiz, Deutschland , Italien 1989), 110 Min., Kinoverleih: Columbus Z�rich Der einzige mit einem Oscar pr�mierte Schweizer Spielfilm erz�hlt mit den emotionalen Mitteln des Erz�hlkinos, wie ein kurdischer Bauer auf eine beschwerliche Reise ins Schweizer Exil aufbricht und dabei sein Kind und alle Hoffnung verliert.

Gest�ndnisse in Mamak Videodokumentation von Erich Schmid, Helena Vagni�re und Ren� A. Zumb�hl (Schweiz 1989), 47 Min.; Videoverleih ZOOM Die Autoren reisen in die T�rkei, um mit ihrer politischen Intervention die Massenprozesse gegen politische H�ftlinge und deren Aussagen �ber Folter und andere Misshandlungen zu dokumentieren.
Chronik einer angek�ndigten Ausweisung Dokumentarfilm von Marianne Pletscher (Schweiz 1991) Hungerstreik, Untertauchen und Ausweisung von kurdischen Asylbewerbern in der Schweiz w�hrend des Winters 1990/91.
Sertschawan. Willkommen bei meinen Augen Dokumentarfilm von Hans St�rm und Beatrice Leuthold (Schweiz 1992), 90 Min., Verleih Filmcooperative Z�rich �Sertschawan � Willkommen bei meinen Augen� (1992) ist wegen seiner dokumentarischen Geduld wohl einer der sch�nsten Filme �ber eine Ann�herung an die kurdische Kultur. Ihre Autoren, Hans St�rm und Beatrice Leuthold, wenden sich ab von der den Tod und das Leiden fixierenden Fernsehberichterstattung und suchen das Leben in den kurdischen D�rfern. Mit ihrer umst�ndlichen Filmapparatur stehlen sie der Gemeinschaft mit ihrem verletzbaren Gleichgewicht aus Natur und Kultur keine Bilder, sondern geben den Personen soviel Zeit, dass sie sich vor der Kamera in Szene setzen k�nnen, um den Schauenden dann ihre Bilder, ihre Erinnerungen und ihre M�rchen zu schenken.
JIYANA ME - Unser Leben Dorothea Keist und Christina Karrer (Schweiz 1993), 73 Min., Verleih ZOOM Z�rich Die Autorinnen portr�tieren vier kurdische Frauen: eine von ihren H�fen vertriebene B�uerin, eine in der Politik engagierte �rztin, eine politische PKK-Aktivistin im Basler Exil, eine Partisanin w�hrend ihrer milit�rischen Ausbildung. In ihren unterschiedlichen Kontexten erz�hlen sie �ber ihr Leben und reflektieren ihren Kampf f�r die eigene Freiheit und die ihres Volkes.

13. Deutsche Filme zum Thema Die Kurden. Ein Volk, das es nicht gibt TV-Dokumentation von Ulrich Tilgner und Thomas Giefer (D 1983)

Die Metzger Fernsehfilm vonMechthild Heckmann und Rosemarie Motzko (D 1997) Gerade erst hat die traditionsreiche Metzgerei Schm�lling ihre schwerste Krise seit ihrem Bestehen �berstanden. Ferdi, seine Frau B�rbel und seine Tochter Desiree wohnen nun in einer gepflegten Villa unter deutschen Mitb�rgern. Als Ferdi in seiner Villa Yilmaz, Semira und Jevjin Kaya �ber den Weg l�uft, ist er entsetzt: Kurden in seinem Haus, einquartiert von einer Mieterin, die ehrenamtlich f�r die Fl�chtlingshilfe arbeitet.
Die kurdische Anw�ltin Eren Keskin klagt an TV-Dokumentation von G�lsel �zkan und Ludger Pfanz (WDR 1999, 60 Min.)

15. LES CHANSONS DU PAYS DE MA MÈRE / AVAZHA-YE SARZAMIN-E MADARI-AM Iran 2002 / 35 mm / Couleur / 97 min
Réalisateur : Bahman Ghobadi; Scénariste : Bahman Ghobadi; Photographie :Saed Nikzat, Shahriar Assadi; Montage : Haydeh Safi-Yari. Interprètes : Shahaboddin Ebrahimi, Allah Morad Ashtiani, Faegh Mohamadi, Iran Ghobadi, Sa'adat Ghobadi, Rozhan Hoseini.

Dans les années qui suivirent la guerre entre l'Irak et l'Iran, pendant que l'Irak bombardait les régions kurdes, Mirza, un vieux chanteur kurdo-iranien accompagné de ses fils Barat et Audeh, musiciens, se met à la recherche de son ancienne compagne, Hanareh. Chanteuse elle aussi, elle s'est enfuie vers le Kurdistan irakien vingt-trois ans plus tôt avec Seyed. Tous deux faisaient partie de la troupe. Malgré cela, Mirza est toujours amoureux d'elle. Au début du voyage, Audeh se plaint de devoir laisser ses sept femmes et ses treize filles derrière lui, et Barat, encore célibataire, pense que ce voyage est une perte de temps. Mais Mirza leur cache la vérité: Haraneh a des problèmes et a besoin de lui. Pendant ce temps, le conflit entre l'Iran et l'IraK vient de se terminer. Les avions de Saddam Hussein sont prêts à lancer leurs projectiles sur les populations kurdes vivant en Irak. Des milliers de sans-abri cherchent refuge en Iran. Au milieu de ce chaos, Mirza tente de trouver des informations au sujet de Hanareh... Dans ce récit d'un peuple qui a toujours été dispersé et maltraité et qui est tellement habitué à la guerre que la guerre est devenue pour eux quelque chose de banal, la musique devient l'expression de la passion pour la vie.

Bahman Ghobadi
Né à Bané (Kurdistan iranien) en 1968, Bahman Ghobadi travaille à la radio et se joint à un groupe de jeunes cinéastes amateurs, à Sanandaj, avec qui il commence à faire des courts métrages. Il s'installe ensuite dans la capitale pour entamer, à la faculté de cinéma, des études qu'il abandonnera avant la fin. Entre 1995 et 1999, il réalise une dizaine de courts métrages qui obtiennent de nombreux prix dans différents festivals nationaux et internationaux. Parmi ses films, retenons: Encore la pluie avec la chanson (1995), Dang (1996), La Part du cahier (1996), Vivre dans le brouillard (1998), Les Mélodies de la fille des Steppes (1998), UN TEMPS POUR L'IVRESSE DES CHEVAUX (2000), Prix de la Caméra d'Or (meilleure première oeuvre) et de la critique internationale au Festival de Cannes.

16. 1st London Kurdish Film Festival 9– 15 November 2001 (Source: http://www.riocinema.ndirect.co.uk/kff01/index.htm)

FEATURE FILMS

BEYOND OUR DREAMS
Director: Hiner Saleem
Cast: Olivier Sitruk, Rosanna Vite Mesropian. France-Armenia-Italy 2000 / 100m
French and Kirmanji with English subtitles.
"Hiner Saleem's second feature tracks a young refugee couple's flight from Kurdistan to hopeful sanctuary in Paris, braving travails comic and tragic on their long, serpentine path. Already struggling toward an uncertain destination at the outset, childhood sweethearts Dolovan and Zara are first seen huffing across the frozen Caucasian Mountains. Not by choice: Saying "We have no country," Dolovan is resigned to the necessity of leaving their lifelong village in Mesopotamia, where ethnic strife has drawn a vicious line between local Kurds and their suddenly intolerant neighbours. Zara is more reluctant, and their odyssey starts very badly as her elderly parents, lagging behind, are lost to the elements."
(Dennis Harvey, Variety)
BLACKBOARDS (PG)
Director: Samira Makhmalbaf
Cast: Saeed Mohamadi, Bahman Ghobadi, Behnaz Jafari.
Iran-Italy-Japan 2000 / 80m
Sorani with English subtitles.
Iranian Kurdistan, near the border with Iraq. A group of itinerant teachers wander in search of pupils. After using their blackboards, which they carry on their backs, to take cover from an army helicopter, the group split up. One teacher, Saïd (Saeed Mohamadi), encounters an old man who asks him to read a letter from his son. Another, Reeboir (Bahman Ghobadi), meets a party of boys carrying contraband stolen goods to be smuggled across the border; he tries to persuade them to accept him as a teacher.
THE BOY WHO STOPPED TALKING
Director: Ben Sombogaart
Cast: Ercan Orhan, Halsho Hussain, Brader Musiki.
Netherlands 1997 / 108m
Kirmanji and Dutch with English subtitles.
Anyone who's ever experienced the upheaval and sadness that comes with leaving the place you've called home will appreciate the charm and candour of this heartfelt family tale. For young Memo, the concept of "home" is particularly significant since he's a Kurd, a minority constantly in search of a homeland and frequently dispossessed of the claims they stake. Memo is perfectly content with his village life: goofing around with his best friend Mustafa, tending the sheep and working as the local postman. But when Memo's father, Hüsnü, suddenly returns from Holland, Memo's life changes forever.
THE BURNING PARADISE
Director: Araz Rashid
Cast: Parosh Muharam, Vian Azad, Mostafa Ahmad
Sweden 1999 / 80m
Sorani with English subtitles.
A young veterinarian tries to help a wounded boy who has been shot by the Iraqi police as he tries to draw a swastika on Saddam Hussein's poster. They flee from the city to the liberated area. The veterinarian falls in love with the local mayor. This starts a conflict with her family. The conflict goes on until the Iraqi Army attacks the village.
GAS ATTACK
Director: Kenny Glenaans
Cast: Sherko Zen-Aloush, Benae Hassan, Robina Quereshi, Laurie Ventry, Morag Caulder
Br 2001 / 75m
in English.
A film examining the plight of asylum-seekers in Glasgow. Joint-funded by Channel 4 and Scottish Screen, the film explores the havoc wrought on Glasgow's Kurdish community by a lone terrorist, motivated by racism and armed with a supply of a deadly germ. It is launched amid continuing tension in the Sighthill area of the city, which saw the murder of F¦rsat Y¦ld¦z in August, followed by the stabbing of a second man two days later.
THE HERD (Sürü)
Director: Zeki Ökten / Y¦lmaz Güney
Cast: Tar¦k Akan, Melike Demirag, Tuncel Kurtiz.
Turkey 1978 / 114m
Turkish with English subtitles.
The film tells the story of a family of nomadic shepherds destroyed by their contact with modern civilization as they transport a flock of sheep by train to Ankara. The central figure in the film is the son who tries to heal the rifts caused by family vendettas and to adapt to modern society. Eventually he is destroyed - driven to inarticulate revolt and then promptly beaten and arrested - just as the old patriarch is swallowed up in the anonymity of sprawling present day Ankara.
JOURNEY TO THE SUN (15)
Director: Yesim Ustaoglu
Cast: Newroz Baz, Nazmi Kirik, Mizgin Kapazan.
Turkey-Netherlands-Germany 1999 / 104m
Turkish with English subtitles.
JOURNEY TO THE SUN's central focus is the relationship between Mehmet, a young Turk who has come to Istanbul to make a living, and the older and more astute Berzan, a Kurdish political activist on the lookout for new recruits to the Kurdish struggle for independence. As their friendship evolves and deepens, the extent of Berzan's political activism is unveiled. He is an active participant in demonstrations in support of Kurdish political prisoners on hunger strike in a Turkish jail, and is also involved in recruiting young converts to Kurdish political groups.
THE PHOTOGRAPH(Fotograf)
Director: Kazim Öz
Cast: Feyyaz Duman, Nazmi Kirik, Mizgin Kapazan, Zülfiye Dolu.
Turkey 2000 / 66m
Turkish and Kirmanji with English subtitles.
An imaginatively shot and revealing film following the stories of two young men travelling to Turkish Kurdistan by bus. They sit next to each other, each of them hiding the reason for his journey from the other. Who are they? Where are they going? And why? A strange kind of proximity and warmth develops between the two of them. The road, the cigarettes and the discomfort they have shared leaves a trace that will reverberate after their paths have separated.
ROADBLOCKS
Director: Stavros Ioannou
Cast: Hussein Abdulah, Ahmet Guli, Falaha Hassan.
Greece 2000 / 98m
Sorani with English subtitles.
Greek documentary maker Ioannou's feature film tells the story of the desperate attempts of Kurdish refugees to cross Europe in a documentary fashion. In the opening scene, Huseyin from Iraqi Kurdistan crosses a river and minefield on his way across hostile Turkey to find his brother, Ahmet, who has vanished in Greece. Learning he left for Italy by an overcrowded rubber raft, Hussein calls his father and ask him to sell their house in the village to finance his search.The film does not "feature" actors who portray the truth of others' lives but rather follows unknown faces in their real adventures.
A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES(PG)
Director: Bahman Ghobadi
Cast: Nezhad Ekhtiar-Dini, Amaneh Ekhtiar-Dini, Madi Ekhtiar-Dini.
Kurdistan-Iran 2000 / 80m
Farsi and Sorani with English subtitles.
In Iranian Kurdistan, very near the border with Iraq, five brothers and sisters live at subsistence level. The younger boy has a serious illness. The medicine he takes is expensive, and the doctor says he has to be operated on soon to have a chance of surviving. Despite the efforts of the eldest brother who takes on lots of odd jobs, the family is unable to pay for the operation. So, the elder sister accepts to marry an Iraqi who is prepared to give them financial help for the operation. However, the future spouse's family refuses to let the sick boy cross the border.
YOL (The Journey)(15)
Director: Serif Gören / Yilmaz Güney
Cast: Tarik Akan, Halil Ergün, Meral Orhonsay, Semra Uçar.
Turkey 1982 / 111m
Turkish with English subtitles.
The notoriously brutal Turkish prison system undergoes a rare moment of compassion in YOL. Five convicts are given a week's leave from jail so that they may visit their friends, families and lovers. Sadly, each of the men is confronted with tragedy, disillusionment or both upon arriving home. Writer Y¦lmaz Güney knew what he was talking about: he spent much of his adult life in prison for various political activities. Using the 'limited-leave' device as a launching pad, Güney uses the journey to savagely skewer many of Turkey's antiquated sociopolitical attitudes, notably the subjugation of women.

DOCUMENTARIES

ADANA - PARIS
Director: Ahmet Soner Turkey 1994 / 74m
Turkish with no subtitles.
In this documentary Ahmet Soner looks at the life of his former colleague, Yilmaz Guney. It starts from his birthplace, Adana, and ends in Paris.
GOOD KURDS BAD KURDS
Director: Kevin McKiernan USA 2000 / 78m / in English.
This documentary focuses on the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds in Turkey, one of the great human rights disasters of the 20th century, and one that receives virtually no attention. The film combines exclusive, one-of-a-kind war zone footage with the human interest story of an immigrant Kurdish family trying to find its way in Santa Barbara, California. The family includes an elderly mother, three sisters and five brothers. Two of the sisters still live in Turkey but far from their original village, which was destroyed by the army.
REFUSAL 1111
Director: Cüneyt Sekerci and Hasan Çimen Turkey 2001/ 22m
Turkish with no subtitles.
A documentary about conscientious objectors to conscription to the Turkish army.
SILENT DEATH
Director: Hüseyin Karabey Turkey 2001 / 85m
German, Italian and Spanish with English subtitles.
There are approximately 71,000 prisoners in Turkish prisons today. Among these, more than 10,000 are political prisoners. The Turkish Ministry of Justice has recently constructed F-type prisons - known as isolation cell system - in three locations. This documentary film aims to discuss and display European policies regarding prisons. Through different interviews made with political detainees and former prisoners in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the USA, the film tries to show that the European prison system and the isolation cell system all around the world is not the ideal as propagated by the Turkish authorities.

SHORT FILM PROGRAMME

THE LAND - AX
Director: Kazim Öz
Cast: Hikmet Karagöz and actors from Teatra Jiyana Nu.
Turkey Kurdistan 1999 / 27m
Turkish with English subtitles.
The story of an old Kurdish man, who insists on not leaving his village, from which the people are forced by the Turkish army, to migrate. The only thing left from the former active life is a dead silence and places full of memories.
DISPLACED VOICES
Director: Sevim Metin
Turkey 2001 / 17m in English.
A poetic documentary inspired by an ancient mythical character, Elikâ €evê, the genie who symbolized death and suffering in the imagination of Kurdish-Alevi villagers. In the poetic narrative of the film the imaginary genie comes back to life to tell her story and their's. Her's is one of destined destruction and prolonged suffering, their's is one of waiting and loss. The film displays the memorable landscapes of Anatolia and portrays the people who remained in its villages.
GRANDMA
Director: Özcan Alper
Cast: Nogay Alper, Burcu Ustabas, Ahmet Tabar.
Turkey 2000 / 25m / Hemsin with English subtitles.
At the Eastern Kaçkar Mountains, at 3,000 meters a Hemsin plateau: Susuzyurt. During the long August days every day is the same as the day before. Marte is a 13-year-old with a passion for horse riding. He falls in love with his neighbour's daughter, Lusnika. He shares his deepest secrets only with his blind friend and his grandmother.
IT'S WORTH IT…
Director: Aysel Özkan
Cast: Gerda Gmelin, Ferdinand Dux, Yasar Çetin. Germany / 15m
German with English subtitles.
A funny tale of an old German couple. So bored with their life in the old people's home, they decide to spice up their life by becoming petty criminals.
MAN WITH THE WHITE COAT
Director: Yüksel Yavuz
Cast: Murat Y¦lmaz.
Turkey 2000 / 15m
Turkish and Kirmanji with English subtitles.
One day, a scruffy looking man appears in Istanbul's streets. By doing odd jobs, he saves up to buy a white coat that makes him look even more mysterious than ever

17. 2nd London Kurdish Film Festival 15 – 28 November 2002 (Source: http://www.riocinema.ndirect.co.uk/kff02/index.htm)

FEATURE FILMS

ESCAPE TO PARADISE
Director: Nino Jacusso
Cast: Duzgun Ayhan, Fidan Firat, Walo Luond
Switzerland 2001 / 90m / Turkish with English subtitles
A Kurdish refugee family who are applying for political asylum in Switzerland are sent to an immigration centre. Their future will only be secure if they can present a convincing case. They turn to a Swiss man who claims he can supply them with the documents and stories which will convince the immigration authorities.
A HANDFUL OF GRASS
Director: Roland Suso Richter
Cast: Oliver Korittke, Arman Kuru, Lisa Martinek, Ercan Durmaz
Germany 1999 / 114m / Kirmanji and German with English subtitles
Ten-year-old Kendal lives in a poor Kurdish village. His uncle who is involved in drugs trafficking in Hamburg, takes Kendal to Germany. After his uncle is arrested, the boy is looked after by a German taxi driver, but eventually ends up in a children’s home. His uncle tracks him down, and Kendal soon begins work as a drug pusher.
HEJAR (Büyük Adam Küçük Ask)
Director: Handan Ipekci
Cast: Dilan Ercetin, Sukran Gungor, Fusun Demirel, Yildiz Kenter
Turkey 2001 / 120m / Turkish and Kurdish with English subtitles
This controversial – and recently banned – film was unanimously nominated to represent Turkey at the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category. At the film's heart is the relationship between a nationalist, authoritarian judge (Sukran Gungor) and a five-year-old Kurdish orphan (Dilan Ercetin). The judge, who is the girl's neighbour, takes her in following a botched police raid that results in the death of her guardian. HEJAR was the winner of several awards, including Best Picture, at Turkey’s prestigious Golden Orange Film Festival (2001). Also stars veteran theatre and film actress Yildiz Kenter.
HOUSE OF HEARTS
Director: Elizabeth Rygard
Cast: Bora Akkas, Mazlum Cimen, Sebnem Kostem
Germany 2002 / 88m / Turkish with English subtitles
A drama of separation seen through the eyes of a seven-year-old boy, Osman, whose parents leave Turkey to work in Europe. The drama is enveloped in the expressive Anatolian music, the overwhelming forces of nature and traditional poetry. Together they form some of the riches Osman carries in the suitcase that accompanies him to his new life.
INNOWHERELAND
Director: Tayfun Pirselimoglu
Cast: Zuhal Olcay, Parkan Ozturan, Michael Mendl
Turkey-Germany 2001 / 94m / Turkish with English subtitles
Forty year old Sukrun tries to keep her only son Veysel away from the political activism in which her late husband was involved, and which has brought the family so much suffering. But one day Veysel disappears and Sukran’s attempts to find him meet only with silence from the authorities.
IN THIS WORLD
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Script: Tony Grisoni
Cast: Jamal Udin Mommand, Enayatullah Jumadin
Britain 2002 / 89m
Jamal Udin Torabi is a young Afghan refugee seeking asylum in this country. Born in Peshawar in the North West province of Pakistan, Jamal and a fellow refugee, Enayatullah Jumadin, are the subjects of Michael Winterbottom’s compelling and all too relevant most recent feature. The film follows them as they set out to travel overland to London, passing through Iran, Turkey, Italy and France – an arduous and life threatening journey which offers constant reminders of the desperation that lies behind it.
JIYAN
Director: Jano Rosebiani
Cast: Kurdo Galali, Pisheng Berzinci, Çoman Hawrami
Kurdistan 2002 / 94m / Kurdish with English subtitles
Five years after the infamous chemical and biological bombing of Halabja, Diyari, a Kurdish/American Samaritan, returns to his homeland to build an orphanage in what is left of Halabja. During the course of his stay, he meets a colourful bunch of townfolk, many of whom remain physically and/or psychologically marked with the effects of the chemical agents. Among them is Jiyan, a ten year old orphan. A strong bond between the two ensues and later he names the orphanage after her.
LONG LIVE THE BRIDE… AND THE LIBERATION OF KURDISTAN
Director: Hiner Saleem
Cast: Georges Corraface, Marina Kobakhidze, Tuncel Kurtiz
France 1997 / 96m / French and Kurdish with English subtitles
Set inside the 100,000-population Kurdish community in Paris. Cheto seeks a wife via videotapes while still seeing his French girlfriend, immigration office worker Christine. Cheto places an order for a beautiful girl, but he's disappointed when her sister, country girl Mina, arrives at the airport as a substitute. Family pressure forces him to marry her. Unhappy with the way she's treated by Cheto, Mina acquires some progressive ideas from Leila and other local feminists, leading to confrontations with Cheto.
MAROONED IN IRAQ
Director: Bahman Ghobadi
Cast: Allah-morad Rashtian, Faegh Mohammadi, Iran Ghobadi
Iran 2002 / 110m / Kurdish with English subtitles
The latest film from the director of A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES. An aging Kurdish singer, Mirza, persuades his two grown musician sons to accompany him on a mission into Iraq to locate his ex-wife, who, rumour has it, needs him. The journey takes them through a lawless land of bombs and bandits where the only policemen they encounter are handcuffed and in underwear. The film portrays the Kurds living on the border of Iran and Iraq not only as victims, but also as people who love music, life and children, and have a wicked sense of humour that enables them to survive persecution. Winner of the Best Film award at the Chicago Film Festival, although director Bahman Ghobadi turned down the award after the US authorities refused him an entry visa.
MEM AND ZIN
Director: Umit Elci
Cast: Meltem Doganay, Halil Ergun, Musa Anter, Fusun Demirel
Turkey 1991 / 90m / Turkish with English subtitles
During Kurdish New Year, Newroz, two brothers and two sisters go to the celebrations. Mem and Zin fall in love and exchange rings without ever knowing whether they will meet again. This story of two tragically separated lovers is also an allegory for the tragic fate of the Kurds, separated and denied.
A SILENT TRAVELLER
Director: Ibrahim Selman
Cast: Abdulkadir Yousif, Walid Hadji, Halima Sadik, Umet Ali. Bangin Abdulkadir, Said Ali
Netherlands / 92mins / 1994 / Kurdish with English subtitles
Conceived in Kurdistan, written in Holland and filmed in Greece, A SILENT TRAVELLER tells the story of life in a Kurdish village in South Kurdistan (Iraq), where the endless war between official forces and those fighting for a free Kurdistan leads to divided loyalties, killing and grief, even within families.
SIYABEND AND XACE
Director: Sahin Gok
Cast: Tarik Akan, Mine Cayiroglu, Yaman Okay, Yilmaz Erdogan
Turkey 1993 / 120m / Turkish with English subtitles
This film tells the love story of Xace and Siyabend. Siyabend is young and rebellious, an orphan brought up by his aunt. He leaves home and wanders around Kurdistan until he comes across Xace. Watch out for Yilmaz Erdogan in his first film role as Xace’s brother.
A SONG FOR BEKO
Director: Nizamettin Aric
Cast: Nizamettin Aric, Bezara Arsen, Lusika Hesen
Germany 1992 / 110m / Kurdish with English Subtitles
Nizamettin Aric made his directorial debut and also starred in the film, one of the first in Kurdish. Beko begins his long pilgrimage, in search of his brother, in Kurdish areas of Turkey, where he escapes arrest. Fleeing into Syria, this modern-day Odysseus then makes his way into the serenely beautiful highlands of the Kurdish areas of Iraq. Here, in a nomadic community caring for refugee children, Beko finds himself and a homeland.
TIREJ
Director: Halil Uysal
Editor: Ozgur Reyzan
Cast : Mehmet Emin, Harun Ahmed
Produced by: Martyr Sefkan Culture & Art School, Cinema Dept.
Kurdistan 2002 / 50m / Kurdish with English subtitles
A film written, directed and acted by real life guerrillas and based on a true story, this is perhaps the first feature made entirely by guerrillas. It tells the story of a clash with the Turkish army. After fierce fighting, two guerrillas survive and are encircled by the Turkish army. The war is seen from the perspective of the guerrillas. Will they survive? Will other guerrillas come to their rescue? What are their thoughts when they are fighting, and what will go into the diary of one of the guerrillas?
THE WIND WILL CARRY US
Director: Abas Kiarostami
Cast: Behzad Dourani and the inhabitants of Siah Dareh village
Iran 1999 / 118m / Kurdish and Farsi with English subtitles
A man from Tehran named Behzad drives with a camera crew to a remote Kurdish village clinging to the sides of two mountains. There, they secretly wait for an ailing 100-year-old woman named Mrs. Malek to die, apparently planning to film or tape the exotic traditional funeral ceremony they expect to take place afterward, during which some women mourners scratch and scar their faces. Behzad spends most of the movie biding his time in the village, circulating a false story, involving buried treasure, about the reason for his presence and chatting with a few locals – mainly a little boy named Farzad (Farzad Sohrabi), the old woman's grandson, who serves as his (and our) main source of information about the village.
WINTERFLOWER
Director: Kadir Sözen
Cast: Menderes Samanc¦lar, Meral Yüzgüleç, Cengiz Sezici
Germany 1996 / 107m / Turkish and German with English subtitles
Mehmut Umut, a Turkish immigrant whose residence permit has expired, is woken early one morning by the police and led away. He is deported from Germany the same day and sent back to Turkey. His wife and little son are left behind. Mehmet survives in Istanbul with temporary jobs as a warehouseman and waiter. He applies for an entry visa but when the application is rejected for no reason, he decides to go beyond the law and embarks on a dangerous journey.
YELLOW DAYS
Director: Ravin Asaf
Cast: Sandra Steffl, Hogar Tanya, Hama Ali Chan, Nur Surer
Germany 2002 / 85m / Kurdish with English subtitles
Thirteen year old "Devil" Pascha and his gang are always creating chaos in their village. No one escapes his cheeky pranks, be they the Mullah of the village, his mother or his sister. One day a German soprano singer visits the village to write her doctoral thesis. All the men of the village, including the feudal lord Ali Aga and the Mullah dream of marrying this golden haired angel. This gives "Devil" Pascha an opportunity to create even more mischief.

DOCUMENTARIES

AFTER
Director: Metin Yegin
Turkey 2001 / 24m / Turkish with English subtitles
About the longest hunger strike against F-type prisons in Turkey. To date, 74 people have died and hundreds of prisoners have become disabled as a result of contracting Wernico-Korsikoff disease.
CULTURAL IMAGE
Director: Yilmaz Demir
Britain 2002 / 5m / Kurdish with English subtitles
A look at the life of the Kurdish community in Hackney.
F
Director: Metin Yegin
Turkey 2001 / 64m / Turkish with English subtitles
The experiences of prisoners who survived the 19th December 2000 operation by the Turkish Security forces during the hunger strike against F-type prisons.
THE GAME
Director: Serhan Sahin & Burcu Sahinyavuz
Turkey 2002 / 26m / Kurdish and Turkish with English subtitles
The life stories of two young men who lost their lives on opposite sides of the same conflict are told by their grief-stricken mothers through the computer game Counter Strike.
KURDISTAN: OFF THE MAP
Director: Antonis Kioukas
Greece 2002 / 19m / Greek with English subtitles
This timely short documentary focuses on the plight of Kurdish people in Iraq during the aftermath of the Gulf war. It shows the brief euphoria felt by Kurds and how their hopes of independence were dashed when US failed to support their uprising.
LEYLA ZANA
Director: Kudret Gunes
France 2002 / 51m / Kurdish, Turkish and French with English subtitles
Leyla Zana, the first woman Kurdish MP to be elected to the Turkish Parliament in 1992, was impisoned in 1994 for 15 years for speaking in Kurdish in the Parliament. Kudret Gunes’ personal look at the life of Zana takes her to her birth-place, friends and exiled husband.
LIFE IN A DROP OF WATER
Director : Umit Elci
Turkey 2002 / 72m / Turkish with no subtitles
The treatment of prisoners and prison conditions in Turkey have resulted in regular hunger strikes in the last 20 years. This documentary focuses on the 1996 Hunger Strikes against the use of isolation cells in F-type prisons. It includes interviews with strikers, writers and activists like Ercan Kanar, Eren Keskin, Celal Baslangic and Oral Calislar. The film takes its name from the water pipette that was used to moisten the strikers lips.

SHORT FILM PROGRAMME 1

THE FORGOTTEN
Director: Mansur Tural
Kurdistan-France 2001 / 13m / French, Turkish and Kurdish with French subtitles
The film covers events of a day in which the time keeps changing constantly. A postman dong his round asks some questions.
DEAD ALIVE
Director: Mansur Tural
Kurdistan-France 2001 / 10m / Kurdish and French with no subtitles
A short film that explores the border between life and death, being and non-being: a world in which personal freedoms and social responsibilities are recognised as going hand in hand, and are indestructible.
HOPE
Director: Mansur Tural
Kurdistan-France 2002 / 18m / Kurdish with French subtitles
Hasan and Rojda are husband and wife. Because of the state terror, they flee from Kurdistan for France, while leaving their three children with Hasan’s brother in Kurdistan.
A BREATH OF DEATH
Directors: Lina Abdulkarim & Dilek Boztas
Britain 2002 / 7m / English
A brief informative piece which explains the basics of chemical bombing and what happened to the Kurdish village of Halabja in 1988.
THREE FIGURES OF A MOUNTAIN-MAN WHO WISHES HE WAS A SEAL
Director: Ibrahim Selman
Netherlands 1991 / 38m / Kurdish and Dutch with English subtitles
This television drama deals with the experiences of Ibu Kordo, a Kurd. On March 16, 1988 his hometown Halabja is bombed with chemical weapons by Iraq. When he comes back from a business trip he finds all the inhabitants lying dead in the streets, among the victims his own daughter. Ibu Kordo escapes Iraq and arrives in the Netherlands.

SHORT FILM PROGRAMME 2

RIGHTS OF PASSAGE
Director: Simon Brown
Producer: Maria Pavlou
Cast: Arsalan Nawroly, Dana Jalal, Hardi Rashid, Zolfa Afrazi, Karzan Krekar
Britain 2002 / 25m / Kurdish with English subtitles
Two Kurdish friends, Nawrol and Saman, arrive at the Sangatte refugee camp in Northern France on their way to England. That night they break into the nearby Channel Tunnel, and nearly succeed in jumping on a train. However, playing the hero, Nawrol stops to help a young kid, Mohammed...
TO STAY OR TO GO
Director: Resul Gultutan
Switzerland 2001 / 23m / Kurdish with English subtitles
War often drives families from their homelands. Children are often able to adapt to their new lives quickly unlike their parents who have difficulties in coping with many aspects of their new lives. But what really happens to the older members of the family?
BERIVAN
Director: Miraz Bezar
Germany 1995 / 12m / No dialogue
A day in the life of ten-year-old Berivan and her family. A family without a father. Her mother is working all day, so Berivan takes care of the household and her little brother.
It is a normal day. But in the evening, Berivan makes a decision.
BELLA AND REAL
Director: Borje Beratt
Sweden 2002 / 27m / Swedish and Kurdish with English subtitles
Real, an immigrant soccer team recruits a Swedish coach, to create order. All of the players want to play centre as their fathers also demand. Sammi, patriarch of a Kurd family has a son on the team and a daughter Bella with the impossible dream of becoming the goalkeeper.
DEATH IN EXILE
Director: Ayten Mutlu Saray
Switzerland 2002 / 27m / French and Kurdish with English subtitles
Khalil, a Palestinan refugee who grew up in Algeria, is in prison waiting to be deported. Memories of his homeland accompany him during this long wait. The story of the film is based on the real case of Khalil Abuzarifeh who died in Zurich on 3rd March 1999 while awaiting deportation from Switzerland.

18. Introduction by Bahman Ghobadi / Welcome to the 2nd London Kurdish Film Festival!

Nothing is more pleasurable than having an all Kurdish cast and crew when making a full-length feature - Kurdish players, assistants and production group - especially if they are from the mountainous areas of Kurdistan. You speak in Kurdish to everyone involved and the script and dialogue are in the same language.
It is, at the same time, a shame and depressing that one hundred years after the birth of cinema, we do not have a branch called "Kurdish cinema", despite everything I have just mentioned.
A strange thing has happened in the Kurdistan of today: there are fewer parents wishing their children to become engineers or doctors, but most of them wish their children to be film makers. Today in Kurdistan more than two hundred young Kurdish boys and girls are busy learning the art of filmmaking. In the street where I live, there are twelve of these filmmakers. A friend of mine, who was a taxi driver, has now sold his taxi, bought a film camera and is making a film.
You can find the best short films of the present day among the young Kurdish filmmakers in Kurdistan. Iran's Kurdistan province is in the top flight of short-film making. You can see the camera and the filming group in the richest and poorest parts of the province and it has become a matter-of-fact, everyday event in the lives of the people. People will even come to you to see if you need help and residents in the area will even bring us tea from nearby houses.
It is strange and I am happy too that during the making of two full length films so many good things happened to me in Kurdistan. This of course has nothing to do with Bahman Ghobadi, it is the nature of the cinema. It is a magical potion that has enchanted the Kurds. These days you do not see anyone with a weapon in their hands, but the camera, the greatest cultural weapon of our age, has replaced the gun.
More interesting is the fact that I have been receiving a number of letters inviting me to various Kurdish festivals world-wide, in England, Argentina, Iraq, Turkey, Germany, etc. I hereby congratulate all my friends who are energetically following up such important events. I hope that I can make two three full-length Kurdish films in the next few years and witness the display of twenty to thirty Kurdish films in such festivals.
Bahman Ghobadi (Behmen Qobadí)
Bahman Ghobadi was born in 1 February 1968, Bané, Eastern Kurdistan (Iran)

19. Songs of My Homeland by Bahman Ghobadi
Summary by Kirk Honeycutt, Apr. 24, 2002
CANNES -- Having greatly expanded and deepened our understanding of Kurdistan two years ago with his brilliant "A Time for Drunken Horses," Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi floors us again with "The Songs of My Homeland" (Avazhaye Sarzamine Madariyam). As if to emphasize that he is, in a sense, telling the same amazing and troubling story, this film ends with exactly the same image as his last.
Kurdistan, which straddles the Iran-Iraq border, is less a nation than a people in constant chaos. Few know its terrain better than Ghobadi. More importantly, no one possesses his mastery of cinema to record its triumphs and tragedies in all their sad yet often hilarious absurdity.

This film too should make its way through the international art house circuit and, just as "Horses" did, continue to replay itself in the minds of viewers long after the final image fades.
"Songs" is a road picture. But what a road! After the Iran-Iraq war, bombing continues in Kurdistan. An aging Kurd singer, Mirza (Shahab Ebrahimi), persuades his two grown musician sons into accompanying him on a mission into Iraq to locate his ex-wife, who, rumor has it, needs him.
The journey takes them through a lawless land of bombs and bandits, where the only policemen encountered are handcuffed and in underwear. Yes, they too have been robbed.
The trio meets a wily old man, apparently a doctor, who sees the war as a business opportunity. He peddles everything from Japanese radios to AIDS medicine, which he insists is to cure a donkey disease. They visit a movable tea shop, which uproots every time bombing resumes. A group of schoolchildren charms them until they realize all are war orphans.
The trip is accompanied by the constant sounds of jets overhead and distant explosions. Later, in a desolate wasteland, wind howls nonstop and snow is everywhere.
One son, Audeh (Allah-morad Rashtian), seeks another wife. He already has seven -- along with 13 daughters -- but is desperate for a new wife who might give him a son. The other son, Barat (Faegh Mohammadi), falls in love with the beauty of a young woman's voice and offers to marry her. But she remains aloof until a tragic discovery.
The portrait Ghobadi paints is of a people always mobilized by war, so accustomed to suffering and grief that their sense of survival dictates a measured response to all tragedies. Nevertheless, in their music and humor one finds surprising joy.
Working with nonprofessional actors, Ghobadi lets them essentially play themselves. All are completely relaxed around a camera, delivering natural, buoyant performances that put to shame the very idea of acting schools. They argue, sing, play music and struggle against ridiculous odds without giving any of it a thought. Their very existence is an up-yours to all the Saddams, warlords and bandits who prey upon them.
The landscape, beautifully captured by Saeed Nikzad's cinematography, changes dramatically during the journey from a hardscrabble, bomb-ruined terrain to a blanket of unrelieved white in snowy highlands. The characters' wry humor and zestful music in this unforgiving environment contain the essential contradiction of Kurdish life today: Everything is mad and yet the celebration of life continues.
THE SONGS OF MY HOMELAND 110 minutes: MIJ Film
Screenwriter-producer-director: Bahman Ghobadi; Director of photography: Saeed Nikzad; Music: Arsalan Kamkar; Editor: Hayedeh Safiari
Cast: Mirza: Shahab Ebrahimi, Audeh: Allah-morad Rashtian, Barat: Faegh Mohammadi, Hanareh: Iran Ghobadi

20. Jhíyan (Jiyan) by Jano Rosebiani
Official Site: Jiyan
Jhíyan (Jiyan) Kurdistan 2002 / 94min Produced by Evini Films
Written,Directed and Edited by: Jano Rosebiani Cinematography by: Koutaiba Al Janabi; Cast: Kurdo Galali, Pisheng Berzinci, Çoman Hawrami

A self-taught Kurdish filmmaker, born and raised in the Kurdish town of Zakho in the Southern region of Kurdistan. As a Kurd under the rule of Saddam’s tyrannical regime Rosebiani’s future looked dim. In 1974, then a seventh-grader, he along with his family joined the Kurdish mass uprising and took to the mountains. Two years later he became a refugee in the Untied States.
Rosebiani acquired his knowledge of film making during his college years in the mid eighties while managing movie theaters in Washington DC. He made experimental videos at a public access television in Northern Virginia, including a feature-length drama and a weekly program for which he received local and national awards. In 1988 he moved to Los Angeles with his first written script, and in 1995 he made his feature film debut with "Dance of the Pendulum," - an intellectual dark comedy parodying exploitation in Hollywood.
“Jiyan” (life) is his first Kurdish film and the first installment of a trilogy intended to be a window to the world through which viewers are invited to see a glimpse of the Kurds, their daily life, their culture and their folklore and most importantly, their human rights dilemma. “Jiyan” was shot in January and February of 2001 in the liberated, US/UK-protected region of Kurdistan. Postproduction was completed in Brussels, Belgium in January of 2002. Since then the film has been touring the festival scene worldwide and has garnered a few awards along the way.
Rosebiani’s second installment, "The Smile" focuses on Saddam’s Anfal genocide campaign in Kurdistan in the late 1980s.Jano Rosebiani Filmography
1995 Dance of the Pendulum-
2002 Jiyan-
The Smile- in development

Directors Notes: In JIYAN I am dealing with death and destruction, the flip side of which is life itself. For a Kurd life equates survival in the face of endless odds. It necessitates an ongoing struggle against the evils within the human heart. The humans in question are the immediate neighbors and occupiers whose treatment of the 40 odd million Kurds is anything but humane.
The infamous gassing of the Kurds in 1988 left an estimated 5000 dead and over 9000 maimed or deformed, all in a matter of a few minutes. One couldn't harm that many flies in such a short time, but yet Saddam did it and still lives to brag about it at his private banquets.
JIYAN is loosely based on testimonial accounts of the survivors, some of whom had lost their family members to the chemical attack. The mention of my plans to take their stories to the world brought tears to their eyes.
A handful of the survivors took part in the film, playing themselves. Such as the woman who had lost all her family and her sight to the chemicals. I found her begging in the market place, and the stuttering man who plays the father proposing for a girl's hand for his son. The next day he showed me a photograph of his real and only son who had died during the attack. I was speechless.
The Kurds are a colorful people, full of life despite the tragedies befalling them. Being indigenous to their region, they possess a rich culture which they have managed to preserve for a few thousand years. They thrive on poetry, music and dance, and with that comes romance. There are two love stories running parallel, one involving Jiyan herself, and there is even a wedding.
JIYAN is a popular female name in Kurdistan. It means life. Therefor Jiyan, the ten-year old orphan, is a representative of life, or rather life itself, though bruised as half of her face was burned by acid during the chemical attack.
My ultimate goal for JIYAN is to be a window to the world through which one can see a glimpse of the Kurds, of their daily life, their culture, their folklore and, most importantly, their human rights dilemma.

Review By Gareth Evans
Intended as the first part in a trilogy examining contemporary Kurdish experience, self-taught film-maker Rosebiani’s powerful and moving feature tackles head-on one of the most violent episodes in the ongoing oppression of his beleaguered people. On March 16 1988, 5,000 Kurdish residents of Halabja, in what was then northern Iraq, were killed during a chemical and biological weapons attack by Saddam Hussein’s airforce. The film opens five years on, with the Kurdish-American Diyari returning to the region to build an orphanage in the town. His stay reveals the degree of physical and psychological trauma in the community, but there are also signs of restoration and fragile hope. His friendship with two children, primarily the ten-year-old Jiyan, offers them some indication that a positive future might be possible. As shot by London-based DP Koutaiba Al Janabi, the film is at once intimate and expansive, detailing the cycle of hard lives against an unrelenting, challenging but also bleakly beautiful landscape. And, with some of the performers coming from the very area depicted, it’s an authentic, compassionate and valuable expression of witness, memory and shared humanity.

(posted March 06,2002 / Last Revised January 19,2003)

Copyright ©1996 - 2003 Turkish Cinema Newsletter, Washington D.C.

152. PROFILE: VECDI SAYAR

2006-10-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

152. PROFILE: VECDI SAYAR

1950 yilinda Zonguldak'ta dogdu. Ilk ve orta ögretimini TED Ankara Koleji'nde tamamladi ve ODTÜ'ye girdi. 1972 yilinda Mimarlik Fakültesi'ndenmezun olduktan sonra, tiyatro alaninda ve basinda çalismaya basladi. 1972-82 yillari arasinda AST'tan, Istanbul Belediyesi Sehir Tiyatrolari'na
kadar pek çok tiyatroda sahne tasarimlari gerçeklestirdi. Ayni yillardan baslayarak çesitli gazete ve dergilerde tiyatro elestirmeni ve köse yazari, Iletisim yayinlari'nin çikardigi "Video Sinema" dergisinde yayin yönetmeni olarak çalisti. Ankara Çagdas sahne'nin ve Istanbul ªehir Tiyatrolari'nin kültürel etkinlikleri yöneticiligi, Ankara ve Istanbul Sinematek'lerinin yönetmenligini üstlendi.

1980'lerde Istanbul Kültür ve Sanat Vakfi'nin düzenledigi Sinema Günleri/Istanbul Uluslararasi Film Festivali'nin program yönetmeni olarak çalisti; Fransa Ingiltere , Italya, Ispanya, Hollanda, ABD ve Kanada gibi ülkelerde Türk Filmleri Festivalleri düzenledi, uluslararasi yayinlarda Türk sinemaesi üstüne yazilar yazdi. Türkiye'de çesitli filmlerde sanat yönetmeni olarak çalisti ve TRT-2'de "Iki Film Birden" adli sinema programini üç yil boyunca sürdürdü. "Expo'92 Dünya Fuari'nda" Türk Pavyonu'nun, 1996'da HABITAT II'nin Kültürel Etkinlikler Sorumlusu, 1978-79 ve 1992-94 arasi Kültür Bakani Müsaviri, 1996-98 arasi Paris Büyükelçiligi Kültür Müsaviri olarak görev yapti.

Türkiye Yazarlar Sendikasi, Tarih Vakfi, Sinema Yazarlari Dernegi üyesi olan Sayar, halen TÜRSAK Vakfi Yönetim Kurulu üyeligi ve Vakfin düzenledigi "Uluslararasi Sinema-Tarih Bulusmasi" ile "Uluslararasi Bodrum Çevre Filmleri Festivali'nin yönetmenligini yapiyor, Cumhuriyet Gazetesi'nde
"Kedi Gözü" kösesinde güncel sanat olaylari ve kültür politikasi üstüne yazilar yaziyor ve Bilgi Üniversitesi'nde ögretim görevlisi olarak çalisiyor.

(posted March 11,2003)

147-173 Archives

2006-10-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

173. EURIMAGES FUNDING FOR TURKISH PRODUCTIONS JULY 2002

Çamur by Dervis Zaimoglu (TR/CY)
EURIMAGES-Funding: 250 000 €
Co producers:MARATHON FILCILIK(TR) / ARTIMAGES(CY)

Le Finestre di Fronte by Ferzan Ozpetek (IT/TR)
EURIMAGES-Funding: 400 000 €
Co producers:R & C PRODUZIONI (IT) / CLAP PRODUCAO DE FILMES (PT) / A.F.S. FILM(TR)

Gönderilmemis mektuplar by Yusuf Kurçenli (TR)
EURIMAGES-Funding: 190 000 €
Co producers:FILM F FILMCILIK (TR) / TIVOLI-FILMPRODUCTIONS (HU)

Yazi Tura (Heads or Tails)Ugur Yucel (TR)
EURIMAGES-Funding:320 000 €
Co producers: CAN SANATSAL ETKINLIKLER LTD(TR) / CINEGRAM (GR)

Waiting for the Clouds by Yesim Ustaoglu (TR)
EURIMAGES-Funding: 350 000 €
Co-Producers:SILKROAD PRODUCTION(FR) / FLYING MOON FILMPRODUKTION (DE) / IDEEFIXE PRODUCTIONS (UK)

Zamansiz Ölüm by Ömer kavur (TR)
EURIMAGES-Funding:250 000 €
Co producers:ALFA FILM (TR) /OBJEKTIV FILMSTUDIO (HU)

172. MATRIX RELOADED BREAKS TURKISH BOX OFFICE RECORD

The Matrix Reloaded's debut was the largest in Turkish film history. It averaged an amazing $2,591 on just 136 prints (on 264 screens). It sold 456,112 tickets.

171. DISTANT/UZAK BY N. B. CEYLAN LANDS MORE DISTRIBUTION (MORE INFORMATION PENDING)

Turkish competition film Distant(Uzak) secured itself a US release with a sale to New Yorker Films, the specialist releasing operation that is now under new management.

New Yorker Films
16 West 61st Street New York, NY 10023
Phone: 212-247-6110 FAX: 212-307-7855

The italian rights for Distant are secured by Lady Film.

Lady Film - Claudia Bedogni
Tel 06 8840424 - 8842062 Fax: 06 8417043 - ladyfilm@ladyfilm.it
Via F.lli Ruspoli 8-00198 Roma

170. TURKISH BOX OFFICE

TURKISH BOX OFFICE 2003

Week	Top 20 Total	Change	#1 Picture (Turkish Films in Bold)
May 16-18	$ 1,990,524	+232%	The Matrix Reloaded
May 9-11	$ 600,061	-27%	X2
May 2-4	$ 827,583	+7%	X2
April 25-27	$ 776,745	-28%	O Simdi Asker
April 18-20	$ 1,081,090	+8%	O Simdi Asker
April 11-13	$ 999,773	-16%	O Simdi Asker
April 4-6	$ 1,183,262	-9%	O Simdi Asker
March 28-30	$ 1,302,059	+2%	O Simdi Asker
March 21-23	$ 1,279,272	+36%	O Simdi Asker
March 14-16	$ 942,393	-5%	O Simdi Asker
March 7-9	$ 987,341	-15%	The Ring
Feb 21-23	$ 807,644	-45%	Rus Gelin
Feb 14-16	$ 1,477,043	+54%	Rus Gelin
Feb 7-9	$ 956,614	-16%	Catch Me If You Can
Jan 31-Feb 2	$ 1,144,529	+14%	Catch Me If You Can
Jan 24-26	$ 1,005,105	+12%	Ghost Ship
Jan 17-19	$ 897,449	+11%	Die Another Day
Jan 10-12	$ 804,914	-1%	Analyze That
Jan 3-5	$ 812,325	-12%	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Feb 28-Mar 2	$ 1,167,061	+45%	The Ring
Dec 27-29	$ 919,343	-30.0%	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Dec 20-22	$ 1,312,417	+80.0%	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Dec 13-15	$ 729,150	-52.0%	Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Dec 6-8	$ 1,515,592	+44.0%	Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Nov 29-Dec 1	$ 1,051,532	+68.0%	Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Nov 22-24	$ 625,364	-22.0%	Red Dragon
Nov 15-17	$ 805,527	+3.0%	Red Dragon
Nov 8-10	$ 782,681	+70.0%	Road to Perdition
Nov 1-3	$ 420,211	-30.0%	Signs
Oct 25-27	$ 655,529	-26.0%	Signs
Oct 18-20	$ 880,701	+71%	Signs
Oct 11-13	$ 525,880	-20.0%	Minority Report
Oct 4-6	$ 657,631	-17.8%	Minority Report
Sept 27-29	$ 799,853	+38.2%	Minority Report
Sept 20-22	$ 578,860		XXX
Sept 6-8	$ 462,482	+5.0%	Unfaithful
Aug 30-Sept 1	$ 440,617	-8.3%	Blade II
Aug 23-25	$ 480,547	+14.7%	Blade II
Aug 16-18	$ 418,959	+39.6%	Stuart Little 2
Aug 9-11	$ 300,157	+2.5%	Long Time Dead
Aug 2-4	$ 292,834	-11.8%	Long Time Dead
July 26-28	$ 331,851	+32.0%	Men in Black II
July 19-21	$ 253,134	-4.6%	The Sweetest Thing
July 12-14	$ 265,405	-6.6%	Spider-Man
July 5-7	$ 284,064	+3.5%	Spider-Man
June 28-30	$ 274,409	-19.1%	Spider-Man
June 21-23	$ 339,111	-49.0%	Spider-Man
June 14-16	$ 664,643		Spider-Man
June 7-9	$ 262,726	-25.9%	Panic Room
May 31-June 2	$ 359,469		Panic Room

Source: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/turkey/

Provided by compiled by Tolga AKINCI: tolga.akinci@birfilm.com

169. DISTANT/UZAK REVIEW FILES (PENDING)

168. DISTANT/UZAK BY NURI BILGE CEYLAN WINS TWO AWARDS AT CANNES ( MORE INFO PENDING)

Nuri Bilge Ceylan's latest film 'Uzak' won the Grand Jury Prize at the 56th Cannes Film Festival. As well, its two main actors Muzaffer Ozdemir and Mehmet Emin Toprak jointly won the Best Actor Award, an honor that goes posthumously to Toprak, Ceylan's cousin, who died in a car accident the day after learning ''Uzak'' had been selected for Cannes.
He dedicated his prize to fellow Turkish director Yilmaz Guney who won the Palme in 1982. "He died in Paris," Ceylan said, "in suffering, never to see his country again."

121 Archives

2006-10-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

121. TURKISH FILMS OF 21th INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL 2002

TRIBUTE TO TUNC BASARAN

ONE AND THE OTHERS / BIRI VE DIGERLERI Directed by: Tunç Başaran Cast Aytaç Arman, Meral Oğuz, Sharon Sinclair Year and Country of Production Turkey, 1987 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 90’ Language Turkish / French s.t. | ’87 Antalya Special Jury Prize ’88 İstanbul Best Film

Synopsis: Just another person on just another day, sets off early in the morning. There’s something pursuing him, something that he wants but is afraid of, unaware that it can fill his life with beauty: His happiness. He pursues it not knowing that it’s right by his side. There’s a hevay rain. Barış gets refuge from the rain in a bar and starts to wait for an unknown woman and meets a beautiful woman he did not expect.

DON’T LET THEM SHOOT THE KITE / UÇURTMAYI VURMASINLAR Directed by: Tunç Başaran Cast Nur Sürer, Ozan Bilen, Rozet Hubeş Year and Country of Production Turkey, 1989 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 100’ Language Turkish / French s.t. |’90 İstanbul Best Film ’90 Antalya Best Film Best Screenplay ’90 Valencia Best Second Film ’90 Lion Grand Prix ’90 Berlin Best Film
Synopsis: Inci is a political prisoner, and five-year-old Barış is the son of a common prisoner. He grew up in prison as there’s no one to take care of him outside. He gets to know nature, the world outside and love through İnci. His outside world consists of the small piece of sky viewed from the courtyard. A kite he sees one morning in this tiny sky excites him, and freedom for Barış becomes “To fly a kite with İnci”.

PIANO PIANO KID / PİANO PİANO BACAKSIZ Directed by: Tunç Başaran Cast Rutkay Aziz, Serap Aksoy, Emin Sivas Year and Country of Production Turkey, 1991 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 85’ Language Turkish / English s.t. ’91 İstanbul Best Director
Synopsis: Little Kemal remembers an old Istanbul house in the 40s and happy people living in it, surrounded by warm affection, despite all the destitution and hunger. Could the ray of light falling on the well in the backyard change their lives like a magic? Would those who remember concepts which have now almost dissappeared like co-operation, relience, love and respect and say “It’s a bliss to live in a world of love?”

PLEASE DON'T GO / SEN DE GİTME TRİYANDİFİLİS Directed by: Tunç Başaran Cast Işık Yenersu, Fikret Hakan, Olivia Bonamy Year and Country of Production Turkey, 1996 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 107' Language Turkish / English s.t. | ’97 Antalya Best Second Film Best Director Best Actress (Işık Yenersu) ’97 Adana Best Film Best Director Best Actress (Işık Yenersu) ’97 Ankara Best Second Film ’97 İskenderiye Best Actress (Işık Yenersu) Antakya,
Synopsis: Turkey in the 1930’s. A wide spectrum of nationalities and religions. Mr Antoine of Greek origin lives in a big house and of all his children he loves his eldest daughter Triandafilis most. The lovely Triandafilis has the mind of a 10-year-old. Both Mr Antoine and the housekeeper Sultan are afraid that the girl will run away and get lost. Then Triandafilis spots Pierre of the French army and falls in love.

GRADUATE OF INSANITY / KAÇIKLIK DİPLOMASI Directed by: Tunç Başaran Cast Ayda Aksel, Selçuk Yöntem, Güler Ökten Year and Country of Production Turkey-France-Hungary, 1998 Technical Information 35 mm / Color / 101’ Language Turkish / English s.t.
Synopsis: Nur is the daughter of a right-wing member of parliament. In spite of her family’s affluence, she hasn’t had a happy childhood. Marrying her love, the charismatic student leader Murat, does not help much. Murat is lazy, irresponsible and their little boy is killed in a car accident in which he was driving. Nur is diagnosed as manic-depressive and is institutionalized. “Graduate Insanity” is based on a true story.

NÂZIM HİKMET IS 100 YEARS OLD

21st International Istanbul Film Festival will screen 3 documentaries to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of the great Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet within the section “Nazım Hikmet is 100-year-old”.

NÂZIM HİKMET DOCUMENTARY / NÂZIM HİKMET BELGESELİ Directed by: Can Dündar Cast - Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2002 Technical Information Betacam Video / Color / 90’ Language Turkish / English s.t.
Can Dündar, in this documentary the text of which he wrote as well, brings foreward the “years of yearning” Nazım Hikmet spent outside his country and his being a “poet of the world”. The film depiscts the years between his escape from Istanbul on June 17th. 1951 to his death on January 15th in Moscow. The original score is by Fazıl Say, the poems are recited by Genco Erkal. B 22 Mon. 19:00

BİR AŞK MASALI / MY LOVE MY SORROW Directed by: Ejder İbrahimov Cast Türkan Şoray, Yılmaz Duru, Faruk Peker Year and Country of Production Russia, 1978 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color Language -
Synopsis:Ferhat, a crafted engraver, takes over an important duty entrusted to him by Mehmene Banu, to come together with his love, the beautiful Shirin. First he should bear a hole in the mountains and bring water to the denizens. Ferhat, who pierces the mountains strengthened by his love, is finally rewarded. MY LOVE MY SORROW becomes more intense with the contribution of the Bolshoi Ballet. B 17 Wed. 21:30

NÂZIM HİKMET, CAMARADE POEM / NÂZIM HİKMET, CAMARADE POÈSIE Directed by: Lulu Menase Cast - Year and Country of Production France, 2000 Technical Information Betacam Video / Color / 46’ Language
Synopsis: Nazım Hikmet was born in 1902 at Salonique. In 1921 he engaged himself in the fight for the independence. A year later he left for Moscow to study economy and sociology. He came back to Istanbul in 1928 to work in the press and publish his first work. As from 1928, he was imprisoned twice and convicted to 35 years in 1938. After 13 years, he started a hunger-strike in prison. B 21 Sun. 21:30 / B 22 Mon. 16:00

NÂZIM HIKMET - DICHTER UND REVOLUTIONÄR / NÂZIM HIKMET - POET AND REVOLUTIONARY Directed by: Dieter Oeckl Cast - Year and Country of Production Germany, 1994 Technical Information Betacam Video / Color / 57’ Language German-Turkish-Russian; Turkish s.t.
Vera, Galina, Yasar Kemal, Abidin Dino, Ibrahim Balaban and Refik Erduran are among the names who participate in the interviews of this documentary on Nâzim Hikmet’s life, produced by the German television WDR / adorned with the poet’s works from his own voice and with music by Zülfü Livaneli.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

FATE Directed by: Zeki Demirkubuz Cast Serdar Orçin, Zeynep Tokuş, Engin Günaydın Year and Country of Production Turkey / 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 120' Language Turkish / Englisg s.t. 2001 Antalya Best Director Best Actor (Serdar Orçin) 2001 Ankara En İyi Kadın Oyuncu Best Actress (Zeynep Tokuş) Best Supporting Actor (Engin Günaydın)
Synopsis:The screenplay of FATE has been inspired by Albert Camus’ “Stranger”, which narrates the story of a bookkeeper who rejects to use his will. Musa who works in customs office and believes in the absurdity of life in general. But he doesn’t struggle to change this life. FATE, the first film of the “Tales About Darkness” trilogy, describes the story of a person who feels guilty without any reason. E 24 Wed. 16:00 » Programme » International Competition » FATE

TURKISH NATIONAL CINEMA

MARUF Directed by: Serdar Akar Cast Meltem Cumbul, Ruhi Sarı Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 105’ Language Turkish / English s.t.
Synopsis: Maruf is just a young man from Anatolia who’s in love and who wants to marry as soon as possible. Just because of wickedness, he is deemed responsible from the destroyal of his mother, his uncle, his uncle’s wife and the girl he loves. He suffers with them, even though he has not caused any of it. How do customs, fate, justice, law of nature work, and for whom? MARUF deals with all sorts of customs.

THE WATERFALL / ŞELLALE Directed by: Semir Aslanyürek Cast Hülya Koçyiğit, Tuncel Kurtiz, Aykut Oray Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 120’ Language Turkish / English s.t. ’99 Kodak-Antrakt Senaryo Yarismasi: En Iyi Senaryo 2002 SIYAD Ödülleri: En Iyi Görüntü Film
Synopsis:In 1960, just before the military intervention of May 27th, the Harbiye county of Antakya. Cemal’s father and uncle are in continuous struggle, as they are members of two different political parties. The two brothers divide the courtyard common to both their houses by building a high wall. On the other hand, there’s a dream narrating tradition in the town, as “dreams are only told to flowing water.”

CONFESSION / İTİRAF" Directed by: Zeki Demirkubuz Cast Taner Birsel, Başak Köklükaya Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 90’ Language Turkish / English s.t. 2001 Ankara Best Director Special Jury Prize
Synopsis: Harun, Nilgün and Taylan are friends. Taylan gets ill after he marries Nilgün, then shoots himself. Harun and Nilgün get married after of Taylan’s death. Seven years pass. Harun suddenly decides to return to their house in Ankara from Istanbul where he is on business. His is wife is not home, he thinks she’s betraying him. Now he has only one purpose: To have Nilgün to confess her betrayal.

WISH ME LUCK / BANA ŞANS DİLE" Directed by: Çağan Irmak Cast Deniz Uğur, Volkan Severcan, Nilgün Belgün Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 88’ Language Turkish / English s.t.
Synopsis: Introverted, noncommunicative, awkward high school student Bahadır decides to change the world when he wakes up one morning. That day he takes his class as hostage by intimidating them with the gun that he took with him while going to school. Bahadır forces them to narrate memories of what hurt them most. An action-thriller on inter-familial violence, lack of love and communiciation, and the wrong road taken.

"HEJAR / BÜYÜK ADAM KÜÇÜK AŞK" Directed by: Handan İpekçi Cast Şükran Güngör, Dilan Erçetin, Füsun Demirel Year and Country of Production Turkey-Greece-Hungary, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 120’ Language Turkish-Kurdish, English s.t. 2001 Antalya Best Film Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actress (Füsun Demirel) Best Supporting Actor (İsmail Hakkı Şen) Special Jury Award for the lead actress (Dilan Erçetin) 2001 Ankara Best Actor (Şükran Güngör) Best Supporting Actress (Füsun Demirel) Most Promising New Actress (Dilan Erçetin) 2002 Film Critics’ Association Best Actor (Şükran Güngör) Best Supporting Actress (Füsun Demirel) Best Supporting Actor (İsmail Hakkı Şen)
Synopsis: Mr. Rıfat, a retired judge of around 75, is getting ready to go and live in an old people’s home. Hejar is left by fellow-villager Abdülkadir at her uncle’s house as she’s lost all her relatives in a an operation on the village. Their paths cross in Istanbul. Hejar escapes a police raid through luck and enters Mr Rıfat’s house next door. Injured and in shock, the 5-year-old child is Kurdish and does not speak word of Turkish. A film in which ethnic difference loose their importance in the profoundss of human relations.

THE PHOTOGRAPH / FOTOĞRAF Directed by: Kazım Öz Cast Feyyaz Duman, Nazmi Kırık, Mizgin Kapazan Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 66’ Language Turkish-Kurdish, English s.t. 2001 Milano Best Film
Synopsis: Two youths, about to join the conflicting sides of a war, meet at a voyage. The road shared, the trace left by cigarettes and distress lives on as a song on the photograph where friendship turns into enmity, on a front of the intense war. PHOTOGRAPH is a film wanting to discuss the possibility of friendship, and the marks left in society by militarism, the reality of the dirty war, and unseen sufferings.

SUMMER LOVE / O DA BENİ SEVİYOR Directed by: Barış Pirhasan Cast Ece Ekşi, Lale Mansur, Luk Piyes Year and Country of Production Turkey-Hungary, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 102’ Language Turkish / English s.t. 2001 Antalya The Third Best Film (Behlül Dal: Special Award) Best Editing; Special Jury Prize (Ece Eksi) 2002 SIYAD Ödülleri: Umut Veren Kadin Oyuncu (Ece Eksi)
Synopsis:Summer of 1973, Malatya. Esma, in seventh grade, is exiled to the house of Kemal, her father’s army friend, due to the Fs in her report card. That day Kemal’s sister Saliha, who had ran off years ago with the man she loved, has returned home. Esma is happy. Saliha has been her favourite “aunt” since childhood, her role model. Esma feels an interest in young Hüseyin, a friend of the family, that she cannot name. INNOWHERELAND / HİÇBİRYERDE "

INNOWHERELAND / HİÇBİRYERDE Directed by: Tayfun Pirselimoğlu Cast Zuhal Olcay, Parkan Özturan, Meral Okay Year and Country of Production Turkey-Germany, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 90’ Language Turkish / English s.t. Şükran is a forty-year-old woman working at the booking office at the Haydarpaşa terminal station. Her only son Veysel works in a wire drawing workshop. Şükran, who has suffered greatly as her dead husband was mixed in political events, is trying to protect her son from such activities. But one day Veysel disappears, Şükran’s attempts at finding him are to no avail, and the authorities don’t help her.

MIRROR / AYNA Directed by: Hakan Şahin Cast Uğur Polat, Ljubo Bakic, Travis Vanhill Year and Country of Production Turkey-Hungary, 2002 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 80’ Language English-Turkish / English s.t.
Synopsis:A student still suffering the loss of his drowned brother as a child, has arrived in Canada a year ago for his master. However, his insufficient foreign language and financial difficulties drive him to look for a temporary job. On the recommendation of a friend, he finds a two-month job in Zaza, a small village 1,000 kms from the city. MIRROR is the story of a person confronting the fear of death.

9 Directed by: Ümit Ünal Cast Ali Poyrazoğlu, Cezmi Baskın, Serra Yılmaz Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2002 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 90’ Language Turkish / English s.t.
Synopsis: A poor neighborhood of Istanbul. A young, homeless girl is killed in a gory murder. Nobody knows where she comes from, although there are many rumors. Six people from the neighborhood are interrogated by the police and they tell us their biased versions of the history of the neighborhood, in addition to the story of the murder. 9 is a story about everyday fascism in the lives of ordinary people. 9 is the first Turkish film which has been shot and edited entirely in digital video and transferred to 35 mm.

WILDHEART – HELL OF BOOMERANG / DELİ YÜREK – BUMERANG CEHENNEMİ Directed by: Osman Sınav Cast Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, Melda Pekcan, Selçuk Yöntem Year and Country of Production Turkey, 2001 Technical Information 35 mm. / Color / 120’ Language Turkish / English s.t.
Synopsis: Yusuf Miroğlu, a veteran of southeastern unrest, travels to Diyarbakır for the wedding of his friend. Cemal welcomes Yusuf and his fiancé, Zeynep. This wedding is a symbol for the hope for peace, as it will bring together two families feeling enmity towards each other as a consequence of the unrest in the region. However, it’s not all past and Cemal is shot dead at his wedding day. » Programme » Out of Competition » WILDHEART – HELL OF BOOMERANG / DELİ YÜREK – BUMERANG CEHENNEMİ

(posted February 26,2002)

132-142 Archives

2006-09-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

142. MONTREAL FILM FESTIVAL TO SHOWCASE NOWHERELAND BY PIRSELIMOGLU AND HEJAR BY IPEKCI
Nowhereland is included in the Competitive Section of the Festival. Director Tayfun Pirselimoglu his producer Zeynep Ozbatur and Istanbul Film Festival Director Hulya Ucansu will be attending the Festival.
FESTIVAL DES FILMS DU MONDE DE MONTRÉAL /AUGUST 22- SEPTEMBER 2, 2002
CONTACT: 1432, rue de Bleury Montréal, Québec Canada, H3A 2J1
Tel: 514-848-3883 / Fax : 514-848-3886 / E-Mail : info@ffm-montreal.org
Serge Losique, President and General Director / Céline Montpetit, Assistant
Danièle Cauchard, Vice-president / Johanne Tremblay, Assistant
OFFICIAL COMPETITION 2002
HIÇBIRYERDE (AU PAYS DE NULLE PART) Turquie - Allemagne - 2001 / 35 mm / Color / 105 min Directed by: Tayfun Pirselimoglu
Sükran a perdu son mari d'origine kurde, persécuté par les autorités pour des raisons d'ordre politique. Depuis ce tragique événement, elle a élevé Veysel, son fils unique, à l'écart de toute activité politique. Et puis, un jour, Veysel, devenu adolescent, a disparu. Au début, Sükran ne peut se résoudre à croire que son fils a suivi les pas de son père. Mais très vite, elle s'aperçoit que la police représente beaucoup plus un obstacle à la recherche de Veysel qu'un véritable appui. Bien que tout semble indiquer le contraire, elle demeure convaincue que son fils est bien vivant. Elle décide de partir toute seule à sa recherche. Dans sa quête, elle commence par employer des méthodes légales, croyant que toute digression pourrait avoir de graves conséquences. Sükran se trouve maintenant à Mardin, au sud-est de la Turquie.

OTHER COMPETITION FILMS
PEAU D'ANGE France / 2002 / 35 mm /Color Directed by:Vincent Perez
VOINA (LA GUERRE) Russie / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 115 min / Directed by: Alexei Balabanov.
LA BALSA DE PIEDRA (LE RADEAU DE PIERRE) Pays-Bas - Espagne / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 117 min Directed by: George Sluizer.
IL CONSIGLIO D'EGITTO (LE CONSEIL D'ÉGYPTE) Italie - France - Hongrie / 2001 / 35 mm / Color / 134 min / Directed by: Emidio Greco.
SERAFIN SVJETIONICAREV SIN (SERAFIN, LE FILS DU GARDIEN DE PHARE) Croatie - Autriche / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 103 min / Directed by: Vicko Ruic.
IL PIÙ BEL GIORNO DELLA MIA VITA (LE PLUS BEAU JOUR DE MA VIE) Italie / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 102 min / Directed by: Cristina Comencini.
ISTGAH-E MATROUK (LA GARE ABANDONNÉE) Iran / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 100 min / Directed by: Alireza Raisian.
CASOMAI / Italie / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 114 min / Directed by: Alessandro D'Alatri.
MEIN ERSTES WUNDER (MON PREMIER MIRACLE) Allemagne / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 90 min / Directed by: Anne Wild.
I AM DINA (JE SUIS DINA) Norvège - Danemark - Suède - Allemagne – France / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 124 min / Directed by: Ole Bornedal.
INOCHI / Japon / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 111 min / Directed by: Tetsuo Shinohara.
UN HONNÊTE COMMERÇANT (UN HONNÊTE COMMERÇANT) Belgique – Luxembourg / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 93 min / Directed by: Philippe Blasband.
O DELFIM (LE DAUPHIN) Portugal-France / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 83 min / Directed by: Fernando Lopes.
SALOMÉ / Espagne / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 86 min / Directed by: Carlos Saura.EL ÚLTIMO TREN (LE DERNIER TRAIN) Uruguay - Espagne - Argentine / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 90 min / Réal. Diego Arsuaga
PARLEZ-MOI D'AMOUR / France / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 98 min / Réal. Sophie Marceau
BLUE CAR / États-Unis / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 96 min. / Réal.Karen Moncrieff
IGBY GOES DOWN / États-Unis / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 97 min/ Réal. Burr Steers
LA TURBULENCE DES FLUIDES / Canada – France / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 115 min / Réal./ Manon Briand
EL VIAJE DE CAROL (LE VOYAGE DE CAROL) Espagne / 2001 / 35 mm / Color / 120 min. / Réal. Imanol Uribe
HEAVENLY GRASSLAND / Chine / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 110 min / Directed by: Sai fu et Mai Lisi
VÄTER / Allemagne / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 102 min / Directed by: Dani Levy
LEAVING METROPOLIS / Canada / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 88 min / Réal. Brad Fraser
RAPSODIE CHILIENNE / Chili / 2002 / vidéo / Color / / Réal. Raul Ruiz
AM ANDEREN ENDE DER BRÜCKE (DE L'AUTRE CÔTÉ DU PONT) / Chine – Autriche / 2002 / 35 mm / Color / 100 min / Réal. Hu Mei

WORLD CINEMA:REFLECTION OF OUR TIMES / CINÉMA DU MONDE: REFLETS DE NOTRE TEMPS

"World Cinema: reflection of our times "is the section whichbrings together the greatest number of creations from all horizons. A panorama of the current film production, this section by itself is a true festival. It presents an eclectic selection of fiction and the documentary films presenting cultural and social realities of various parts of the world.

«Cinéma du monde : reflet de notre temps» est la section qui réunit le plus grand nombre d'œuvres de tous horizons. Panorama de la production actuelle, cette section est à elle seule un véritable festival. On y présente une sélection éclectique de films de fiction et de documentaires présentant des réalités culturelles et sociales de différentes parties du monde.

BÜYÜK ADAM KÜÇÜK ASK (HEJAR) Turquie - Grèce - Hongrie / 2001 / 35 mm / Couleur / 120 min / Réal. Handan Ipekçi
Les rapports difficiles entre un juge à la retraite Turc et une jeune enfant Kurde deviennent de plus en plus solidaires à mesure qu'ils apprennent à se connaître et à surmonter leurs différences ethniques. More...

141. FILM FESTHAMBURG 2002 TO OPEN WITH FATIH AKIN'S SOLINO More...

Filmfest Hamburg 2002 will take place from September 23rd – September 29th
Contact:Filmfest Hamburg GmbH Friedensallee 44 22765 Hamburg Germany | Fax .+49-40-3991900-10
Festival Directors: Josef Wutz wutz@filmfesthamburg.de | Jana Darmstadt: j.darmstadt@filmfesthamburg.de

140. VENICE TO SCREEN THIRST FOR REVENGE BY MEHMET OZCELIK
The 59. Venice Film Festival / 59th Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica to screen the short film by Mehmet Ozcelik
More...

139. THE IMPLIED MESSAGE OF ARARAT AND ITS INTENDED AUDIENCE
Armenian Studies Magazine / Ermeni Arastirmalari Dergisi / June 2002, Ankara by Prof. Dr. Nedret Kuran-Burçoglu
See Full Article
138. EIGHT NEW TURKISH FILMS
Variety reviews on 8 new Turkish films | Wish Me Love | Summer Love | Maruf | The Waterfall | 9 | The Photograph | Innowhereland | Away From Home See Articles from Variety

137. FERZAN OZPETEK TO SHOOT A NEW FILM
Following his 2001 Italian hit "Ignorant Fairies," director Ferzan Ozpetek will start shooting in August on"Le Finestre di fronte" (The Windows Opposite) for Rome-based R&C Produzioni, which was in Cannes negotiating international presales and co-production involvement.
Contact: R&C Produzioni Via del Commercio 32 00154 Roma Italy |Tel: 0039-6-57288 591 | Fax: 0039-6-5730 3328. See Article from Variety

136. " ARARAT" SCREENED IN CANNES 2002 \ OUT OF COMPETITION
See Todd McCarthy Variety Review - May 20, 2002
135. "CONFESSION" AND "DESTINY" BY ZEKI DEMIRKUBUZ IN CANNES 2002 \ UN CERTAIN REGARD
For the first time in Cannes Film Festival history, two features by one director have been selected and will screen in festival sidebar, Un Certain Regard. In 1986, Jane Campion's feature "Two Friends" screened in Un Certain Regard along with three of her shorts.Fest organizers added "Yazgy" (Fate), a film by Turkish director Zeki Demirkubuz to the lineup, which already included his "Itiraf" (Confession), after both films won Fipresci awards at the Istanbul Film Festival April 28. Demirkubuz also copped the Istanbul fest's director of the year award in the Turkish section.
"Demirkubuz was thrilled," Sera Films head of sales Arzu Bolukbasi told Daily Variety. "He loved ("Fate"), which is part of a trilogy." Sera will sell international rights to the films at Cannes, and the two pics will screen May 24.The 35-year-old helmer shot "Fate," which was inspired by Albert Camus's "The Stranger," and "Confession," a tale of marital infidelity, back to back. The third flick in the trilogy will be adapted from "Crime and Punishment."
Cannes Festival Screening: Friday 24, 2002 11:00 CONFESSION | 16:30 YAZGI

Cannes Sales | Sera Film Services : Ms. Arzu Bolukbasi, General Yazgan Sokak, Mehtibey Apt. 10/15 80050, Tünel-Beyoglu Istanbul Turkey
T:+90 212 292 76 93 / +90 212 292 76 94 |F: +90 212 292 36 11

134. ARARAT TO SCREEN OUT OF COMPETION IN CANNES 2002
133. AWARDS ANNOUNCED| ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
132. IN MEMORIAM| ORHAN ELMAS, DIRECTOR (1927- 2002)
Orhan ELMAS: Born in Istanbul. Former journalist and stage actor. Entered the movies as an actor (1945) then moved to screen-writing and directed his first feature in 1957. Selected filmography: Kanli Firar / Bloody Escape (1960), Bos Besik / The Empty Cradle (1969), Ezo Gelin / Ezo, the Bride (1973), Metres / Mistress (1983), Kayip Kizlar / Lost Girls (1984).

Turkish Portal

144. MONTREAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREENS HOME BY GREEK-TURKISH FILMMAKER PHYLLIS KATRAPANI

2006-09-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

144. MONTREAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREENS HOME BY GREEK-TURKISH FILMMAKER PHYLLIS KATRAPANI
Home Panorama Canada /2002 / 35 mm / Colour / 70 minDirected and Written by : Phyllis Katrapani; Cinematography by:Michel Lamothe, Phyllis Katrapani
Edited by : Louise Dugal; Cast : François Papineau, Jacinthe Laguë, Atanas Katrapani
Mixing fiction and documentary, this film offers a poetic and philosophical reflection on the notion of "hme" in our imagination. What exactly is a "home", that unspoiled paradise, that land of eternal childhood, that land of a bygone time? How can we find the "home" that belongs only to "us"? Fictional documentary, documented fiction, real or imagined country -- various characters journey back into memory and encounter one another through words. Faces of six men and six women who recount their personal stories to the camera, individual voices telling a unique, scarcely invented story, describing a single country, with a single name, but with widely different meanings.
Phyllis Katrapani
Born in Montreal in 1967 to a Turkish mother and a Greek father, Phyllis Katrapani graduated from the University du Québec à Montréal with a B.A. in communications and studied at FAMU, the Prague film school, where she directed her first film, Zatisi (Still Life), in 1992. Three years later she founded her own production company Ile blanche and produced and directed Ithaka (1997), which was shown at several international festivals. HOME is her first feature.
Ithaque / Ithaka
Phyllis Katrapani, Québec 1997 35mn en français
Ithaque, an allegory on the voyage inspired by the poem Ithaque de Constantin Cavafie (Alexandria 1863. Athens 1933). This poem, known as in voice off, evokes the return d.Ulysse towards its native island and conveys l.idée in the voyage, this n.est not so much the destination which imports, but the voyage itself and this qu.il offers like experiment. The poet invites Ulysses to delay the return. A man makes the long voyage by train. In the pane of its compartment, the landscapes ravel like different moment from its life, without chronology. Dream and reality merge, the voyage d.Ulysse and its own physical and interior voyage. In counterpoint, the inexorable movement towards l.avant and the certainty which each day qu.il cross-piece will n.aura more place.

Ithaque, une allégorie sur le voyage inspirée du poème Ithaque de Constantin Cavafie (Alexandrie 1863 - Athènes 1933). Ce poème, dit en voix off, évoque le retour d'Ulysse vers son île natale et véhicule l'idée dans le voyage, ce n'est pas tant la destination qui importe, mais le voyage lui-même et ce qu'il offre comme expérience. Le poète invite Ulysse à retarder le retour.
Un homme fait le long voyage en train. Dans la vitre de son compartiment, les paysages défilent ainsi que différents moment de sa vie, sans chronologie. Rêve et réalité se confondent, le voyage d'Ulysse et son propre voyage physique et intérieur. En contrepoint, le mouvement inexorable vers l'avant et la certitude que chaque jour qu'il traverse n'aura plus lieu.

Entretien avec Phyllis Katrapani
ITHAQUE
par Julien Belleteste
C'est en 1994 que Phyllis Katrapani, forte d'un premier court métrage de 7 minutes réalisé à Prague dans le cadre d'un stage à l'école de cinéma FAMU, décide de mettre en oeuvre Ithaque, un moyen-métrage en noir et blanc d'une très grande sensibilité inspiré d'un poème grec du début du siècle. Bachelière en communication à l'UQAM (profil cinéma) c'était avant tout la direction photo qui l'intéressait jusqu'au jour où...
Julien Belleteste: Pourquoi Ithaque et qu'est-ce que c'est ?
Phyllis Katrapani: A l'origine, Ithaque c'est l'île natale d'Ulysse, île qu'il a mis 15 années à rejoindre après la guerre de Troie, faisant face à toute une série d'obstacles. J'avais en tête un film où un personnage fait une action continue, soit marche ou soit se rende d'un point A à Z et, durant ce voyage, différentes images de sa vie referaient surface, comme le voyage intérieur de quelqu'un qui se retourne sur sa vie. Aussi, mon père m'avait recopié le poème Ithaque de Constantin Cavafy, poète grec né à Alexandrie en Égypte. Ce poème a été écrit en 1911 et évoque le retour d'Ulysse sur son île natale et le poème est à la deuxième personne du singulier sur un ton assez impératif. Il dit à Ulysse et sous-entendu à chacun de nous, que lorsqu'on repart pour Ithaque, de souhaiter que la route soit longue et de profiter au maximum des différentes expériences et des choses qui se présentent à nous. Et, les démons et les monstres que l'on rencontrera sur notre passage, on les verra seulement si on les porte en nous, thème universel. C'est un poème que mon père aime beaucoup et qu'il m'avait fait partager. Alors je me suis inspiré de ce poème pour faire le film. J'ai choisi le train, car il implique une progression ; la fenêtre du train permettant de faire une association avec les images qui défilent. Au début le film devait être muet, le poème étant une inspiration pour moi. Plus tard, puisque le projet s'est échelonné sur plusieurs années, j'ai décidé de mettre le poème en trame sonore pour accompagner ce personnage dans son voyage physique et intérieur.
J.B.: Comment ton père est venu s'intégrer dans le projet ?
P.K.: Au début, je lui parlais beaucoup de cette idée de film et c'est un peu avec lui qu'on a décidé que le personnage principal soit dans un train plutôt que d'être en train de marcher. Pourtant, je ne savais pas que cela allait être lui (mon père) qui jouerait dans le film, mais peu à peu cela c'est... peut-être parce que le poème je le connaissais par lui... cela s'est imposé tout seul. Et puis je savais qu'il aimait jouer, il faisait des tragédies grecques à Loyola (Université Concordia), il était dans une troupe de théâtre pendant qu'il étudiait. Il aimait le jeu et aussi l'idée de faire le voyage en train ; on a traversé l'Europe, nous nous sommes rendus à Athènes ensemble et on a tourné juste nous deux, avec une Bolex et un trépied. Cela nous a beaucoup rapproché. Même si à l'époque l'idée de l'utiliser comme personnage central ne m'avait pas effleurée l'esprit, c'est devenu comme évident, sa physionomie étant très classique, presque grec ancien.
J.B.: Quand-est-ce que tu as commencé le tournage de ce film ?
P.K.: Les premières images ont été faites vers le début 1994.
J.B.: Ton financement ?
P.K.: Une bourse Exploration au CAC ensuite l'aide ACIC de l'ONF, ensuite une bourse en production au CAC et enfin le CALQ et la SODEC.
J.B.: Est-ce que ce film ressemble à ce que tu veux faire en cinéma et sais-tu à quoi ressemblera ton prochain projet ?
P.K.: J'ai déjà en tête un projet qui est à un état embryonnaire qui ressemblera au film précédent (Ithaque), car c'est définitivement ce langage que je pense développer, c'est à dire un cinéma peu narratif par les mots. Même si ici il y a le poème de Cavafy, on l'associe vraiment avec le personnage, à la limite cela pourrait être dans sa tête quand il est dans le train, mais ce n'est pas un poème qui illustre ce qui se passe dans le film, c'est à un autre niveau et c'est cet aspect là du cinéma qui m'intéresse. C'est de vraiment réussir à raconter des choses par des images, des associations d'images, tout ce langage poétique... je ne suis pas très intéressée par la parole, par la littérature au cinéma. Je trouve que l'on a assez de littérature pour ne pas être obligé d'illustrer toujours des livres ou bien de supporter par des images des choses très narratives, très claires... j'aime bien quand le spectateur est un peu plus actif quand lui peut faire ses associations, ses liens et quand l'expérience est plutôt émotive, sensuelle plutôt que cérébrale. Qu'on se demande pourquoi il (le personnage) fait ça, est-ce que c'est vraiment ça qu'il vit, est-ce que c'est dans sa tête, est-ce-qu'il a déjà vécu ça ? A la limite ce n'est pas important.
J.B.: Donc, tu as plus une démarche artistique que narrative ?
P.K.: Ce film a pris du temps à faire et j'avais une liberté totale, c'est moi qui ai tourné les images pour la plupart, et qui ai monté le film et cela a aussi pris du temps car il fallait que je travaille afin de pouvoir réussir à vivre, ce qui repoussait mon travail sur le film. Je trouvais que mon travail, pour ce film, ressemblait beaucoup plus aux arts plastiques qu'au cinéma comme tel... beaucoup de solitude face au médium, toujours en train de retrancher, rajouter, avec le temps que cela nécessite, cela ne s'est pas fait dans des conditions nécessairement rapide avec une structure clairement établie. D'ailleurs cela m'a pris beaucoup de temps de trouver la structure parce que je luttais les premiers mois de montage. Pour moi, il était clair que le tronc (du scénario), c'était l'homme qui voyage en train et les branches étaient les images inspirées de sa vie, du poème et de l'Odyssée (d'Homère)... il y a quelques allusions à l'Odyssée, comme les cochons...
J.B.: Est-ce que ce film est une de tes premières expériences artistiques, ou as-tu touché à d'autres domaines comme les arts plastiques ainsi que tu l'évoquais plus tôt ?
P.K.: Je n'ai pas touché à d'autres domaines dans les arts à part la photo qui est étroitement liée ; tu tournes les images du film et forcément les tics du photographe ressortent, cette façon de s'arrêter sur les choses, de les laisser bouger dans le cadre plutôt que d'être en train de bouger et de chercher ailleurs ce que l'on a devant soi. Cette façon de regarder vient de la photo, j'ai toujours été attirée par l'image, image qui pourrait raconter des choses sans avoir besoin de légende.
J.B.: Je suppose que c'est un goût qui se retrouve dans tes goûts personnels au cinéma ?
P.K.: Je suis attirée par les films où l'image est presque un personnage et je trouve que ce langage n'est pas assez exploité. Il y a des très bon cinéastes qui développent cette idée et c'est le genre de cinéastes dont j'aime le travail et qui malheureusement sont trop rares. Par contre, je peux aussi aimer les choses tout à l'inverse de ce que j'ai envie de faire, les films très verbomoteurs, du très très bon dialogue, mais je vais quand même avoir tendance à aimer les films très intimistes, les environnements à huis clos, je ne suis pas du genre à aimer les grandes épopées, j'aime les choses beaucoup plus contemplatives comme les premiers films d'Antonioni et les films d'Angelopoulos.
J.B.: Quelle a été l'implication de MAIN FILM dans ce projet ?
P.K.: Au départ je pensais utiliser l'équipement de MF et puis finalement je suis partie avec mon équipement et c'est surtout au niveau des dernières étapes que MF a été impliqué et particulièrement au niveau du montage sonore. Je n'avais pas de son synchro à part une scène qui avait été tournée avec une autre caméra (scène que je n'ai même pas utilisée). Esther Auger allait faire le montage sonore et elle n'était plus tellement intéressée à monter sur une Steenbeck, et j'étais au courant du nouvel équipement de montage sonore numérique de MF. On y a donc travaillé pendant 5 semaines au début de l'année, et l'équipement m'a permis d'essayer beaucoup de combinaisons et d'être en mesure de les entendre instantanément.
J.B.: Comment as-tu intégré le poème sur lequel tu t'es basée, est-ce ton père qui fait la narration dans le film ?
P.K.: Au début je n'étais pas sûre d'utiliser le poème en grec et sous-titrer le film, ou bien enregistrer la voix qui dit la traduction en français et éventuellement en anglais. Au moment de l'enregistrement on a fait les trois versions (grec, anglais et français) et suite au premier montage, j'ai décidé que c'était mieux d'avoir le texte en grec. Il n'y avait que le texte en grec sans sous-titre et les quelques personnes qui ont vu le film ont dit que même si elles ne comprenaient pas ce que le texte disait, la sonorité, la voix étaient très musicales et le fait que cela soit une langue que l'on connaît moins allait aussi avec les images. Mais moi c'était plus parce que j'avais envie de garder le texte original, la traduction ne rendant pas toujours le résultat escompté. Et finalement c'est ça, mon père a fait la narration en grec et j'ai fait sous-titré le film en français et en anglais. Le poème n'est pas très long, a peu près six paragraphes et il est presque dit en entier au début du film et ensuite certains passages sont repris. Je suis finalement très contente de ce choix, surtout avec la musique, les deux se mariant très bien.
J.B.: Pourra-t-on voir ton film bientôt ?
P.K.: Pour l'instant on n'a rien décidé quant à une sortie, une chose est sûre c'est que le film sera vu la première fois au Festival des films du monde. J'ai aussi envoyé le film en Grèce dans un festival de courts métrages à Drama près de Salonique qui a lieu fin septembre, j'aimerais beaucoup que le film soit montré en Grèce. Je l'envoie aussi à Mannhein en Allemagne, éventuellement faire une petite sortie ici à Montréal pendant quelque jours, probablement à l'automne, et le proposer à la télévision. C'est dur de savoir quelle réception il va avoir.
J.B.: Ton prochain projet ?
P.K.: Je voudrais commencer à écrire quelque chose dans les semaines qui suivent, j'aimerais faire quelque chose de court, vraiment court. Pas un court de 35 minutes, mais un court de 10 minutes. Je ne suis pas encore sûre, ce n'est même pas une idée
mais plus un sentiment, je sais ce que j'ai envie d'illustrer, maintenant...

(posted September 01,2002)

Copyright ©1996 - 2002 Turkish Cinema Newsletter, Washington D.C. / Powered by Nerede? Turkish Portal

HEJAR FILES (English / German / Turkish)

2006-09-13T00:17:00.000-07:00

HEJAR FILES (English / German / Turkish)
Hejar Files and links are provided as a resource without editing and commentary.

Links: The Guardian Article

Hejar / Büyük Adam Küçük Ask (2001) 120 min. Turkish-Greek-Hungarian Co-Production Directed and Written by: Handan Ipekçi; Handan Ipekçi; Cinematography by: Erdal Kahraman.Art directed by:M. Ziya Ülkenciler,Natali Yeres Cast: Sükran Güngör (Rifat), Dilan Erçetin (Hejar), Füsun Demirel (Sakine), Yildiz Kenter(Müzeyyen), Ismail Hakki Sen (Evdo). Produced by:Yeni Yapim Film ve Reklamcilik Org. San. Tic. Ltd. Sti., Hyperion S.A.,Focus Film Ltd.; Release Date: Oct 19 2001 Turkey
Originally funded by Eurimages as "Cumhur Bey", the story is set between a retired and lonely judge (Güngör) preparing himself for a move to a retirement home and a 5 years old Kurdish girl Hejar (Erçetin) who lost all her family members during an operation. Their roads cross in Istanbul and they experience language barriers and initial mistrust. . First they have to learn each others language and than develop a friendship.

Monsieur Rifat, un juge à la retraite d'environ 75 ans, est prêt à aller vivre dans une maison pour personnes âgées. Ayant perdu sa famille au cours d'une opération militaire, Hejar, une jeune villageoise, est conduite par Abdülkadir, un habitant du même village, chez son oncle. Les chemins de Rifat et de Hejar se croisent à Istanbul. Mais la police fait une rafle dans la nouvelle maison de Hejar. Par miracle, la petite survit en se cachant dans l'armoire de la salle à manger. Sakine, la femme de ménage de Rifat, est en train de placer le sac d'ordures à l'entrée de l'appartement lorsqu'elle voit Hejar sortir de chez elle couverte de sang. Prise de panique, Sakine s'aperçoit quelques instants plus tard que Rifat est avec elle. Hejar est dans un tel état de choc que le vieil homme renonce à la livrer à la police. Il constate que la petite ne parle pas le turc. Elle est kurde. Il apprendra aussi que Sakine, sa femme de ménage depuis dix ans, en qui il a toujours eu confiance, est également kurde. À partir de ce moment, il défend à toutes les deux de parler leur langue. Mais à mesure que le temps passe, les rapports entre le vieil homme et la jeune fille deviennent plus solides. Chacun apprendra les rudiments de la langue de l'autre. Jusqu'au jour où une voisine de Rifat, du même âge et secrètement amoureuse de lui, pique une crise de jalousie et dénonce la petite à la police...
Biography
Born 1956 in Ankara she studied Broadcasting at Gazi Üniversity (Basin Yayin Yüksek Okulu Radyo Televizyon Yüksek Okulu),

Ipekci had her first experience of directing in 1993, when she made the documentary Kemencenin Turkusu' ('Song of the Kemence') scripted by the poet Yasar Mirac The following year, in 1994, she shot her first feature 'Babam Askerde' ('My Father's In The Military) which examined the 1980 military coup from the perspective of children. Unable to find a commercial distributor, lpekci took on the task herself and even then managed to score some 10,000 admissions. In her latest feature Buyuk Adam Kucuk Ask- ('Hejar') feature once more takes up the themes of children and politics. With her choice of subject matter, the actors she works with and the style she has developed, Handan has has created her own breed of cinema - and one that is free of commercial concerns.

Après des études dans le domaine de la radio et de la télévision à la faculté de journalisme de l'Université Gazi, Handan Ipekçi tourne le documentaire Song of the Kemence (1993), suivi, un an plus tard, de DAD IS IN THE ARMY, son premier long métrage. Ses films, incluant HEJAR, ont obtenu de nombreuses récompenses cinématographiques en Turquie.

Filmography

1993 Song of the Kemence (Kemencenin Turkusu) Documentary

1994 Babam Askerde (Dad is in the Army) 86 min Feature Written by: Handan Ipekçi;Cinematography by: T. Firat Senol;Set Design by: Ayse Akillioglu Editing by: Nevzat Disiaçik; Music by: A. Sinan Hatipoglu; Cast:Yunus Gencer,Gülnihal Yazici,Ali Sürmeli,Ceylan Öcal, Füsun Demirel, Mehmet Atak, Yasemin Alkaya .
Berlin Film Festival

Screened in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, 1995 (Vater ist beim Militär)

2001 Hejar / Buyuk Adam Kucuk Ask (Great Man Little Love) 120 min. Feature

Awards

7th Ankara International Film Festival, 1995 Most Promising Director / Most Promising New Screenwriter,
Film Critics' Association, 1995 Best Screenplay / Best Supporting Actress,
'Accomplishment Award'of the Turkish Ministry at Culture, 1995
38th Antalya Film Festival, 2001 Best Film/ Best Screenplay/ Best Supporting Actress/ Best Supporting Actor Special Jury Award for the lead actress
13th Ankara Film Festival, 2001 Best Actor/ Best Supporting Actress/ Most Promising New Actress/
Film Critics' Association, 2002 Best Actor/ Best Supporting Actor/ Best Supporting Actress
Turkey's Best Foreign Film nominee for the 2002 Oscar Awards

WINNER OF BEST FILM AWARD OF 38th GOLDEN ORANGE FILM FESTIVAL "HEJAR/ BUYUK ADAM KUCUK ASK" IS OSCAR BOUND

Big Man Small Love /Büyük Adam Küçük Ask a Turkish-Greek-Hungarian Co-Production, directed by Handan Ipekçi was recently nominated by a unanimous decision to represent Turkey at the Academy Awards (Oscars) by:
Kadri Yurdatap, Union of Professional Owners of Cinema Works/ Sinema Eseri Sahipleri Meslek Birligi (SESAM);
Atilla Dorsay, The Association of Film Critics/Sinema Yazarlari Dernegi(SIYAD);
Biket Ilhan Belgin, Film Directors' Association/Film Yönetmenleri Dernegi (FILMYÖNDER);
Reis Çelik, Association of Film Producers/Film Yapimcilari Dernegi (FIYAP);
Selda Alkor, Cinema Actors' Association/Sinema Oyunculari Dernegi (SODER);
Kutay Köktürk, Cinema Actors' Association/Çagdas Sinema Oyunculari Dernegi (ÇASOD) -and-
Ahmet Servidal, Progressive Cinema Workers' Union / SINESEN

Academy President Frank Pierson announced that fifty-one countries have submitted films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Academy Award® consideration as Best Foreign Language Film of 2001, It is the largest number of films ever entered in the competition, besting last year's record by five films.Films from Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania and Uruguay qualified this year for the first time.

See...the list of the Foreign Language Films

(February 12, 2002 / Hejar did not make the final nomination list.)

Turkey funds award-winning film... then bans it
Jonny Dymond in Istanbul / Tuesday March 5, 2002 / The Guardian

The Turkish ministry of culture has banned a film it partly funded, and which had been Turkey's hope to pick up an Oscar for best foreign film. Buyuk Adam, Kucuk Ask (Big Man, Small Love) has won a number of awards. But it has now been banned on the grounds that it highlights Kurdish nationalism and portrays the Turkish police in a poor light.

At the film's heart is the relationship between a nationalist, authoritarian judge and a five-year-old Kurdish orphan. The judge, who is the girl's neighbour, takes her in following a botched raid on her home by police who kill her guardian while looking for two Kurdish rebels hiding in the house.

Through their relationship the film explores the difficulties Turkey has living with its Kurdish minority of 12 million.

For 15 years in the 1980s and 1990s Turkey fought a bloody civil war in the south-east of the country with the Kurds. A ceasefire is in operation, but the Turkish state refuses to allow Kurds to broadcast in their own language or to educate their children in Kurdish.

The Turkish culture ministry partly funded the film with a grant of £20,000, and Turkey had put it forward as its candidate for the best foreign film in the Academy awards - although it was not selected.

The ministry said police had asked for the revocation of the film's licence because the film promoted a "chauvinistic" approach towards Kurdish iden tity and created the impression that police carried out extra-judicial killings.

Attila Dorsay, head of the Turkish film critics association, said: "The whole world will know that Turkey, which is trying to be a democratic country, has come down on this little film."

The Guardian Useful link Turkish Cinema Newsletter

Director slams Turkish film ban By the BBC's Johnny Dymond in Istanbul Wednesday, 6 March, 2002, 15:35 GMT

The director of a film banned by the Turkish government has condemned what she called a "prohibitive attitude against art" and called the decision to ban her film "unjust". The ban looks like a spectacular own goal: Handan Ipekci's Big Man, Small Love was partly funded by the Turkish Culture Ministry and was Turkey's official nomination for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. It has also been released outside Turkey under the title Hejar. The film was ordered to be withdrawn from Turkish cinemas on Sunday. Big Man, Small Love tells the story of how a five-year-old Kurdish girl is taken in by a retired Turkish judge when a police raid on her home goes wrong, killing her guardian. She speaks no Turkish, and he speaks no Kurdish. Their evolving relationship is a metaphor for the relationship that Turkey has with its 12 million strong Kurdish community. Turkey fought a 15-year civil war over Kurdish autonomy in the 1980's and 1990's, during which between 30,000 and 40,000 were killed as Kurdish paramilitaries clashed with Turkish security forces.

Handan Ipekci: Decision "unjust"

The Turkish government still refuses to grant Kurds the right to broadcast or teach in their own language. Big Man, Small Love has been on general release for six months and more than 100,000 people have seen it in Turkey. But it was banned on Sunday because it portrayed the police in a poor light and because it is "chauvinistic" about Kurdish nationalism. At the beginning of the film the police are shown carrying out a cold-blooded killing. The police complained about the scene. The film has won a string of awards in Turkey, including some of the country's most prestigious prizes.

'Ethnic differences'
It was named as Turkey's candidate for an Oscar nomination, although it wasn't selected for the final shortlist. Handan Ipekci, the film's director, said on Wednesday that the film "underlines the fact that people can live together on this land despite all ethnic differences". She was careful not attack Turkey's culture minister, who is sympathetic to the creative community. But she did say that had he seen the film, then "he'd not be in a position to support this prohibitive mentality". Fusun Demirel, the lead actress in the film, was more damning. She asked: "How can a work of art harm society, provoke crime or encourage separatism? "What kind of a system is this that does not let its artists open their eyes?"

Harm
Attila Dorsay, the head of the Turkish Film Critics Association said he was surprised by the ban, given that so few films had been banned for political reasons over the past ten years, even when the war with Kurds was at it's most difficult.

The ban could only harm Turkey, he said. "From now on it will be an international matter - the whole world will know that Turkey, which is trying to be a democratic country, has come down on this little film." The committee which decides whether or not art should be censored in Turkey has seven members - three drawn from the artistic community and four from the government. At the news conference - which doubled as an open meeting of Istanbul's creative community - one committee member announced that she was resigning - and said that another colleague of hers was also going to resign.
Interview with the director of "Buyuk Adam Kucuk Ask" Handan Ipekci "In spite of differences we described our dream of living together in peace like brothers."
Mustafa Ustun (Turkish Daily News)

At the 38th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Handan Ipekci's "Buyuk Adam Kucuk Ask" (Big Man, Small Love) film took the best film, best scenario, best supporting actress, and best supporting male prizes, and also the jury special award for the small actress Dilan Ercetin.

Handan Ipekci who described the pains in the aftermath of September 12 coupe with her first film "Babam Askerde" from a child's eye, reflected her views about the "love or leave it" period in the 90's Turkey again from a child's eye with her second film "Buyuk Adam Kucuk Ask". The film is about a 5 year old girl, Hejar (Dilan Ercetin), who doesn't know any language other than Kurdish and lost all her family during an attack to their village. Hejar is later brought to the house of one of her family's friend in the city and luckily survives from an attack made on the house while the rest of the people in the house die. Hejar who is left with no one, calls for help from the neighbour, a retired judge Mr. Rifat (Sukran Gungor) and starts to live with him. Life of Mr. Rifat who is waiting for death, living alone and making preparations to live in an old peoples home, changes with this compulsory guest. The period which shows how Mr. Rifat doesn't let the small girl to talk Kurdish in the house but later starts to learn his small friend's language is told in the film. The film presents the dream of people who want to live in peace as brothers in the same country.

IPEKCI: We held an interview with Handan Ipekci who is the scenarist, producer and director of this beautiful film.

TDN: First of all what made you write a scenario like this ?

IPEKCI: In spite of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, the situation in Turkey was very saddening. There was the Susurluk Scandal on one hand, and on the other people were killing each other in the East and Southeastern Anatolia. These forced me to write a scenario like this.

TDN: How do you explain the being of your film on the problem of language? Do you believe that all the problems of the period belong to language?

IPEKCI: If a language can't be destroyed through the years, I believe that this is an important clue. Turkish never died although the Ottoman rulers were using Arabic and Persian , and Kurdish is still a live language today like Turkish. Millions of people use Kurdish. As those people use Kurdish to represent themselves and show their identities with it, Kurdish is an important factor in this film.

TDN: I guess this is the first film about native language problems in Turkey. What you mean here is not the same with the film "Fotograf" which concentrates on the production language.

IPEKCI: Yes, it is the first example.

TDN: Seven out of 11 films which attended the 38th Golden Orange Film Festival take place in the East or Southeast Anatolian region or are related to that geography. I thought that making films about these regions is more interesting and brings more money to the producers. Am I right?

IPEKCI: Cinema is a commercial sector. When you produce a film you create an art work, but you receive the money which you've spent. If the money doesn't come in you'll have difficulties in making a new film. I am talking as a producer not as a director. So, you may be right. If Turkey has suffered those problems, I believe that those should be shown to the audience. Some of the films will be honest, some of them will be for just earning money, but the audience knows the truth. This is important.

TDN: The audience understands it by feeling it. Most of the people who watched your film couldn't help crying.

IPEKCI: Actually I didn't produced that film to make people cry. I wrote it by feeling it, it is directly reflected to the audience.

TDN: What kind of a duty does your film carry in uniting people who differ in language and culture?

IPEKCI: If after watching the film people will start to think that they may live together in peace, this will be important for me. When writing the film that was what I thought. If my view can be understood by the audience this means I've achieved my aim. There will be people who won't like the film and react. I presented the film to people who are nearly at the point of hate against each other. How many people will watch the film, will it achieve its aims or would it mean anything to people? Time will give the answers to those questions.

TDN: What should be done to create the living conditions with people different from us? Or do all of us have to wait for a "Hejar" in front of our doors?

IPEKCI: I -- as a director -- brought Hejar to your doors. You saw her, the audience will also see her. All I can do is that. We saw that neither saying "Love it or leave it" nor taking the weapons and going to the mountains is the solution. So we should discuss what can we do for living in peace, how can we understand each other and think about it.

TDN: Is the reason for your meeting Hejar with Mr. Rifat to give political messages by using emotional relations?

IPEKCI: Actually this seems easy but it is not in reality. When you make a political film it is hard to make it basic. You are trying to say something without using the slogans. But you try to do it by using daily relations. Of course the child makes everything easier but also makes it a little harder in my opinion.

TDN: What does the "Kucuk Ask" (Small Love) reflect in the name of the film?

IPEKCI: Here I wanted the name of the film a bit attractive. This is our aim. I both explained the film in its name and also wanted it to be attractive. Small love presents the relation between Hejar and Mr. Rifat.

TDN: After watching the film I thought that if we take the parts which show the relation between Mr.Rifat and his neighbour Mrs. Muzeyyen, the film wouldn't loose anything.

IPEKCI: It is an ornament. The film takes place in the city, it shows how lonely people are. Mr. Rifat is alone, he is planning to live in an old peoples home and is waiting for his death. I wanted to reflect the loneliness of Mr. Rifat while showing his relation with Mrs. Muzeyyen. But of course, the film wouldn't lose anything without her.

TDN: Dilan Ercetin is very successful in her first experience in acting. Sukran Gungor and her were a very harmonized couple.

IPEKCI: I warned Sukran Gungor in the beginning; there will be a child in front of you and 90 percent of the scenes will be shot with her. Children act naturally, they don't exaggerate. Gungor also had to play naturally. Because of being a professional actor he quickly concentrated, but he had a hard job, he showed great patience. In this way it was a hard production, when you say "action!" the child leaves you suddenly by saying "I'm going, I have stomachache, I am bored etc....." It is hard to motivate the children.

TDN: Is it an advantage you being a mother also in motivating and directing child actors?

IPEKCI: In my first film my being of a mother helped me a lot because one of the stories in the film carried examples from my life and my son's life. It makes my job easier to have children in both of my films. I am using the advantage of being a mother. I know how to deal with children both in cinema and in daily life.

TDN: How does your son see you as a director, does he like your films?

IPEKCI: After watching the first film he told me that if the same film had been made in the United States it would of definitely won Oscars. This was right. Under those circumstances it was a successful film.

TDN: What will be the next step for this film?

IPEKCI: The film will start to be shown in Turkey on October 19. Also I will apply to the Berlin and Ankara Film Festivals.

TDN: What was the cost of this film?

IPEKCI: The film was made with contributions from the Greek Film Center, Eurimaje and Culture Ministry. It cost 960,000 Euros.

TDN: Finally, what do you think about the reactions to your film?

IPEKCI: Many congratulated me. People celebrate me from the heart, even one of the audience couldn't talk because of crying. The reaction of the audience was very good at the opening. This is more important than to win a prize. This is the most enjoying part.

Scandal: The film "Big Man, Little Love" Apparent Metaphor for Kurdish Resistance
A film is again causing a commotion in Turkey. This time it concerns the film "Big Man, Little Love" about the love of a retired judge for a Kurdish girl. Scandal No. 1: two college teachers who were the authors of an English text of a brochure for a film festival in Antalya referred to "a five year old girl from Kurdistan", and lost their jobs as a result. "Kurdistan" is a taboo word in Turkey! The festival committee, who traced the oversight back to pressure of time, immediately stopped the distribution of the brochures. The film won the "Golden Orange" in 5 categories at the 38th Film Festival in Antalya.

Scandal No. 2: the Culture Ministry had granted the film a subsidy of 45 billion Lira. The film has already been successful at the cinema. The Turkish media had promoted the film.

Scandal No.3: the film only superficially deals with the love of the retired judge Rifat Beny for the 5-year-old Kurdish girl Hejar. The film, its characters and their treatment is a metaphor for the situation of the Kurdish people, symbolised by Hejar, and their resistance to the Turkish state, symbolised by Rifat Bey. The film's message is: acknowledge the reality of the Kurds! Following this somewhat late appreciation of the film, the newspaper "Star" has called on culture minister Istemihan Talay to make a statement on the scandals. (sources: Cumhuriyet, 05.12.01; NRZ, 06.12.01; Star, 11.12.01)

Film on Turkish- Kurdish language divide is a hit in Turkey
Hejar, a 5-year old Kurdish girl, escapes a bloody police raid on a relative's home and ends up under the protection of a 75-year-old retired Turkish judge. The girl cannot speak Turkish, and the authoritarian judge objects to the use of Kurdish in his house. Partly sponsored by the government, the movie about their tense relationship and the old man's gradual questioning of Turkey's strict one-language policy has won over moviegoers here. "Big Man, Small Love" reflects a more relaxed attitude toward Kurdish language and cultural expression, and is Turkey's selection to compete for the foreign-film category of the Oscars. The movie includes bits of dialogue in Kurdish with Turkish subtitles. Kurdish is still banned in formal settings and in education in Turkey; a recent plea by Kurdish university students that the government allow the language to be taught on campus has landed on deaf ears. But things have loosened up since the days when Turkey's estimated 12 million Kurds - nearly a fifth of the population - were banned from speaking Kurdish under a policy enforced from 1983 to 1991. The film won five awards at the Antalya Film Festival, Turkey's leading film awards, including best film and best screenplay. Turkey's top movie critic, Atilla Dorsay, calls it "the most important production of contemporary Turkish cinema. I don't recall ever seeing such a Turkish film." (ap/ie)

Film on Turkish-Kurdish language divide is a hit in Turkey Associated Press Jan 4, 2002
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Hejar, a 5-year old Kurdish girl, escapes a bloody police raid on a relative's home and ends up under the protection of a 75-year-old retired Turkish judge.

The girl cannot speak Turkish, and the authoritarian judge objects to the use of Kurdish in his house.

Partly sponsored by the government, the movie about their tense relationship and the old man's gradual questioning of Turkey's strict one-language policy has won over moviegoers here. ``Big Man, Small Love'' reflects a more relaxed attitude toward Kurdish language and cultural expression, and is Turkey's selection to compete for the foreign-film category of the Oscars. The movie includes bits of dialogue in Kurdish with Turkish subtitles. Kurdish is still banned in formal settings and in education in Turkey; a recent plea by Kurdish university students that the government allow the language to be taught on campus has landed on deaf ears. But things have loosened up since the days when Turkey's estimated 12 million Kurds - nearly a fifth of the population - were banned from speaking Kurdish under a policy enforced from 1983 to 1991.

In the film, Hejar ends up with a relative in Istanbul after her parents are killed in their village in clashes between government forces and Kurdish rebels. The relative is sheltering two fugitive rebels, and all three are killed when police raid the home. Hejar escapes by hiding in a cabinet. Horrified at the extra-judicial killings, the judge takes Hejar in while he tries to decide whether to hand her over to police or look for her other relatives. Many girls in villages in Turkey's impoverished and mainly Kurdish southeast speak only Kurdish, a language related to Farsi. The judge, however, refuses to believe that Hejar cannot speak Turkish, and he bans the little girl and his Kurdish maid, Sakine, from conversing in Kurdish. ``Don't let me hear you speak Kurdish again,'' the judge, played by actor Sukran Gungor, tells the woman in one scene. Like Turkey itself, however, the old man eventually mellows and even learns some Kurdish words. ``Negri!'' (``Don't cry'' in Kurdish) he pleads with Hejar.

Recently, Turkey's parliament, under European Union pressure, partially lifted a constitutional ban on broadcasts in Kurdish, but security forces can still order broadcasts off the air for security reasons. Restrictions on Kurdish stem from the government's fear that granting cultural rights to Kurds would divide the country along ethnic lines and amount to concessions to the rebels who have waged a 15-year war for autonomy. The fighting has claimed 37,000 lives. A unilateral rebel cease-fire declared in 1999 has reduced clashes to a trickle, prompting the easing of attitudes on language.

In the movie, Hejar (played by 6-year-old Dilan Ercetin) repeatedly screams obscenities in Kurdish. Turkish subtitles appear on the screen, prompting chuckles from one recent audience in Ankara. ``I can identify with the judge,'' said Pinar Ayaz, a student. ``So many of us have difficulty accepting that some people in the east cannot speak Turkish. Our mentalities are now slowly changing.'' The movie's writer and director, Handan Ipekci, a relative newcomer to Turkish cinema, said the violence in the southeast inspired her to tell this tale and base it on the language divide. ``It was a difficult time, people were killing each other, I thought something had to be done,'' Ipekci said in an interview.

The Ministry of Culture contributed some dlrs 30,000 while Euroimages, which sponsors European films, provided the rest of the dlrs 850,000 budget. The film won five awards at the Antalya Film Festival, Turkey's leading film awards, including best film and best screenplay. Turkey's top movie critic, Atilla Dorsay, calls it ``the most important production of contemporary Turkish cinema. I don't recall ever seeing such a Turkish film.''

Türkei verbietet Oscar-Hoffnung www.netzeitung.de / (05. Mär 2002)
«Buyuk Adam, Kucuk Ask» (Großer Mann, kleine Liebe) war die türkische Hoffnung, endlich einen Oscar als bester ausländischer Film zu gewinnen. Doch in der Türkei selbst wurde der Film jetzt verboten.

Auf dem 38. Antalya Film Festival bekam «Buyuk Adam, Kucuk Ask» einen Preis für das beste Drehbuch. Einen extra Jury-Preis gab es dann noch für den Darsteller Dilan Erçetin. Rund 30.000 Euro hatte das türkische Kultusministerium an Fördermitteln an die Regisseurin Handan Ipkeci gezahlt, damit die ihren Film realisieren konnte. Selbst bei den Oscars sollte der Film antreten, doch schaffte er es nicht einmal bis zu einer Nominierung. Jetzt hat sich das Kultusminiserium das Werk noch einmal näher angeschaut und verboten. Begründung: Der Film fördere den Nationalismus der Kurden und stelle die türkische Poizei zu negativ dar.

Polizei sorgte für Verbot

«Buyuk Adam, Kucuk Ask» erzählt die Geschichte eines fünf Jahre alten kurdischen Waisenkindes, das Aufnahme bei einem autoritären, nationalistischen türkischen Richter findet. Zuvor war die Polizei bei ihrer Suche nach kurdischen Rebellen brutal gegen den ursprünglichen Vormund der Fünfjährigen vorgegangen.

Der Film wurde von vielen Kritikern als eindrucksvolle Aufarbeitung des türkisch-kurdischen Konflikts gewertet.

Das Kultusministerium hat den Film nach Angaben des britischen «Guardian» unter anderem auf Veranlassung der Polizeibehörden in Istanbul verboten. Dort habe man sich wegen der «verharmlosenden Darstellung der Kurden» und der «falschen Brutalität» der türkischen Polizei über den Film beschwert.

Attila Dorsay, Vorsitzender des türkischen Filmkritiker-Verbandes, kritisierte das Film-Verbot scharf. Der «Guardian» zitierte Dorsay: «Die ganze Welt wird jetzt erfahren, dass die Türkei, die vorgibt demokratisch zu sein, kleine Filme verbieten muss.»

Informationen über den Film beim Turkish Cinema Newsletter

Szene aus türkischem Film 'Großer Mann, kleine Liebe' Foto: Turkish Cinema Newsletter

http://www.info.partisan.net/ (05. Mär 2002)

Polizei- und Zensurstaat Türkei: Die türkische Regierung hat einen Film wegen «separatistischer Propaganda» aus den Kinos verbannt. Zuvor hatte die Polizei kritisiert, dass der Beitrag «Großer Mann, kleine Liebe» das Verbot der kurdischen Sprache in Frage stelle. Der Film enthält einige Dialoge auf Kurdisch mit türkischen Untertiteln. Der Film erzählt die Geschichte eines fünf Jahre alten kurdischen Mädchens, das einer blutigen Polizeirazzia entkommt und von einem türkischen Richter aufgenommen wird. Das Kultusministerium hatte das Werk ursprünglich gefördert, zog es jedoch jetzt aus sämtlichen Kinos zurück. Die kurdische Sprache darf seit 1991 wieder in der Türkei gesprochen werden; sie darf jedoch im Unterricht und in den Medien nicht verwendet werden.

Kurdenkind im türkischen Kino: "Großer Mann, kleine Liebe"
CHRISTIANE SCHLÖTZER

Süddeutsche Zeitung / Thursday, December 13, 2001

Kleine Mädchen können so stur sein. Hejar, das kurdische Kind, will dem fremden Mann, der es beschützt, nicht einmal seinen Namen sagen. Denn der alte Mann spricht nur türkisch. Kein kurdisches Wort kommt ihm über die Lippen, schließlich ist er Beamter, ein Richter " zwar pensioniert, aber ein überzeugter Kemalist ist immer im Dienst. Nur Putzfrauen sprechen kurdisch in solchen Haushalten " wenn es der Bey, der Herr, nicht hört. Dann aber kommt der Tag, da gibt der versteinerte Mann doch nach, er will endlich mit dem Kind reden können, und so lernt er das kurdische Wort für Wolke, Welle und Wind.

Eine simple Geschichte, aber weil das in der Türkei von heute spielt, mitten in Istanbul, ist der Film der jungen Regisseurin Handan Ipekci eine kleine Sensation. Die ersten Bildern zeigen eine brutale Polizeiaktion gegen Terroristen " wie Ankara alle Anhänger der kurdischen PKK nennt. Zeuge des Geschehen in der "Terroristenwohnung" wird die sechsjährige Hejar. Sie versteckt sich, muss aber mit ansehen, wie eine verletzte Frau exekutiert wird. Blutbeschmiert steht das Mädchen dann vor der Tür nebenan " der des alten Richters. Dilan Ercetin spielt das sture stumme Kind so zart und intensiv, dass jedes Wort, um das Hejar schließlich mit dem Richter ringt, wie der Ausbruch eines kleinen Vulkans wirkt. Sie spuckt ihm ihre Schimpfworte ins Gesicht, aber er versteht nicht, bis er die Putzfrau um Nachhilfe bittet. "Weine nicht", ist das erste, was er auf Kurdisch herauspresst.

"Büyük Adam, Kücük Ask/Großer Mann, kleine Liebe" hat im Oktober den ersten Preis beim Filmfestival im türki-schen Antalya gewonnen und im Dezember drei Schauspielerpreise beim Internationalen Filmfest in Ankara. Nun ist der Film, der mit einem Budget von nur zwei Millionen Mark gedreht wurde, als türkischer Beitrag für den besten ausländischen Film im Oscar-Rennen nominiert. Ipekci " es ist erst ihr zweiter Spielfilm " ist keine Kurdin, und sie betont, sie habe einen "türkischen Film" gedreht: "Was ich erzähle, ist ein Problem der Türken und der Kurden." Ihr Thema ist die Kommunikationslosigkeit zwischen den sozialen Gruppen in der türkischen Gesellschaft und deren Tabus. Dazu gehört auch die Einsamkeit. Des Richters Sohn ist in Deutschland, die Ehefrau tot. Einsam ist auch Hejars Onkel, weil seine Söhne tot sind. "Zwischen die Fronten geraten" seien sie, erzählt er dem Richter, in einem Slum am Rand der Stadt.

Ipekci ist es gelungen, zwei Jahre nach Ende des Kurden-Krieges die sozialen Wüsten, die dieser Konflikt hinterließ, auf einfühlsame Weise zu zeigen " und durchaus mit Ironie und Witz. Nach "Zeit der trunkenen Pferde", dem großartigen Film des iranischen Regisseurs Bahman Ghobadi, der in türkischen Kinos Triumphe feierte und auch in Deutschland zu sehen war, ist dies der zweite Film, in dem das Kurdische nicht nur gesprochen (und türkisch untertitelt!) wird, sondern eine zentrale Rolle spielt " und der erste, der in der Türkei gedreht wurde.

Ödüllü filme yasak Hurriyet Daily, Turkey / Kültür Sanat 04.03.2002
Basta Altin Portakal olmak üzere bu yil bir çok ödülü kazanan "Büyük Adam, Küçük Ask" filmi, Kültür Bakanligi tarafindan yasaklandi. Bakanlik filme 45 milyar lira destek vermisti. Handan ipekçi'nin yönettigi filmin basrollerinde Sükran Göngür ile küçük oyuncu Dilan Erçetin yeraliyor.

Kültür Bakanligi 45 milyar lira destek verdigi, "Büyük Adam, Küçük Ask" filmini yasakladi.

Yönetmenligini Handan Ipekçi'nin yaptigi, Sükran Güngör, Füsun Demirel, Yildiz Kenter ve küçük oyuncu Dilan Erçetin'in rol aldigi film daha önce Bakanligin Sansür Kurulu tarafindan incelenmis ve vizyona girmesine izin verilmisti. 19 Ekim 2001'de gösterime giren ve bugüne kadar toplam 102 bin kisinin izledigi, "Büyük Adam, Küçük Ask" geçtigimiz persembe günü toplanan Üst Kurul tarafindan yeniden incelenerek gösterim izni iptal edildi. Kültür Bakanligi böylece çekilmesi için 25 milyari karsiliksiz, 20 milyari da kredi olarak toplam 45 milyar destek verdigi filmi yasaklamis oldu. Filmin yönetmeni Handan Ipekçi, henüz yasagi kendisine yaziyla bildirilmedigini, ancak baska bir is için Bakanligi aradiginda alinan karari ögrendigini söyledi. "Büyük Adam, Küçük Ask" filmi, anne ve babasini Güneydogu'da kaybetmis bir küçük kizin, Istanbul'da yaninda kaldigi akrabalarinin da bir polis baskiniyla öldürülmesinden sonra kapi komsusu emekli hakimin evine siginmasiyla basliyor. Türkçe'den baska bir dille konusulmasina izin vermeyen emekli hakim ile Kürtçe'den baska dil bilmeyen küçük kizin zamanla gelisen sicak dostluklari filmin konusunu olusturuyor.

Kültür Bakanligi'nin yasakladigi "Büyük Adam, Küçük Ask" filmi bu yil sinema meslek örgütleri tarafindan Oscar ödüllerinde Türkiye'yi temsil edecek film seçilmisti. Toplam 51 ülkenin filmleriyle "Yabanci Film" dalinda aday adayi olarak yarisacak olan film, ilk bese kalirsa Oscar için büyük bir avantaj yakalamis olacak. Kültür Bakanligi ayrica her yil Oscar'a aday olan filmlerin Amerika'daki tanitim faaliyetleri için verdigi destegi bu yil "Büyük Adam, Küçük Ask" filmine vermemisti.

BIA (Istanbul) - "Büyük adam, küçük ask" filminin yasaklanmasini yönetmen Ipekçi üzüntüyle karsiladi.BIA Haber Merkezi / 04.03.2002
Yasaklamayi, oyuncu Demirel, "ülkenin ayibi" olarak yorumlarken, Ercan Karakas, "sanat eserlerine sansür uygulanmasi gerekçesi ne olursa olsun kabul edilemez" dedi. Yönetmenligini Handan Ipekçi'nin yaptigi filmi Sinema, Video, Müzik Eserleri Denetleme Kurulu'nca 2 Mart 2002'de yasaklandi. Filmde baslica rolleri Sükran Güngör,Dilan Erçetin, Füsun Demirel,Yildiz Kenter ve Ismail Hakki Sen paylasiyor. Denetleme Kurulu, Milli Güvenlik Kurulu (MGK) Genel Sekreterligi,Milli Egitim, Içisleri ve Kültür bakanliklariyla, sektör temsilcilerinden olusuyor. Karar, üçe karsi dört oyla alindi. Emniyet Genel Müdürlügü'nün Kültür Bakanligi Telif Haklari Genel Müdürlügü'ne "yargisiz infaz yapildigi gerekçesiyle" filmin yeniden denetlenmesi için basvurmustu.

Hem Antalya hem SIYAD

Bes yasindaki bir Kürt kiziyla emekli bir yargicin öyküsünün anlatildigi film Antalya Film Festivali'nde en "iyi film", "en iyi senaryo", "en iyi yardimci kadin oyuncu","en iyi yardimci erkek oyuncu" ve "çocuk oyuncu jüri özel" ödülleriyle, Sinema Yazarlari Dernegi'nin (SIYAD) "en iyi yardimci kadin" ve "en iyi yardimci erkek" ödüllerini almisti. Filmi, birkaç ay içinde 110 bin kisinin izledigi açiklandi.

Ipekçi: Üzgünüm

Filmin yönetmeni Handan Ipekçi,henüz yazili bir açiklama almadiklarini belirterek, "eger böyle bir sey varsa üzgünüm. Daha genis açiklamayi resmi yazidan sonra yapacagim"dedi. Antalya Film Festivali'nde, filmdeki rolüyle "en iyi yardimci kadin oyuncu" ödülünü alan Füsun Demirel, "bir ülkede hangi gerekçeyle olursa olsun bir sanat eserinin yasaklanmasi o ülkenin ayibidir. Bu yasak Türkiye halkina verilmistir" açiklamasini yapti.

Kendi görüslerine uymazsa

Sosyal Demokrasi Vakfi (SODEV) Genel Baskani Karakas, yasaklamayi kinarken "sinema meslek birliklerinin oy birligiyle Türkiye'yi temsilen Oscar'a gönderilen 'Büyük Adam Küçük Ask' filmi bir sanat eseridir" dedi. "Yönetim kendi görüslerine uymayan sanat eserlerini yasaklama hakkina sahip degildir." Karakas, eski bir kültür bakani olarak, Kültür Bakanligi'nin, sansürcü zihniyetin mahkum edilmesi için öncülük etmek durumundayken, filmin adina ve içerigine iliskin olumsuz görüsler açiklamasini kabul edilemez buldugunu açikladi. (NM)

SIYAD'dan film yasaklamaya kinama
Yönetmenligini Handan Ipekçi'nin yaptigi "Büyük Adam Küçük Ask" filminin yasaklanmasina Sinema Yazarlari Dernegi'nden (SIYAD) kinama geldi. Dernek Baskani Atilla Dosay imzasiyla bir bildiri yayinlayan SIYAD, yasaklama kararini 'vahim bir yanlis' olarak nitelendirdi.

SIYAD'in bildirisi söyle: "Sinema Yazarlari Dernegi olarak (SIYAD), "Büyük Adam Küçük Ask" filmine getirilen son yasagi çok vahim bir yanlis olarak görüyor ve kiniyoruz.

Bu film, ilk katildigi senlik olan Antalya'dan beri farkli yapilardaki çesitli kurullardan ödüller almistir. Antalya ve Ankara festivalleri, SIYAD ödülleri, Oscar ödülleri için Türk filmi seçme kurulu gibi çesitli kuruluslardan gelen bu ödüller ve degerlendirmeler ve ayrica 100 bini askin seyirci sayisi, filmin Türkiye'deki aydin kesim ve de aydin seyirci tarafindan begenildigini, onaylandigini ve önemsendigini göstermektedir.

Üstelik bu kurullar arasinda bizzat bakanligin olusturdugu iki ayri kurul vardir : Film Denetleme Alt kurulu ve Oscar için Türk filmi seçme kurulu. Bakanlik tarafindan olusturulmus baska bir kurulun oy çokluguyla getirdigi yasak karari ise, Ekim 2001'den beri süregelen tüm bu degerlendirmeleri bilmezden gelmektedir. Alinan son karara göre, tüm bu kurullarin ve de 100 bini aski seyircinin, "ya gaflet, ya delalet, ya da hiyanet içinde" bulunmasi gerekmektedir.

Çok açiktir ki, eger ortada bir bölücülük eylemi varsa, bu eylem son alinan kararin ruhunda gizlidir. Filmin kendisiyse, bizce bölücülük degil, tam tersine birlestiricilik yapmakta, bu dönemde en çok ihtiyaç duyulan bir mesaji vermekte ve Türk ve Kürt asilli vatandaslarimizin birbirlerini daha iyi tanima, anlama ve iletisim kurma zorunlulugunun altini çizmektedir.

Bu karar, süphe yoktur ki tüm Bati sanat ve siyaset çevrelerinde büyük yanki yapacak ve Türkiye'nin Avrupa'yla bütünlesme çabalarina bir baska darbe olusturacaktir. Sayin Kültür Bakaninin bu konuda inisiyatifi eline almasini, öncelikle ne yapip edip "filmi görmesini" ve yetkisini kullanarak bu yanlis karari iptal etmesini bekliyoruz.

‘Yasak’ yönetmeni aglatti Birsen Altuntas / Milliyet Daily, Turkey 07.03.2002 / Kültür Sanat
Büyük Adam Küçük Ask’in yasaklanmasi sinamacilari ayaga kaldirirken, yönetmeni destek konusmalari sirasinda gözyaslarina hâkim olamadi

Türkiye’yi Oscar Ödülleri’nde temsil eden "Büyük Adam Küçük Ask" filminin vizyondan çiktiktan aylar sonra polise hakaret ettigi gerekçesiyle yasaklanmasi, sinemacilari ayaga kaldirdi. Sinema Eserleri Meslek Birligi’nde basin toplantisi düzenleyen ve yasagin kaldirilmasi ile ilgili hukuk mücadalesine baslayacagini açiklayan filmin yönetmeni Handan Ipekçi’ye bütün sinema örgütleri ve sanatçilar destek verdi.

Kültür Bakanligi’na kizgin olmadigini ancak Bakan Istemihan Talay’a filmi izlemedigi için kirgin oldugunu anlatan Ipekçi, zaman zaman kendisine yapilan destek konusmalari sirasinda gözyaslarina hâkim olamadi. Yildiz Kenter, 3 kere evi soyuldugu zaman bir polisin, "Dua edin de tecavüz etmemisler’ dedigini hatirlatarak, ‘Bu zihniyetteki bir polise nasil güvenirsin. Filmdeki üniformayi küçük kizin itmesine tepki gösteriyorlar, hangimiz polis üniformasindan korkmadik" diye konustu.

Toplanti sirasinda Rutkay Aziz ile ayni zamanda filmin yasaklandigi Denetleme Kurulu’nda görev yapan yönetmen Yilmaz Atadeniz arasinda tartisma yasandi. Selda Alkor’un yazili bir açiklama göndererek Denetleme Kurulu’ndan istifa ettigini belirtmesi üzerine istifa etmenin degil, mücadele etmenin çözüm oldugunu savunan Atadeniz’e Aziz tepki gösterdi. Aziz, kurulun tamamen kaldirilmasini istedi.

Kürt kizinin fendi...Milliyet Daily, Istanbul, Turkey Jan 06, 2002
Yalniz ve yasli bir adamla, kimsesiz ve çaresiz Kürt kizinin iliskisi bir ask öyküsünü andiriyor, zor ve hazin bir aski

06 Ocak 2002 Pazar

Büyük adam, emekli yargiç Rifat Bey. Prensip sahibi bir Kemalist aydin. Eli kalem tutan bir Cumhuriyet okuru. Subay oglu Amerika’da. Esi ölmüs. Ev islerini yapan Sakine’den baska gelen gideni yok. Dul komsusu Müzeyyen Hanim’in ilgisi ise onu utandiriyor.

Küçük ask, kimsesiz Kürt kizi Hejar. Çaresiz ama onurlu ve inatçi bir çocuk. Yoksul ve yasli Evdo amcasi onu bir avukat akrabasina teslim eder. Iki teröriste yataklik eden avukat hanim, polis baskininda öldürülünce kapi komsusu Rifat Bey, polisin gözünden kaçan yarali Hejar’a kol kanat gerer. Daha bes yasinda canini kurtarmayi ögrenmistir bu kara üzüm tanesi.

Handan Ipekçi’nin yer yer fazlasiyla dokunakli filmi, taban tabana zit iki kisinin ask öyküsünü anlatiyor. Yasli adamla küçük kiz arasindaki çatisma ve inatlasmaya ancak bir ask iliskisinde rastlanabilir. Hejar Türkçe, Rifat da haliyle Kürtçe bilmiyor. "Vatandas Türkçe konus!" ekolünden gelen, 1980 öncesi CHP tarzi solcu, halinden tavrindan Istanbullu oldugu belli bir kentlidir Rifat Bey. Üstelik hümanist degerlerin disinda Kürtlere, Dogululara "müsamaha" göstermez. Kimlik sorununun ne oldugundan habersiz yasta bir Kürt kizinin da oldugundan baska türlü davranmasi mümkün degil. Her türlü donanimina karsin Rifat’in eli kolu bagli! Bes yasindaki kara üzüm tanesine asik olmanin önüne geçemez, izleyici de öyle. Hejar, küçük, masum, güzel ve savunmasiz. Onu sevmemek olanaksiz.

Dersimiz Kürtçe

Önceleri Sakine’nin bile Kürtçe konusmasina izin vermeyen Rifat Bey, askina karsilik görmek için sözcükler ögrenecek, Hejar annesini özleyip hiçkira hiçkira agladiginda (ve izleyiciyi de aglattiginda) "Negri..." (Aglama) diye yalvaracak ona. Rifat Bey’deki degisimden cesaret alan Sakine yillar sonra ona gerçek adinin Rojbin oldugunu söyleyecek (filmin doruk noktasi).

"Büyük Adam, Küçük Ask" bir yandan çok etkileyici bir film. Öte yandan, mainstream sinemaya özgü ‘atraksiyon’lar filmin baslangiçtaki gücünü zayiflatiyor. Film, Rifat Bey gibi yumusuyor. Hejar’a 012 Benetton’dan alinan sik giysiler, bir et lokantasinda garsonun verdigi çikolatayi çaldigini sanmasi, birlikte deniz yolculugu yaparken çiglik çigliga marti efektlerinin kullanilmasi vb. filmi süsleyen islevsiz sahneler. Müzeyyen Hanim ile Rifat Bey’in flörtü ise hiç kullanilmasa daha iyiydi. Bu öykünün, Yildiz Kenter ve Sükran Güngör’ün bir araya gelince yaydiklari pozitif enerjiye ihtiyaci yok ki!

Rifat Bey’in, olaylardan habersiz Evdo’yu gecekondusunda bulup konusmasi da fazlasiyla yumusak bir politik dogrucu tavir. Evdo kisiliginin "asker ile gerilla" arasinda kaldigini söylemesi, Kürt=terörist diye düsünen siradan fasistlerin ekmegine yag sürüyor. Oysa tüm Kürtler teröristtir demekle Kürtlerin bir kismi teröristtir demek arasinda fark yok. Fikradaki gibi: Adamin biri toplantinin sonunda ayaga firlayip "Bu salondakilerin yarisi aptal!" diye bagirir. Herkes onu protesto eder. Adam "Pekiyi," der "Sözümü geri aliyorum, bu salondakilerin yarisi aptal degil."

Film, Evdolar’in neden iki ates arasinda kalmak zorunda oldugunu sorgulatmaliydi en azindan. Tüm yurttaslar esit haklara sahip olduguna göre, Kürtleri sevmemiz, dillerini konusmamiz ve konusturmamiz için Evdo gibi yasli ve yoksul, Sakine gibi sevecen ve asimile, Hejar gibi tatli ve masum olmalari sart degil. Yalnizca en mazlumlarin gösterilmesi filme masalsi bir hava katiyor. Biraz daha gerçekçi yaklasimla müthis bir film olabilirdi.

(posted March 06,2002 / Last Revised August 19,2002)

Copyright ©1996 - 2002 Turkish Cinema Newsletter, Washington D.C. / Powered by Nerede? Turkish Portal

TURKISH CINEMA NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE INDEX 1-145

2006-09-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

145. AWARDS / LE PALMARÈS 2002 DU FESTIVAL DES FILMS DU MONDE
144. MONTREAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREENS HOME BY GREEK-TURKISH FILMMAKER PHYLLIS KATRAPANI
143. YESIM USTAOGLU JOINS THE INTERNATIONAL JURY OF VENEZIA 59 FILM FESTIVAL
142. MONTREAL FILM FESTIVAL TO SHOWCASE NOWHERELAND BY PIRSELIMOGLU AND HEJAR BY IPEKCI
141. FILM FESTHAMBURG 2002 TO OPEN WITH FATIH AKIN'S SOLINO More...

140. VENICE TO SCREEN THIRST FOR REVENGE BY MEHMET OZCELIK
139. THE IMPLIED MESSAGE OF ARARAT AND ITS INTENDED AUDIENCE
138 . EIGHT NEW TURKISH FILMS / Variety reviews on 8 new Turkish films
| Wish Me Love | Summer Love | Maruf | The Waterfall | 9 | The Photograph | Innowhereland | Away From Home
137. FERZAN OZPETEK TO SHOOT A NEW FILM
136. " ARARAT" SCREENED IN CANNES 2002 \ OUT OF COMPETITION
135. "CONFESSION" AND "DESTINY" BY ZEKI DEMIRKUBUZ IN CANNES 2002 \ UN CERTAIN REGARD
134. ARARAT TO SCREEN OUT OF COMPETION IN CANNES 2002
133. AWARDS ANNOUNCED| ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
132. IN MEMORIAM| ORHAN ELMAS, DIRECTOR (1927- 2002)
131. HEJAR STILL BANNED, ISTANBUL JURIES ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE

130. CANNES JURY ANNOUNCED BY GILLES JACOB Festival de Cannes Read Ararat Files.. Posted with updates
129. IN MEMORIAM |ERMAN SENER FILM/TV WRITER (1942- 2002)
128. TURKFILM.NET IN THE MEDIA
127. MORITZ de HADELN TO HEAD VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
126. IN MEMORIAM | ABDURRAHMAN PALAY, ACTOR/DIRECTOR (1922-2002)
125. VIZONTELE BY YILMAZ ERDOGAN AND OMER FARUK SORAK IN FILMFEST DC
124. GREEN RAY / YESIL ISIK BY FARUK AKSOY BEGINS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN
123. ACADEMIC PAPERS ON TURKISH CINEMA
122. NEW BOOK BY HAMID NAFICY An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking
121. 21th INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL TURKISH FILMS

120. PROFILE: Tunç BASARAN
119. FORMATS | NTSC, PAL and SECAM | DVD
118.21th INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM 13 - 28 April, 2002
117. A TRIBUTE TO TUNC BASARAN AT THE 21th INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL 13 - 28 April, 2002
116. MEM AND ZIN / MEM VE ZIN / MEM U ZIN BY UMIT ELCI RE-RELEASED IN TURKEY
115.TURKEY : ALL TIME TOP 20 AT THE BOX OFFICE
114. HEJAR FILES (English / German / Turkish)
113. FROM THE ARCHIVES: ARMENIAN, ARAB ISRAELI AND TURKIC FILMS AT 3 CONTINENTS FILM FESTIVAL, NANTES SINCE 1979
112. FROM THE ARCHIVES: TURKISH FILMS AT 3 CONTINENTS FILM FESTIVAL, NANTES AT SINCE 1979
111. ORIENTAL MOONS IN ALMANYA: GERMANY'S TURKISH-GERMAN CINEMA

110. FROM THE ARCHIVES: ADANA GOLDEN COCOON CULTURE AND ART FESTIVAL 1969-2000
109. FROM THE ARCHIVES: A CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF TURKISH FILM WEEKS 1978-1988
108. ACADEMIC PROFILE: DR. ASU AKSOY
107. FROM THE ARCHIVES: YASEMIN BY HARK BOHM
106. TURKISH DELIGHT GERMAN FRIGHT BY DENIZ GOKTURK
105. FROM THE ARCHIVES: TURKISH FILMS AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
104. ACADEMIC PROFILE: DENIZ GOKTURK
103. ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED TURKISH PANORAMA FILMS FOR 2002
102. FULL TEXT OF BERLINALE COVERAGE BY ERJU ACKMAN (IN TURKISH)
101. TURKISH BUYERS AND PRODUCTIONS AT THE 52.BERLINALE FILM MARKET

100. YILMAZ GUNEY'S HUNGRY WOLVES / AC KURTLAR AT THE 52. BERLINALE
99. YESIM USTAOGLU PROJECT FINDS FINANCING IN ROTTERDAM
98. YESIM USTAOGLU CHOSEN FOR SUNDANCE SCREENWRITERS LAB
97. TURKISH FILM CRITIC TO LEAD THE FIPRESCI JURY IN 52. BERLINALE
96. ROTTERDAM-BERLINALE-EXPRESS INCLUDES YESIM USTAOGLU
95. TURKISH FILMS AT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM
94. THE END / SON BY LEVENT KIRCA BEGINS A COMMERCIAL RUN
93. TURKISH CINEMA WRITERS ASSOCIATION "SIYAD" ANNOUNCED AWARDS FOR 2001
92. DEINE AUGEN KARAMUK /YOUR EYES KARAMUK/ GOZLERIN KARAMUK BY SULBIYE GULNAR
91. KANAK ATTACK BY LARS BECKER

90. IN MEMORIAM | IZZET AKAY, CINEMATOGRAPHER
89. HEJAR/ BUYUK ADAM KUCUK ASK BY HANDAN IPEKCI
88. GOTEBORG FILM FESTIVAL TO SCREEN PHOTOGRAPH BY KAZIM OZ
87. Permanence en Occident des clichés sur les Turcs: le cas concret du film
86. TURKISH CINEMA WRITERS ASSOCIATION "SIYAD" ANNOUNCED NOMINATIONS FOR 2001
85. THE SEVENTH SUN OF LOVE BY VANGELIS SERDARIS AND ASIA MINOR DISASTER
84. NUMBER OF SCREENS AND MOVIEGOERS IN TURKEY
83. FROM THE ARCHIVESTURKISH CINEMA RETROSPECTIVE 1996 CENTRE GEORGES POMPIDOU
82. Cinéma Turc BY MEHMET BASUTCU
81. FERZAN OZPETEK, DIRECTOR OF IGNORANT FAIRIES AWARDED BEST DIRECTOR IN ITALY

80. TURVAK ESTABLISHED A CINEMA CENTER IN ISTANBUL, INCLUDING A TURKISH FILM MUSEUM
79. TWO ITALIAN PRODUCTIONS ABOUT THE "TURKISH POPE" WHO SAVED JEWISH LIVES
78. CUNEYT ARKIN'S 1982 FILM BY CETIN INANC, IS NOW A CULT CLASSIC
77. TURKISH TV'S POPULAR COP SHOW MAKES A MOVIE DEBUT
76. TURKISH FILMS AT THE 42.THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL
75. ARARAT by ATOM EGOYAN Read Ararat Files.. Posted with updates
74. WINNER OF BEST FILM AWARD OF 38th GOLDEN ORANGE FILM FESTIVAL "HEJAR/ BUYUK ADAM KUCUK ASK" IS OSCAR BOUND
73. CAUSE / DAVA/DOZ BY GANI RUZGAR SAVATA STARTS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN
72. A FINE DAY (DER SCHÖNE TAG) IN WASHINGTON DC, USA
71. A FINE DAY (DER SCHÖNE TAG) BY THOMAS ARSLAN

70. FAULTLINES, A DOCUMENTARY BY EYLEM KAFTAN
69. CINEMA DEPARTMENTS IN TURKISH UNIVERSITIES
68. TURKISH FILM ORGANIZATIONS
67. 13th TURKISH FILMS FESTIVAL IN STRASBOURG, FRANCE 5 -18 December 2001
66. IN JULY BY FATIH AKIN RELEASED IN US
65. MRS. SALKIM'S DIAMONDS CAUSES A FUROR ON NATIONAL TV (TRT)
64. 9th LONDON TURKISH FILM FESTIVAL 7 - 20 December 2001
63. WATERFALL / SELLALE BY SEMIR ASLANYUREK STARTS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN
62. DESTINY / YAZGI BY ZEKI DEMIRKUBUZ STARTS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN
61. THE PHOTOGRAPH /FOTOGRAF BY KAZIM OZ STARTS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN

60. 1st LONDON KURDISH FILM FESTIVAL 9 - 15 November 2001 See also KURDISH FILM FILES
59. ANAM BY BUKET ALAKUS WINS ANOTHER PRIZE
58.EIGHT ARMENIAN FILMS IN A TURKISH FILM FESTIVAL
57. AFI FEST 2001 SCREENS KANAKE BY MEVLUT AKKAYA
56. ON CINEMA by M.K. Ataturk (In English, French and German)
55. HUSSI KUTLUCAN WINS PRIX EUROPA IRIS
54. TURKEY / LAW RELEVANT TO THE AUDIOVISUAL SECTOR by Hatice Dilek Baytan Download PDF
53."GREAT MAN, LITTLE LOVE" IS OSCAR BOUND
52. MY DARLING ISTANBUL / ISTANBUL MON AMOUR BY SECKIN YASAR
51. MARUF BY SERDAR AKAR STARTS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN

50. A CHAPTER ON TURKISH FILMS INCLUDED IN A NEW BOOK ON MIDDLE EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN FILM
49. MOON AND STARS PROJECT RETURNS WITH 3RD ANNUAL NY TURKISH FILM FESTIVAL
48. SUMMER LOVE / O DA BENI SEVIYOR BY BARIS PIRHASAN STARTS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN
47. THE ONLY JOURNEY OF HIS LIFE By Lakis Papastathis
46. THE SINGER / SARKICI BY ERSIN PERTAN STARTS ITS COMMERCIAL RUN
45. 38th GOLDEN ORANGE FILM FESTIVAL / October 1-5, 2001 Antalya Turkey
44. IGNORANT FAIRIES BY FERZAN OZPETEK STARTS ITS TURKISH RUN
43. NEW TURKISH CINEMA AT THE FREER AND SACKLER GALLERIESErju Ackman Voice of America interview
42. PAULINE KAEL LIVES
41. 2000-2001 BOX OFFICE (Compiled by www.sinematurk.com)

40. THE YOUNG TURKS OF GERMAN CINEMA
39. ON BOARD by AKAR / HOUSE OF ANGELS by KAVUR / BALAYKA by OZGENTURK
38. ARARAT by ATOM EGOYAN Read Ararat Files..
37. TURKISH FILMS OF THE ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
36. All Turkish Feature Films and Directors (1996-2001)
35. 38th GOLDEN ORANGE FILM FESTIVAL 2001 Antalya Turkey
34. OMER KAVUR / Biography and Filmography
33. REHA ERDEM'S KAC PARA KAC / RUN FOR MONEY in Filmfest DC 2001
32. Pauline Kael on Midnight Express Read the full article
31. Goethe Institute screens GERMAN FILMS BY TURKISH DIRECTORS IN TORONTO

30. 2001 ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL / NATIONAL COMPETITION (8 films)
29. IGNORANT FAIRIES by OZPETEK
28. Call For Papers / Mesa, Chicago, Dec. 3-6, 1998
27. New Publications
26. Turkish Cinema And Eurimages
25. Karisik Pizza
24. Editorial by Erju Ackman
23. New Publications
22. Turkish Films in London's Rio Cinema
21. MAYFEST 2000 BRINGS TURKISH FILMS TO NEW YORK N.Y

20. More Kudos For Hamam / Il Bagno
19. Agir Roman / A Turkish Pulp Fiction?
18. Tribute To Memduh Un Istanbul 97
17. Turkish Cinema At Montreal 97
16. A Director/ A Film Dervis Zaim's Summersault In A Coffin
15. A Chronology Of Turkish Cinema Part 1(1914-1921)
14. M. K Ataturk And Turkish Cinema
13. Turkish Films In Quicktime Movie Format.
12. General Outlook Of Turkish Cinema
11. Erju Ackman / Film Related Bio

10. Mimar Sinan University Turkish Film And TV Institute
9. Istanbul Film Festival / Contacts
8. Istanbul Film Festival / Films At National Showcase
7. Akrebin Yolculugu Journey On A Clock Hand (Akrebin Yolculugu)
6. Review Journey On A Clock Hand (Akrebin Yolculugu)
5. Akrebin Yolculugu At Afi
4. Hamam/ Il Bagno
3. Turkish Films At Toronto Film Festival
2. Turkish Film Weeks In Canada
1. Antalya Golden Orange 1997 / Awards And Films In Participation