Wrong Rosary | Uzak Ihtimal 2009

Directed by: Mahmut Fazil Coskun[1] Produced by:Tülin Soyarslan Screenplay: Ismail Kilicarslan, Gorkem Yeltan, Tarik Tufan, Bektaş Topaloğlu Director of Photography: Refik Cakar Edited by: Çiçek Kahraman Art Direction: Selda Çiçek Music: Rahman Altın Cast: Nadir Saribacak, Gorkem Yeltan, Ersan Uysal; Production & Sales: Hokus Fokus, mahmutfazil@gmail.com, +90 533 810 57 97

Mahmut Fazil Coskun’s Istanbul-set Wrong Rosary, a muezzin (the person who leads the call to the mosque’s Friday service) falls in love with his neighbor, who happens to be a Catholic nurse.
[1] Mahmut Fazil COSKUN (1973, Turkey) attended courses at the Bilgi University in Istanbul from 2001 until 2004. Wrong Rosary is his feature début.

From RIFF

"A wonderful atmosphere from Istanbul, where a peculiar love story takes place: muezzin Musa falls for his neighbour, the Catholic nurse Clara. The story gets even more exceptional when Musa meets Yakup, who turns out to be connected with Clara. Different ambiances of a multi-religious and multicultural city.

This is a story of sensuality, love and grief, growing in the anonymity of a big modern city. It takes place in present-day Istanbul, in Galata. Musa is a beginning muezzin who comes to the city for the first time in his life. He is assigned to work in a mosque and receives an apartment. Upon his arrival he meets his next door neighbour Clara, a Catholic nurse. She takes care of the older nurse, Sister Anna. Excitement and a simultaneously warm sensation emerge from this first encounter. In the beginning, the young muezzin is quite hesitant to confess to himself what is actually happening, but as time passes his love for Clara pervades his life. Another storyline emerges when Musa comes across the bibliophile Yakup at the church that Clara attends regularly, and starts working for him. A few surprises and unexpected turns emerge when the lives of the three intersect.

Slow-paced, with a pleasant rhythm and an eye for detail, the film depicts different ambiances of multi-religious Istanbul, within its distinctive spaces and through the stories of a variety of unusual characters. This exceptional début by Mahmut Fazil Coskun is certainly a strong voice amongst the up-and-coming young talents from Turkey. (LC)

Rotterdam 2009 Award for Wrong Rosary|Uzak İhtimal

Mahmut Fazil Coskun with his award (in the middle)

2009 Rotterdam Film Festival: Jan. 21-Feb. 1, 2009 VPRO Tiger Awards: Be Calm and Count to Seven (Aram bash va ta haft beshmar) by Ramtin Lavafipour (Iran), Breathless (Ddongpari) by Yang Ik-June (South Korea) and Wrong Rosary (Uzak ihtimal) by Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey)

During the IFFR 2009 Awards Ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2009 in the Rotterdamse Schouwburg, the winning films of the 38th International Film Festival Rotterdam were announced. The three VPRO Tiger Awards were granted to the Hubert Bals Fund supported film Be Calm and Count to Seven (Aram bash va ta haft beshmar) by Ramtin Lavafipour (Iran), to Breathless (Ddongpari) by Yang Ik-June (South Korea), and to Wrong Rosary (Uzak ihtimal) by Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey).

On Saturday January 31st, 2009 the KPN Audience Award and the Dioraphte Award for Best Hubert Bals Fund Supported Film 2009 will be announced. VPRO Tiger Awards Fourteen films by first or second filmmakers competed in the VPRO Tiger Awards Competition 2009.

The Jury consists visual artist Marlene Dumas (South Africa/The Netherlands), Turkish writer, filmmaker and Jury Chair Yesim Ustaoglu (her Journey To The Sun (1999) and recent Pandora’s Box, both supported by the Hubert Bals Fund, screen in the festival), Mr Park Ki-Yong, Director of the Korean Academy of Arts and Co-Director of the Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival, Hungarian writer, director and actor Kornél Mundruczó (his Delta screens in the festival) and Kent Jones, Associate Director of Programming Film Society of Lincoln Center, New York.

The jury statements on the VPRO Tiger Award winning Wrong Rosary (Uzak ihtimal) by Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey, 2008) ‘A uniquely creative film of the most eloquent simplicity, a film built from a feeling of immediacy, moment by moment, breath by breath; a film that builds an absolutely unique form of suspense; a film that stays true to itself from beginning to end.’

Each VPRO Tiger Award comes with a prize of Euro 15,000 and guaranteed broadcast by Dutch public television network VPRO.

Rotterdam 2009 |Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun interview

Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun: a new voice in Turkish cinema Turkish cinema kicks off this year’s international adventures with a welcome surprise. Award-winning documentary director Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun’s impressive feature debut “Uzak İhtimal” (Wrong Rosary) is enjoying its world premiere here, at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2009. What more, Coşkun’s film is among the 14 feature films that are competing for the festival’s top prize, the Tiger award, and it’s the first Turkish entry to be included in the main lineup throughout the 38-year history of the festival. For me, talking to Coşkun in Rotterdam has a special meaning because about seven years ago, we were studying film in the same master’s degree program. Knowing him in this context surely caused us to diverge from the path of the conventional interview -- it takes us about 30 minutes before we can actually stop ourselves from laughing and joking. I realize that there is one thing that strikes me about Coşkun, besides being talented, he was always a very humble, self-effacing and warm person, and it’s rather relieving to see that he hasn’t lost these rare qualities, as sometimes it’s quite difficult to meet someone on the cultural scene who doesn’t have an ego the size of the Hindenburg. In this regard, I am not surprised to see that his cinematic style reflects his distinct type of ease and idiosyncratic humor, without ever becoming superficial. “Wrong Rosary” is the simple story of a fresh-faced muezzin called Musa, appointed to İstanbul’s Galata region, and falls in love with Clara, a reticent and devout Catholic nurse who lives next door. The story might sound like a contemporary version of the TV melodrama “The Thorn Birds,” but do not be fooled. It is simply a contemplative and quiet journey about an impossible love between two very nice people. Big words are not spoken, there is no schmaltzy drama, just the fact that these two people never dare express their adoration for each other. Coşkun’s style is not a judgmental one, and his strange mixture of compassion and humor toward his characters are touching. In one scene, Musa is talking with his superior at the mosque, a wise and pious imam. The imam cheekily probes him over whether he has a love interest. Musa denies it only to get the reply: “Come on, I know you are thinking of a girl. I hope she’s also a believer, because you’ll never get hurt by a believer,” a beautiful line that sums up the irony of the situation. For Coşkun, his film does not have any political undertones and is not predominantly about the unspoken walls between religions. Rather, it is about the very universal situation of humans not being able to fully express themselves and communicate their feelings. We also talk about the process of the production of his film. Turkish filmmaker Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun poses for a portrait at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where his debut feature premiered this week. How did you get the idea to make this film and how long was the process of getting it off the ground? Two years ago, we had the idea with a writer friend of mine to make a trilogy titled “Three Things” -- which would be about the concepts of love, money and religion. We couldn’t really come up with something that was satisfying. Then I focused on the concept of religion, but in that light, it was to be about impossible love. I’m not a writer, I brought together a group of people (Tarık Tufan, Görkem Yeltan and İsmail Kılıçarslan) who would write the script. Was it easy to gather the funding and get the film rolling? It wasn’t easy. Although we received production support from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, we ran out of money halfway through the production. Luckily, later on, Bank Asya sponsored us so we were able to complete the film; however, I still think it’s very difficult to finance a film in Turkey -- the Culture Ministry is almost the only body that provides funding. And what about the production process? Was it easy to work with the crew? Unfortunately it takes a lot of convincing to put together a cast and crew for feature films. I realize that because so many crew members have such difficult working conditions on the sets of television series where they normally work at, they almost lose their will and spirit when it comes to making movies. It’s very difficult to establish a spirit of camaraderie. On that note, I felt very tired and discouraged once filming was over. But thankfully, we had a great editor on board, Çiçek Kahraman, who really helped us in attaining a satisfying result. What are your main influences? And which Turkish directors do you like? I’m a huge Woody Allen fan. I also admire Semih Kaplanoğlu. What if we asked you to sum up “Wrong Rosary” in just one sentence? You know I wish I could really answer that question, but I really can’t. If I were able to sum everything up in one sentence, I don’t think I would be making films. 30 January 2009, Friday EMINE YILDIRIM ROTTERDAM

Rotterdam | Young Turkish Cinema Introduction

Young Turkish Cinema Introduction
Ludmila Cvikova
l.cvikova@filmfestivalrotterdam.com

When is the right time to pay attention to a film industry in a specific region, and why would one actually do so?

In September 2008, the IFFR had a first meeting in Holland with a number of young Turkish film critics, some of whom are affiliated with the prestigious film critic magazine Altyazi, to discuss recent developments occurring in the Turkish film industry. A few more meetings followed, among others during the Festival on Wheels in Kars and later on in Istanbul. Our discussions initially revolved around the generation of film makers who began their careers in the 1990s and have achieved worldwide acknowledgement with outstanding auteurs cinema, such as Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Yesim Ustaouglu, or Semih Kaplanoglu, but later on we also focused on the newest generation and names that have appeared recently. As the IFFR is known for its focus on young and upcoming talents, the outline for our special thematic programme started to take shape. The Altyazi film critics embraced this concept, as they agreed that there is a lot of young talent within Turkish cinema worth paying special attention to.

Another interesting phenomenon that should not go unnoticed is that a new generation of young film critics are closely following what is happening in film in their country – the ideal combination of a generation that is artistically and intellectually connected. (Although it was never a formally organised film movement, weren’t the film critics who came up with the blanket term of French new wave in the sixties in fact French?)

The year 2008 was exceptionally dynamic and successful for Turkish cinema and directors. Let’s have a chronological look at their concrete successes: The film débutMy Marlon and Brando (Gitmek) by Hüseyin Karabey, a semi-biographical love story about a young Turkish woman, Ayca, and her journey to Northern Iraq to meet her great love, Hama Ali, a Kurdish man. It was successfully presented during the IFFR in January and received many acclaims thereafter.
Another rewarding presentation of a first film at a big festival followed very shortly after – this time it was the picturesque and moving story of a Turkish family in a provincial Mediterranean town – Summer Book made by Seyfi Teoman and presented at the Berlinale.
The Best Director award at Cannes for Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys was a very much expected acknowledgement for this extraordinary visually depicted family drama with outstanding acting.
Autumn (Sonbahar), a film that tackles the issues of forsaken young generations in Turkey and their struggle for social change, directed by Özcan Alper, who according to Variety is an ‘impressive new voice in Turkish cinema’, was selected for the International Film Competition at the 61st Locarno Film Festival and awarded the CICAE Prize.

Milk (SÜT), the second part in Semih Kaplanoglu’s Yusuf Trilogy, in which he sketches the progressive industrialisation of the countryside, was selected for the competition section of the 65th Venice International Film Festival, while the first part of the trilogy, Egg (Yumurta), was included in Sight&Sound magazine’s list, ‘The Best of 2008 – 50 Critics 150 Films’.
First-time director Selim Evci’s film Two Lines (Iki Cizgi), in which he observes the young generation’s male-female relationships in modern Turkey, took part in the 23rd International Film Critics Week of the Venice IFF.

Yesim Ustaouglu and her work have been supported by IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund since 1999. Ustaoglu’s latest project, Pandora’s Box (Pandora’nin kutusu), was successfully presented last September in San Sebastian and awarded two prizes: a Golden Seashell for Yesim Ustaoglu and a Silver Seashell for Tsilla Chelton as best actress. It is the story of a Turkish family in which the modern world meets the old, alienation and isolation occur and individuals go through universally understandable self-discovery.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that this year for the first time the IDFA competition included a Turkish documentary, On the Way to School by Orhan Eskikoy and Özgür Dogan.

Actually, the last decade and a half has been a good time for Turkish cinema, and that’s why we have selected for this special programme some older films that have played an important role. After the collapse of many production companies in the mid-1990s, the actual number of films decreased but films with a new sort of funding increased – directors took over the production of their own films. The rising artistic quality of some of those films hasn’t remained unnoticed. No one knew who Dervis Zaim was when his low-budget cinema-verité style début Summersaults in a Coffin (Tabutta Rövasata) came out in 1996, but he was soon to become a household name for young Turkish film enthusiasts, inspiring a few independent Turkish films produced in the next decade, among them Zeki Demirkubuz’s Innocence(Masumiyet) from 1997. This important film, supported by a great cast, redefined the genre of melodrama, which has been inherent in the Turkish movie culture ever since the 1960s.

The Small Town (Kasaba, 1997), the directorial début of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, is a wonderful black-and-white intimate family portrait based on an autobiographical story, a film that still continues to maintain its irreplaceable position in Turkish cinema with its inspirational minimalism that, together with his following works, would make Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s name as a directorial genius.
The first film by the social-realist film collective Yeni Sinemacilar, On Board(Gemide, 1998) by Serdar Akar, began a new style of filmmaking in Turkey: straightforward and thought-provoking. This film continues to exert its unique influence over independent Turkish cinema.
Yesim Ustaoglu’s second feature Journey To The Sun (Gunese Yolculuk, 1999) was an arresting portrait, with a pronounced documentary-style feel, of the oppression of the Kurdish minority in Turkey.

Semih Kaplanoglu’s unique narrative style in Angel’s Fall (Melegin Dususu, 2004)and his use of end-to-beginning chronological flashbacks of his protagonist’s life in the provinces in his Yusuf Trilogy, would heighten his virtuosity through his contemplative reflection on the concept of ‘time’.

Besides films you may have already seen throughout the year, we are proud to present you a few new titles that will have their premières during the IFF Rotterdam 2009: A dynamically shot story of two friends who get into deep trouble in Istanbul’s chaotic underground scene, Black Dogs Barking (Kara köpekler havlarken ), a directorial début by Maryna Gorbach and Mehmet Bahadir Er.
Kazim Öz’s second feature The Storm (Bahoz) is a true-to-life epic of a group of Kurdish students at the Istanbul University in anticipation of social revolution.

And last but not least, for the first time ever in the IFFR’s Tiger Award Competition, a Turkish film: Wrong Rosary by Mahmet Fazil Coskun, a story of sensuality, love and grief growing within the anonymity of a big city between the young muezzin Musa and the Catholic nurse Clara, in today’s Istanbul. This exceptional début by Mahmut Fazil Coskun is certainly a strong representative of up and coming young talent from Turkey.

We are quite sure that new names and films will still be appearing as you read these words or are enjoying watching the films that we have selected for you from these two generations. Only time will tell us what the present dynamics of the Turkish film industry will mean for the history of Turkish cinema. Enjoy this wonderful, challenging visual trip to this modern and modernising culture!

With special and enormous thanks to Emine Yildirim, and many special thanks to Gozde Onaran, Senem Aytac, Nadir Operli, Yamac Okur, Seyfi Teoman and Christine Dollhofer.
During the IFFR 2009, a special Young Turkish Cinema booklet will be available. It is written, edited and published by the film critics of Altyazi film magazine in co-operation with the IFFR and Crossing Europe Film Festival Linz, Austria

Turkish Cinema |Rotterdam IFF 2009

Signals: Young Turkish Cinema 2009
Important new Turkish films by young film makers and the pioneering middle generation.

Autumn Straight our of prison, the once political active Yusuf returns to his Black- Sea hometown. It isn’t just redemption he seeks but a peaceful asylum for his...Özcan Alper, Turkey, Germany, 2008, 106 min.

Black Dogs Barking A dynamic shooting-style, pitch-perfect written street lingo and a transfixing dog-eat-dog story form the essence of this exciting first feature about two...Mehmet Bahadir Er, Maryna Gorbach, Turkey, 2009, 88 min.

Innocence Society has turned its back on Bekir, Ugur and Yusuf, three marginals who look for love in the most unlikely places. Director Zeki Demirkubuz’s tour-de-force...Zeki Demirkubuz, Turkey, 1997, 110 min.

Journey to the Sun Two men of different origin, a western Turk and a Kurd. A true friendship that goes beyond cultural boundaries. Amidst the chaotic background of Istanbul and...Yesim Ustaoglu, Turkey, 1999, 113 min.

Kasaba Awe-inspiring black-and-white début film of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, shot in a village in Anatolia, about the director's childhood years. Two children are witness to...Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, 1997, 85 min.

Milk A young emerging poet, his beautiful but unfulfilled mother and their small Turkish town about to be swallowed by industrialization. A contemplative tableaux...Semih Kaplanoglu, Turkey, France, Germany, 2008, 102 min.

On Board First film by the social-realist film collective Yeni Sinemacilar, which became the harbinger of a new style of film making in Turkey: straightforward and...Serdar Akar, Turkey, 1998, 102 min.

One Note Man, The Charming tragicomedy about music and love. Cymbal player in a symphony orchestra has a supporter in the audience.Daghan Celayir, Turkey, 2008, 14 min.

Pandora's Box An estranged family is brought together upon the news of their mother’s worsening illness. But the tough-minded mother is not so keen on spending time with her...Yesim Ustaoglu, Turkey, France, Germany, Belgium, 2008, 112 min.

Slope, The Sober yet effective début about a cleaner's routines in hospital.Mehmet Can Mertoglu, Turkey, 2008, 14 min.

Somersault in a Coffin A social outcast’s daily adventures couldn’t be more endearing; Mahsun looks like he just escaped from Folsom Prison but his genuineness and warm-hearted...Dervis Zaim, Turkey, 1996, 80 min.

Storm, The The 90s were the heyday of Turkey’s student movement, and acclaimed documentarist Kazim Öz’s second feature The Storm is a true-to-life epic of Kurdish...Kazim Öz, Turkey, 2008, 156 min.

Summer Book A long summer vacation by the sea. An ordinary Turkish family whose life takes an unexpected turn. Told through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, this...Seyfi Teoman, Turkey, 2008, 92 min.

Two Lines Psychologically unnerving and sinisterly suspenseful, first-time director Selim Evci’s Two Lines is an acute observation of the young generation's...Selim Evci, Turkey, 2008, 97 min.

Nominations Announced for 2009 Yeşilçam Awards

47 titles vie for Yeşilçam Awards

A total of 47 Turkish movies were running for the 2008 Yeşilçam Awards, with the addition of last month's six releases that also included the box office champion "A.R.O.G," the awards' organizers announced this week.

The Yeşilçam Awards, named after the İstanbul street that served as the country's filmmaking hub during the Turkish movie industry's heyday from the 1950s to the '70s, was launched last year in a bid to boost film production in Turkey.

Dubbed the Turkish equivalent of the Oscars by the Turkish Foundation for Cinema and Audiovisual Culture (TÜRSAK), which organizes the event, the Yeşilçam Awards are given in 11 categories. These includebest film, director, screenplay, soundtrack, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress and first film. The best film statuette comes with a cash prize of TL 150,000 while the director of
the best first film receives a TL 30,000 prize. Turkish productions released throughout the past year are eligible for the competition.

Best Director:
Nuri B. Ceylan (Üç Maymun),
Özcan Alper (Sonbahar),
Çağan Irmak (Issız Adam),
Tolga Örnek (Devrim Arabaları),
Cem Yılmaz-Ali Taner Baltacı (A.R.O.G)

Best Male Actor:
Onur Saylak (Sonbahar),
Yavuz Bingöl (Üç Maymun),
Cem Yılmaz (A.R.O.G),
Çetin Tekindor (Ulak),
Taner Birsel (Devrim Arabaları)

Best Female Actor:
Hatice Aslan (Üç Maymun),
Nurgül Yeşilçay (Vicdan),
Demet Akbağ (O... Çocukları),
Ayça Damgacı (Gitmek),
Melis Birkan (Issız Adam)
Cem Yılmaz-Ali Taner Baltacı (A.R.O.G)

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Ercan Kesal (Üç Maymun),
Serkan Keskin (Sonbahar),
Selçuk Yöntem (Devrim Arabaları),
Volga Sorgu (Gitmek),
Zafer Algöz (A.R.O.G),
Altan Erkekli (O... Çocukları)


Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
Megi Kobalakzde (Sonbahar),
Selen Uçer (Ara), .Şerif Sezer (Ulak),
Yıldız Kültür (Issız Adam),
Özgü Namal (O... Çocukları)

Best Screenplay:
Özcan Alper (Sonbahar)
Çağan Irmak (Issız Adam)
Ebru Ceylan- Ercan Kesal-Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Üç Maymun)
T.Örnek/ M.Dişli (D.Arabaları)
Sırrı S. Önder (O... Çocukları)

Best Music:
Aria Müzik (Issız Adam)
Mazlum Çimen (Son Cellat)
Demir Demirkan (D. Arabaları)
Zülfü Livaneli (Vicdan)
Cahit Berkay (Yağmurdan Sonra
Evanthia Reboutsika (Ulak)

Best Cinematograpy:
Gökhan Tiryaki (Üç Maymun)
Feza Çaldıran (Sonbahar)
Soykut Turan (AROG)
Hasan Gergin (Devrim Arabaları),
Mirsad Heroviç (Ulak)

Young talent Award:
Ahmet R. Şungar (Üç Maymun)
Onur Ünsal (Devrim Arabaları)
Ozan Bilen (Girdap) .Atakan Yağız (Ulak)
Emrah Özdemir (Gitmek)

First Film Award:
Sonbahar
Devrim Arabaları
Gitmek
Bayrampaşa: Ben Fazla Kalmayacağım
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‘Three Monkeys' snubbed in Oscar nominations

‘Three Monkeys' snubbed in Oscar nominations

"Üç Maymun" (Three Monkeys), Turkey's entry in this year's race for the best foreign-language film Oscar, did not make it into yesterday's nominations for this year's Academy Awards.Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Cannes best director prize-winning dark drama of family secrets was not included in the five-piece shortlist, consisting of Germany's "The Baader Meinhof Complex," France's "The Class," Japan's "Departures," "Revanche," from Austria and "Waltz with Bashir" from Israel.

3 Monkeys makes the Nine

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has whittled down its foreign-language contenders to nine semi-finalists. The five nominees will be announced, along with other categories, on Jan. 22. There had been 65 films that qualify. The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 65 eligible films between mid-October and Jan. 10. That group's top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy's foreign-language film award executive committee, constitute the shortlist. The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five 2008 nominees by specially selected committees in New York and Los Angeles. The committee members will spend this Friday, Saturday and Sunday viewing three of the films each day. The Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on February 22, 2009.

The nine are:
Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann, director
Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon, director
France, "The Class," Laurent Cantet, director
Germany, "The Baader Meinhof Complex," Uli Edel, director
Israel, "Waltz with Bashir," Ari Folman, director
Japan, "Departures," Yojiro Takita, director
Mexico, "Tear This Heart Out," Roberto Sneider, director
Sweden, "Everlasting Moments," Jan Troell, director
Turkey, "3 Monkeys," Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director.

Anılar arasında ‘Yaralı Kurt’

Anılar arasında ‘Yaralı Kurt’
28/11/2008

Hürrem Erman’ın yaşamöyküsünü geçmiş günlere dalıp giderek okudum. Rıza Kıraç roman tadında yazmış. Hürrem Erman’ı, Rıza Kıraç’ın doğduğu yıl tanıdım, 1970’te
SELİM İLERİ (Arşivi)

Can Yayınları’nın Yaşam dizisini elden geldiğince okuyorum. Elden geldiğince diyorum, çünkü, Rıza Kıraç’ın kaleme getirdiği Hürrem Erman/İzlenmemiş Bir Yeşilçam Filmi dizinin 122. kitabıymış. 2. sayfada öyle yazıyor. Bu 122 kitabın hepi topu kaçını okumuş olabilirim?
Hürrem Erman’ın yaşamöyküsünü geçmiş günlere dalıp giderek okudum. Rıza Kıraç roman tadında yazmış. “Bir edebiyat yazarı olarak kurmacanın, belgesel filmci olarak gerçeğin değerini her zaman önemsemişimdir” diyor. Kitabın başarısına bir anahtar.
Hürrem Erman’ı, Rıza Kıraç’ın doğduğu yıl tanıdım, 1970’te. Yeşilçam’ın Yeşilçam olduğu günlerdi. Mesela Erman Film, o yıl, Adsız Cengâver’in yapımevi. Adsız Cengâver, hem renkli hem sinemaskop. Hollywood filmlerinden sinemaskobu biliyoruz, ama yerlisini -galiba- ilk kez görüyoruz.

Unutamadığım Kezban Roma’da, yine aynı yıl çekilmiş. Yapımcı yine Hürrem Erman. Siyah-beyaz, fakat Avrupa’da geçen Küçükhanımefendi’lerden sonra, bu kez, Kezban Roma’ya gidiyor...

Benim Yeşilçam maceram da başladı başlayacak. Kemal Tahir’in evinde tanıştığım, Adsız Cengâver’in yönetmeni ve senaryo yazarı Halit Refiğ, Türk sinemasının genç senaryo yazarlarına ihtiyaç duyduğunu söylüyor. Halit beye hep sormak isterim, sonradan ne kadar pişman oldu... 15-20 gün sonra birlikte çalışmaya başlamıştık. Yeteneksizliğim, bilgisizliğim gözler önüne serilmişti.

Yapımevi, Erman Film değildi. Fakat bir gün, Erman Han’a uğradık. Senaryoda bir adım yol alamıyorum, ama Halit Refiğ hevesimi kırmıyor, beni yanında çanta gibi taşıyor.

Erman Han’ın en üst katı, Erman Film’in yazıhanesi güzel döşenmişti. Başka bir hava esiyordu burada. Büyük yapımevi nedir, birden fark ediyordunuz. Hürrem Erman, çok zarif, mesafeli, saygı uyandıran bir insandı.

Hem Halit Refiğ’le, hem Atıf Yılmaz’la senaryoculuk oyunum yetmemiş olmalı ki, 1971’de büyük usta Lütfi Ö. Akad’ın çırağıydım. Erman Film için sözüm ona Yaralı Kurt’u yazıyordum. Şimdi sözü, anlatıyı sevgili Rıza Kıraç’a bırakıyorum:

“Hürrem Erman, Lütfi Akad’ın Cüneyt Arkın’la bir film daha yapmasını ister. Akad o günlerde okuduğu Graham Greene’nin A Gun For Hire adlı romanından Cüneyt Arkın için bir film konusu çıkabileceğini düşünür.”
Hatırladığım kadarıyla, Hürrem bey, eski Hollywood yapımı, Green’in eserinden uyarlama bir filmi seyretmiş, Akad’a önermişti. Eserin Türkçesi Varlık Yayınları’nın kitapları arasında. Hürrem Erman’dan konuyu, temayı dinleyen Lütfi bey ise ne kitabı okumuş, ne filmi seyretmişti. Bir yerlerde yazmış olmalıyım; Akad ‘uyarlama’ya bambaşka yöntemlerle yaklaşır, yalnızca tema’yla, izlekle yetinir, bütünüyle ‘özgün’ bir yapı kurardı.

Kıraç devam ediyor:
“Yaralı Kurt adlı senaryoyu yazma işini o günlerde sinemaya yeni bulaşmış Selim İleri’yle yapmaya çalışsa da sonra bu işi tamamen ona bırakır. Fakat sonuç pek parlak olmaz. Yine de Akad, Hürrem Erman’a anlattığında filmin hikâyesini çok beğenir. (...) Ama senaryo pek işe yarar gibi görünmediği için Akad senaryo çalışmak zorunda kalır. (...) Kumbağ’da Yaralı Kurt’un senaryosunu yeniden yazar.”
Düzeltmek ihtiyacını duyuyorum:

Hatırlıyorum’da ve Anılar; Issız ve Yağmurlu’da dile getirmeye çalıştığım gibi, bende derin iz bırakmış eşsiz Akad, senaryo yazarlığı konusundaki bilgisizliğimi daha ikinci çalışma gününde fark etmişti. Yüzüme söylemeyecek kadar ulu gönüllüydü. Usta-çırak ilişkisi öylece başladı. Hayatımın en güzel günleri arasında saydığım bir dönem: Bir yandan Yaralı Kurt yazılıyor, yani Akad yazıyor, bir yandan da senaryo nasıl yazılır, bana öğretiyor. Diyaloglar azdırıyor, bekliyor, okuyor, tartıyor, seçiyor. Sahneler yazdırıyor, bekliyor, okuyor, düzeltiyor, çoğu kez yeniden yazıyor. Diyebilirim ki, Akad sinemada ilk ve tek öğretmenim oldu. O incelikli eğitimden sonra, Zeki Ökten’e Bir Demet Menekşe’yi yazmıştım...
Kıraç’ın kitabının dizininde adım geçmiyor.

Hürrem beyi en son, 1990’ların iyice sonunda, Beyoğlu’ndaki Pamuk Eczanesi’nde görmüştüm. Her zamanki lord haliyle. “Sizin sevdiğiniz sinema bitti” demişti, “o günler...”

Kıraç’ın eseri, çok etkileyici bir sonla noktalanıyor.

Turkish B.O. 2008

Recep İvedik:
Production Cost: Not Declared...
Attendance: 4.301.644
Box office: 30.172.270 YTL
Shows profit

A.R.O.G
Production Cost: 9 000 000 $
Attendance: 3.123.541
Box office: 26.075.580 YTL
(Still in distribution)

Muro
Production Cost: 1.500 000 $
Attendance: 1.909.296
Box office: 15.979.701 YTL
Shows profit

Issız Adam
Production Cost: 1.500 000 $
Attendance: 1.558.393
Box office: 13.979701 YTL
Shows profit

Osmanlı Cumhuriyeti
Production Cost: 2.500 000 $
Attendance: 1.270.935
Box office: 10.474.756 YTL
Shows profit

Mustafa
Production Cost: 1 000 000 $
Attendance: 1.096.363
Box office: 8.487.141 YTL
Shows profit

120
Production Cost: 1.100 000 $
Attendance: 1.033.917
Box office: 5.019.832 YTL
Shows profit

Maskeli Beşler Kıbrıs
Production Cost: 3.800 000 $
Attendance: 960.979
Box office: 6.795.141 YTL
Shows loss

Çılgın Dersane Kampta
Production Cost: Not Declared.
Attendance: 899.314
Box office: 6.314.199 YTL
Not Declared

O... Çocukları
Production Cost: 1000 000 50 000 $
Attendance: 713.546
Box office: 5.307.359 YTL
Shows profit

Ulak
Production Cost: 4 000 000 $
Attendance: 523.745
Box office: 3.983.330 YTL
Shows loss

Avanak Kuzenler
Production Cost: Not Declared.
Attendance: 393.546
Box office: 2.920.448 YTL
Not Declared

Aşk Tutulması
Production Cost: 680 000 $
Attendance: 363.089
Box office: 2.795.904 YTL
Shows profit

Semum
Production Cost: 610 000 $
Attendance: 334.168
Box office: 2.248.907 YTL
Shows profit

Destere
Production Cost: 900 000 $
Attendance: 248.279
Box office: 1.817.115 YTL
Shows loss

Plajda
Production Cost: 450 000 $
Attendance: 214.465
Box office: 1.526.145 YTL
Shows profit

Süper Ajan K9
Production Cost: 1 000 000 $
Attendance: 190.930
Box office: 1.396.035 YTL
Shows loss

Devrim Arabaları
Production Cost: 780 000 $
Attendance: 144.612
Box office: 1.280.382 YTL
Shows loss

Vicdan
Production Cost: 1.100 000 $
Attendance: 157.092
Box office: 1.229.454 YTL
Shows loss

3 Maymun
Production Cost: 2 000 000 $
Attendance: 125.247
Box office: 1.164.662 YTL
Shows loss

Son Ders
Production Cost: 750 000 $
Attendance: 118.845
Box office: 822.961 YTL
Shows loss

Bayrampaşa
Production Cost: 350 000 $
Attendance: 104.976
Box office: 735.296 YTL
Shows loss

Aşkın Dansı
Production Cost: 400 000 $
Attendance: 65.183
Box office: 407.785 YTL
Shows loss

Güneşin Oğlu
Production Cost: 380 000 $
Attendance: 58.135
Box office: 424.669 YTL
Shows loss

Girdap
Production Cost: 410 000 $
Attendance: 48 382
Box office: 324 431 YTL
Shows loss

2008
Turkish Films
Total: 44
Attendance: 20 276 406
Total Box office: 153 872 211 YTL

Foreign Films
Total: 220
Attendance: 15 936 426
Total Box office: 134 737 646 YTL

2007
Turkish Films
Total: 32
Attendance: 11 875 724
Total Box office: 92 333480 YTL

Foreign Films
Total: 206
Attendance: 19 285 976
Total Box office: 149 948 20 YTL

1 YTL = US$ 0.65