Turkish film depicts problems of modern piety By Alexandra Hudson
Reuters / Monday, February 12, 2007
BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters Life!) - An Istanbul clerk finds his simple, devout life turned upside down when an Islamic group employs him as its debt collector in a Turkish film which aims to show how religious devotion can be tainted by hypocrisy.
"Takva: A Man's Fear of God" is on show at the Berlin film festival and has already won prizes at home and at the Toronto International Film Festival for its stark portrayal of a man's spiritual collapse, as he finds his cherished religious principles leave him hopelessly adrift in a modern world.
"We wanted to show that if you are really determined to live your life today by an ancient ideology, you'll find out you can't. If you insist, you'll lose your mind," said the film's screenwriter Onder Cakar.
Muharrem, the main character, is at first thankful for what he is told is the chance to serve God more directly, but once given a mobile phone and fancy clothes to assist him in his work he feels ill at ease as he ventures out from his impoverished part of old Istanbul.
He enters a glitzy shopping mall for the first time and is confronted by advertising images of semi-naked women -- terrifying to an unmarried man who lives in a male-dominated society and who sees women only in his erotic nightmares.
Despite their high-blown religious rhetoric, his religious masters are corrupt and focused on making money. They feel little inclined to help out their poorest tenants, preferring to leave charity to others.
Finally Muharrem becomes so tainted he finds himself automatically lying and cheating himself.
"People in Turkey have responded to this film according to their own beliefs," atheist director Ozer Kiziltan told a press conference at the Berlin film festival. "Those in secular circles found it good and believe it shows the truth."
Set in a dreary, wintry Istanbul, a world away from the familiar tourist images of sunsets and minarets, the film's producers hope "Takva" can show people another side of Turkey and the complexities of Turkish society.
"This film may present for Western viewers the chance to understand Muslims also have their own values. For Muslim viewers the film could present some criticism or self-criticism to allow the chance to re-evaluate their own system of values," said Cakar.
Kiziltan believes the film also shows how Islam has not been subject to reforms or a process of enlightenment, and can subject those who observe it unquestioningly to a life of torment.
"If the Koran continues to be interpreted as it is interpreted today by people like the character of Muharrem, then they too are living bombs of madness," he said.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Review | Climates (Iklimler) by Philip French
Sunday February 11, 2007
The Observer
Climates (Iklimler)
(101 mins, 15)
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; starring Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Nazan Kesal
Four years ago, Turkish writer-director Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Grand Prix du Jury at Cannes for his movie Uzak, and its main actors (both non-professional) shared the best actor award. That remarkable film centres on the difficult relationship between a divorced commercial photographer and his young, unemployed nephew from the countryside who moves into his Istanbul flat while searching for work.
It's a bleak, minimalist work about desolation and loss, though it did have one brilliantly funny sequence in which the photographer attempts to establish his superiority over his peasant nephew by watching a video of Tarkovsky's Stalker. When this highbrow film drives the bored boy to bed, he puts on a lesbian porn movie. Suddenly, the lad returns and his uncle switches to a TV channel showing a crude Turkish comedy which bores both of them to distraction.
There's a little parable in that scene about taste, honesty and posturing and in an odd way, it anticipates Ceylan's masterly, totally convincing new picture. It's clearly influenced by Tarkovsky (as well as Bergman, Antonioni, Angelopoulos and the European high-art cinema of a couple of decades ago); it features an erotic scene that one suspects is unusually strong for a Turkish movie and it ends on the location set of what appears to be a dire melodrama being made for Turkish television.
The movie is called Climates, though it might well have been called 'Seasons', because it unfolds in three parts - a sweltering summer beside the sea, an autumn accompanied by torrential rain in Istanbul and winter in the snowy mountains in eastern Turkey. The weather reflects the moods of its hero, Isa, and his relationship with his partner, Bahar, and they're played by Ceylan and his real-life wife, while the hero's parents are played by Ceylan's elderly parents.
Isa, a university teacher in his forties, is first seen in a pre-credit sequence taking photographs in a ruined temple in Kas, the holiday resort on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. He and Bahar are alone in the baking heat and seem separate from each other. She climbs a hill to look down on the site and sees him stumble without actually falling and a tear runs down her cheek. There's no music, just natural sound. The only music we hear later is a Scarlatti sonata and the tinny tinkling of a minute music box.
It's a curiously haunting opening and is followed after the credits by several more holiday scenes. In a single seven-minute take at an alfresco dinner with another couple, conversation dries up and while Bahar and Isa are at each other's throats, they never raise their voices. A break-up seems imminent. The following day on the beach, Bahar has a dream of being buried alive by Isa and he rehearses and then delivers a speech about going their own ways while remaining friends. She next tries to kill them both while on a motor scooter negotiating a road that drops precipitately into the sea. This scene ends with a long-held shot of a boat out at sea which is echoed in the final shot: life goes on oblivious to their troubled lives.
We're never told if the couple are married or just living together when they break up and, indeed, most things are left for us to infer from what we see or from hints dropped in conversation. It is never revealed what Isa teaches (archaeology? architecture? photography?), but we gather that his career has stalled, that he has an edgy relationship with a fellow teacher, rarely visits his parents and has a casual attitude towards the truth.
Bahar, an art director working in television, is a gentle, sensitive, vulnerable creature. By contrast, Isa's former girlfriend Serap is tough, mocking and married to a close friend of his. This relationship doesn't prevent him pursuing her and on their first reunion, they move on from coffee to wine and then to sex. Again with only one edit and no camera movement, Isa and Serap start making love on a sofa, fall off on to the floor and thrash around, tearing off each other's clothes in a manner even more brutal (and more convincing) than the sex between Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche in Damage
Isa, who has something of the weakness, self-deception and spiritual emptiness of the heroes of Antonioni's L'Avventura and La Notte, soon rejects Serap and, seeking a change, he considers a holiday in the sun. But a photograph in a brochure of an idyllic beach makes him think of the previous summer and Bahar, whose name apparently means spring in Turkish. So instead of heading for warmer climes, he takes a plane to the snow-covered country town in the east where Bahar is on location, shooting a peasant revenge melodrama.
He stalks her and tries to win her back, declaring that he's a changed man, that he'll go anywhere, do anything for her. She asks him to give her a truthful answer to one question. He lies. The main scene of their reunion takes place in a minibus in a seemingly endless single take that is constantly interrupted by members of the crew opening the doors to deposit film equipment. It is absolutely riveting and painfully honest. This movie is art house angst in its purest form, but I cannot imagine anyone, anywhere over the age of 30 failing to find Climates deeply affecting.
· Climates: Turkey Cinemascope, an exhibition of photographs by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, is showing at the National Theatre, London SE1, until 3 March
The Observer
Climates (Iklimler)
(101 mins, 15)
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; starring Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Nazan Kesal
Four years ago, Turkish writer-director Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Grand Prix du Jury at Cannes for his movie Uzak, and its main actors (both non-professional) shared the best actor award. That remarkable film centres on the difficult relationship between a divorced commercial photographer and his young, unemployed nephew from the countryside who moves into his Istanbul flat while searching for work.
It's a bleak, minimalist work about desolation and loss, though it did have one brilliantly funny sequence in which the photographer attempts to establish his superiority over his peasant nephew by watching a video of Tarkovsky's Stalker. When this highbrow film drives the bored boy to bed, he puts on a lesbian porn movie. Suddenly, the lad returns and his uncle switches to a TV channel showing a crude Turkish comedy which bores both of them to distraction.
There's a little parable in that scene about taste, honesty and posturing and in an odd way, it anticipates Ceylan's masterly, totally convincing new picture. It's clearly influenced by Tarkovsky (as well as Bergman, Antonioni, Angelopoulos and the European high-art cinema of a couple of decades ago); it features an erotic scene that one suspects is unusually strong for a Turkish movie and it ends on the location set of what appears to be a dire melodrama being made for Turkish television.
The movie is called Climates, though it might well have been called 'Seasons', because it unfolds in three parts - a sweltering summer beside the sea, an autumn accompanied by torrential rain in Istanbul and winter in the snowy mountains in eastern Turkey. The weather reflects the moods of its hero, Isa, and his relationship with his partner, Bahar, and they're played by Ceylan and his real-life wife, while the hero's parents are played by Ceylan's elderly parents.
Isa, a university teacher in his forties, is first seen in a pre-credit sequence taking photographs in a ruined temple in Kas, the holiday resort on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. He and Bahar are alone in the baking heat and seem separate from each other. She climbs a hill to look down on the site and sees him stumble without actually falling and a tear runs down her cheek. There's no music, just natural sound. The only music we hear later is a Scarlatti sonata and the tinny tinkling of a minute music box.
It's a curiously haunting opening and is followed after the credits by several more holiday scenes. In a single seven-minute take at an alfresco dinner with another couple, conversation dries up and while Bahar and Isa are at each other's throats, they never raise their voices. A break-up seems imminent. The following day on the beach, Bahar has a dream of being buried alive by Isa and he rehearses and then delivers a speech about going their own ways while remaining friends. She next tries to kill them both while on a motor scooter negotiating a road that drops precipitately into the sea. This scene ends with a long-held shot of a boat out at sea which is echoed in the final shot: life goes on oblivious to their troubled lives.
We're never told if the couple are married or just living together when they break up and, indeed, most things are left for us to infer from what we see or from hints dropped in conversation. It is never revealed what Isa teaches (archaeology? architecture? photography?), but we gather that his career has stalled, that he has an edgy relationship with a fellow teacher, rarely visits his parents and has a casual attitude towards the truth.
Bahar, an art director working in television, is a gentle, sensitive, vulnerable creature. By contrast, Isa's former girlfriend Serap is tough, mocking and married to a close friend of his. This relationship doesn't prevent him pursuing her and on their first reunion, they move on from coffee to wine and then to sex. Again with only one edit and no camera movement, Isa and Serap start making love on a sofa, fall off on to the floor and thrash around, tearing off each other's clothes in a manner even more brutal (and more convincing) than the sex between Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche in Damage
Isa, who has something of the weakness, self-deception and spiritual emptiness of the heroes of Antonioni's L'Avventura and La Notte, soon rejects Serap and, seeking a change, he considers a holiday in the sun. But a photograph in a brochure of an idyllic beach makes him think of the previous summer and Bahar, whose name apparently means spring in Turkish. So instead of heading for warmer climes, he takes a plane to the snow-covered country town in the east where Bahar is on location, shooting a peasant revenge melodrama.
He stalks her and tries to win her back, declaring that he's a changed man, that he'll go anywhere, do anything for her. She asks him to give her a truthful answer to one question. He lies. The main scene of their reunion takes place in a minibus in a seemingly endless single take that is constantly interrupted by members of the crew opening the doors to deposit film equipment. It is absolutely riveting and painfully honest. This movie is art house angst in its purest form, but I cannot imagine anyone, anywhere over the age of 30 failing to find Climates deeply affecting.
· Climates: Turkey Cinemascope, an exhibition of photographs by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, is showing at the National Theatre, London SE1, until 3 March
Friday, February 09, 2007
DAS HAUS DER LERCHEN / IL ETAIT UNE FOIS EN ARMENIE
DAS HAUS DER LERCHEN Die Avakians sind eine reiche armenische Familie. Zu ihr gehören Aram, ein Großgrundbesitzer, der in einer türkischen Kleinstadt lebt, und Assadour, ein erfolgreicher Arzt aus Venedig. Die Brüder haben sich lange nicht ge - sehen, und so vereinbaren sie ein Wiedersehen in Armenien. Während Assa dour sich auf den Besuch in der Heimat vorbereitet, beginnt der armenische Teil der Familie, den alten Herrensitz für den Besuch aus dem Aus land herzurichten. Es wird getischlert, gestrichen, repariert und auch an einen Tennisplatz wird gedacht, den es für die Italiener anzulegen gilt. Inzwischen hat sich die politische Lage dramatisch zugespitzt.
Während die Jungtürken seit ihrer Machtübernahme 1913 vom Großtürkischen Reich träumten, gehen Italien und Frankreich 1915 eine Allianz gegen die Türkei und Österreich ein. Assadour hofft vergebens, noch von Italien aus in sein Heimatland reisen zu können, denn in Armenien bricht die Hölle los. Die Jungtürken ordnen ein Massaker an der armenischen Bevölkerung an. Auch Aram und seine Familie werden in ihrem Versteck entdeckt. Die Männer werden umge bracht und die Frauen deportiert. Es ist ein Marsch in den sicheren Tod, doch die Frauen der Avakians haben einen Beschützer. Nunik, Arams Tochter, verliebt sich in einen der türkischen Offiziere. Der sorgt dafür, dass seiner Geliebten und ihrer Mutter nicht noch mehr Leid angetan wird. Doch damit sind die Frauen noch lange nicht in Sicherheit.
(+ click to enlarge)
IL ETAIT UNE FOIS EN ARMENIE Les Avakian sont une riche famille arménienne dont font partie Aram, un gros propriétaire terrien qui vit dans une bourgade turque, et Assadour, un médecin renommé de Venise. Les frères ne se sont pas vus depuis longtemps et conviennent de se retrouver en Arménie. Tandis qu’Assadour s’occupedes préparatifs pour le voyage, les membres de la famille qui vivent en Arménie remettent la vieille propriété en état pour accueillir les visiteurs de l’étranger. Des menuisiers, des peintres et d’autres artisans s’activent pour tout réparer et l’on songe même à aménager un court de tennis pour les Italiens. Entre-temps, la situation politique s’est aggravée de façon dramatique.
Tandis que les Jeunes Turcs, qui ont pris le pouvoir en 1913, rêvent désormais d’un grand empire turc, l’Italie et la France constituent en 1915 une alliance contre la Turquie et l’Autriche. Assadour espère vainement pouvoir encore retourner dans son pays natal lorsque l’enfer se déchaîne en Arménie. Les Jeunes Turcs ordonnent le massacre de la population arménienne. Aram et sa famille sont eux aussi découverts dans leur cachette. Les hommes sont exécutés et les femmes contraintes à la déportation. C’est une marche vers une mort certaine, mais les femmes de la famille Avakian ont un protecteur. Nunik, la fille d’Aram, est tombée amoureuse d’un officier turc. Il veille à ce que sa bien-aimée et le reste de la famille n’aient pas à endurer encore davantage de souffrances. Pourtant, les femmes sont encore loin d’être en sécurité.
Während die Jungtürken seit ihrer Machtübernahme 1913 vom Großtürkischen Reich träumten, gehen Italien und Frankreich 1915 eine Allianz gegen die Türkei und Österreich ein. Assadour hofft vergebens, noch von Italien aus in sein Heimatland reisen zu können, denn in Armenien bricht die Hölle los. Die Jungtürken ordnen ein Massaker an der armenischen Bevölkerung an. Auch Aram und seine Familie werden in ihrem Versteck entdeckt. Die Männer werden umge bracht und die Frauen deportiert. Es ist ein Marsch in den sicheren Tod, doch die Frauen der Avakians haben einen Beschützer. Nunik, Arams Tochter, verliebt sich in einen der türkischen Offiziere. Der sorgt dafür, dass seiner Geliebten und ihrer Mutter nicht noch mehr Leid angetan wird. Doch damit sind die Frauen noch lange nicht in Sicherheit.
(+ click to enlarge)
IL ETAIT UNE FOIS EN ARMENIE Les Avakian sont une riche famille arménienne dont font partie Aram, un gros propriétaire terrien qui vit dans une bourgade turque, et Assadour, un médecin renommé de Venise. Les frères ne se sont pas vus depuis longtemps et conviennent de se retrouver en Arménie. Tandis qu’Assadour s’occupedes préparatifs pour le voyage, les membres de la famille qui vivent en Arménie remettent la vieille propriété en état pour accueillir les visiteurs de l’étranger. Des menuisiers, des peintres et d’autres artisans s’activent pour tout réparer et l’on songe même à aménager un court de tennis pour les Italiens. Entre-temps, la situation politique s’est aggravée de façon dramatique.
Tandis que les Jeunes Turcs, qui ont pris le pouvoir en 1913, rêvent désormais d’un grand empire turc, l’Italie et la France constituent en 1915 une alliance contre la Turquie et l’Autriche. Assadour espère vainement pouvoir encore retourner dans son pays natal lorsque l’enfer se déchaîne en Arménie. Les Jeunes Turcs ordonnent le massacre de la population arménienne. Aram et sa famille sont eux aussi découverts dans leur cachette. Les hommes sont exécutés et les femmes contraintes à la déportation. C’est une marche vers une mort certaine, mais les femmes de la famille Avakian ont un protecteur. Nunik, la fille d’Aram, est tombée amoureuse d’un officier turc. Il veille à ce que sa bien-aimée et le reste de la famille n’aient pas à endurer encore davantage de souffrances. Pourtant, les femmes sont encore loin d’être en sécurité.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
German Film and Migration - A History of Perception
At Home Abroad
German Film and Migration - A History of Perception
Georg Seesslen [1]
Source: German Films | Full Text From Mavi Boncuk Archives
"Angst fressen Seele auf" (photo courtesy of Filmmuseum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek) "Katzelmacher" (photo courtesy of Filmmuseum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek) "Erkan & Stefan" (photo courtesy of Hofmann & Voges Filmproduktion) "dealer" (photo courtesy of Trans-Film)
In the objective language of the encyclopedia, the word "migration" means "the itinerant motion of human individuals or groups resulting in a change of residence that is more than short-term." In addition, a division is made into "emigration" (leaving a country), "immigration" (entering a country) and the rarer form "permigration" (passing through a country); finally, political law distinguishes between legal and illegal migration. Seen from this point of view, migration is a movement in history expressed by figures and laws, and illustrated by brightly-colored arrows on maps. But for the individual, migration means no less than destiny; a life between fear and hope, between alienation and integration. These are stories that must be told, to aid understanding and the understanding of self, or because migration is mankind's story per se, with all its perceptions and feelings, with all its dramas and grotesques. And there are few media as capable of describing migration and its consequences in such a precise, sensual way as the cinema.
.................
Like cinema beure in France and films by Hanif Kureishi in England, third generation cinema - with a delay of one decade - experienced a heyday in Germany during the nineties. The filmmakers formed networks and a number of films also succeeded in gaining acknowledgement at the center of (cinema) culture. Even the cinema of foreignness was developed into a kind of mainstream variation during the nineties; as in Eine unmoegliche Hochzeit (1996, Horst Johann Sczerba), it combined elements of situation comedy with issues of asylum, or as in amusing comedies such as Lupo und der Muezzin, it described minor cultural clashes in the German provinces. Despite the comic tone of such films, they are far from any illusions of trouble-free integration.
FULL TEXT
"Lola + Bilidikid" (photo © courtesy of zerofilm/Boje-Buck) "Geschwister" (photo courtesy of Trans-Film) "der schoene Tag" (photo courtesy of zerofilm/Pickpocket Film) "Auslandstournee" (photo courtesy of Mira Film)
"Ghetto Kids" (photo © BR) "Elefantenherz" (photo courtesy of Cameo Film) "Urban Guerillas" (photo © 36Pictures) "Kebab Connection" (photo © Georges Pauly)
"Kurz und schmerzlos" (photo © Wueste Film) "Was lebst Du?" (photo © ICON Film/Bettina Braun) "Gegen die Wand" (photo © Wueste Film/Kerstin Stelter)
[1] Film critic and author George Seesslen (* 1948 in Munich) studied painting, history of art and Semiologie in Munich. He lectured at different universities at home and abroad and works as a freelance writer for epd Film, Frankfurter Rundschau, Freitag, Jungle world, konkret, Der Tagesspiegel, taz and DIE ZEIT.
German Film and Migration - A History of Perception
Georg Seesslen [1]
Source: German Films | Full Text From Mavi Boncuk Archives
"Angst fressen Seele auf" (photo courtesy of Filmmuseum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek) "Katzelmacher" (photo courtesy of Filmmuseum Berlin/Deutsche Kinemathek) "Erkan & Stefan" (photo courtesy of Hofmann & Voges Filmproduktion) "dealer" (photo courtesy of Trans-Film)
In the objective language of the encyclopedia, the word "migration" means "the itinerant motion of human individuals or groups resulting in a change of residence that is more than short-term." In addition, a division is made into "emigration" (leaving a country), "immigration" (entering a country) and the rarer form "permigration" (passing through a country); finally, political law distinguishes between legal and illegal migration. Seen from this point of view, migration is a movement in history expressed by figures and laws, and illustrated by brightly-colored arrows on maps. But for the individual, migration means no less than destiny; a life between fear and hope, between alienation and integration. These are stories that must be told, to aid understanding and the understanding of self, or because migration is mankind's story per se, with all its perceptions and feelings, with all its dramas and grotesques. And there are few media as capable of describing migration and its consequences in such a precise, sensual way as the cinema.
.................
Like cinema beure in France and films by Hanif Kureishi in England, third generation cinema - with a delay of one decade - experienced a heyday in Germany during the nineties. The filmmakers formed networks and a number of films also succeeded in gaining acknowledgement at the center of (cinema) culture. Even the cinema of foreignness was developed into a kind of mainstream variation during the nineties; as in Eine unmoegliche Hochzeit (1996, Horst Johann Sczerba), it combined elements of situation comedy with issues of asylum, or as in amusing comedies such as Lupo und der Muezzin, it described minor cultural clashes in the German provinces. Despite the comic tone of such films, they are far from any illusions of trouble-free integration.
FULL TEXT
"Lola + Bilidikid" (photo © courtesy of zerofilm/Boje-Buck) "Geschwister" (photo courtesy of Trans-Film) "der schoene Tag" (photo courtesy of zerofilm/Pickpocket Film) "Auslandstournee" (photo courtesy of Mira Film)
"Ghetto Kids" (photo © BR) "Elefantenherz" (photo courtesy of Cameo Film) "Urban Guerillas" (photo © 36Pictures) "Kebab Connection" (photo © Georges Pauly)
"Kurz und schmerzlos" (photo © Wueste Film) "Was lebst Du?" (photo © ICON Film/Bettina Braun) "Gegen die Wand" (photo © Wueste Film/Kerstin Stelter)
[1] Film critic and author George Seesslen (* 1948 in Munich) studied painting, history of art and Semiologie in Munich. He lectured at different universities at home and abroad and works as a freelance writer for epd Film, Frankfurter Rundschau, Freitag, Jungle world, konkret, Der Tagesspiegel, taz and DIE ZEIT.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
A Brief History of a Century of Turkish Cinema
July 13, 2004 - feature
A Brief History of a Century of Turkish Cinema by Emrah Guler | Ankara- Turkish Daily News
See Also: Turkish Cinema
Scenes from Turkish Cinema The first Turkish movie was a documentary produced by Fuat Uzkinay in 1914, depicting the public's destruction of the Russian monument in Ayastefanos
From 1923 to 1939, Muhsin Ertugrul was the only film director in the country. He directed 29 films during this period, generally incorporating adaptions of plays, operettas, novels and foreign films. It could be said that Ertugrul established a monopoly over cinema which lasted for two decades, and also that it was he who introduced cinema to the Turkish people
After 1970, a new and young generation of directors emerged, but they had to cope with an increased demand for films on videocassette after 1980. Increased production costs and difficulties faced in the import of raw materials brought about a decrease in the number of films made in the 1970s, and the quality of films improved
Cinema, like any other form of entertainment, paints a clear picture of the social and cultural structure of a specific society. A detailed look at the history of cinema would reveal much about the social life and cultural inclinations of the specific period in question. And as with the history of cinema in general, Turkish cinema goes back a century, at about the same time that film emerged as a new technology and a form of art and entertainment in the West.
The first film screening in Turkey goes back to the 19th century, specifically in 1896, and it took place at the Yildiz Palace in Istanbul. Public shows by Sigmund Weinberger in the Beyoglu and Sehzadebasi districts of Istanbul followed the next year. Naturally, the films shown were foreign ones.
The first native Turkish movie was a documentary produced by Fuat Uzkinay in 1914 depicting the public's destruction of the Russian monument in Ayastefanos. The first thematic Turkish films were "Himmet Aga'nin Evliligi" (The Marriage of Himmet Aga), which was made from 1916-18, which was started by Weinberger and completed by Uzkinay; "Pence" (The Paw) in 1917; and "Casus" (The Spy) in 1917, the latter two by Sedat Simavi. The army-affiliated Central Cinema Directorate, a semi-military national defense society, and the Disabled Veterans Society were the film-producing organizations of that period.
The reign of Muhsin Ertugrul
In 1922 a major documentary film, "Kurtulus, Izmir Zaferi" (Independence, the Izmir Victory), was made about the First War of Independence, prior to the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The same year, the first private studio, Kemal Film (inspired most probably by Turkish commander and hero Mustafa Ataturk's middle name), commenced operations.
From 1923 to 1939, Muhsin Ertugrul was the only film director in Turkey. He directed 29 films during this period, generally incorporating adaptions of plays, operettas, novels and foreign films. The influence of the theater dating back to Uzkinay, Simavi, Ahmet Fehim and Karagozoglu was very influential in Ertugrul's work.
It could be said that Ertugrul established a monopoly over cinema which lasted for two decades, and also that it was he who introduced film to the Turkish people.
The years from 1939 to 1950 were a period of transition for Turkish cinema, during which time it was greatly influenced by the stage as well as the earthshaking developments of World War II. While there were only two film companies in 1939, the number increased to four from 1946 to 1950. After 1949, Turkish cinema was able to develop as a separate art, with a more professional caliber of talents.
Social changes from the '50s to the '70s
The equality of income distribution and the existence of the middle class achieved after the establishment of the Turkish Republic was replaced in the 1950s by an orientation towards capitalism, inequalities between higher and lower socioeconomic classes, political conservatism, migration from rural areas to cities, and an increasing consumerist culture within society.
The 1960 military coup and the 1961 Constitution which followed were interpreted by some as being valuable and revolutionary for intellectual life, bringing an air of hope and freedom to social and political life. But after some time, the progressive trends within cultural and social life unfortunately came to an end, eventually making a negative transformation into movements towards Westernization due to increasing restrictions within Turkey.
Turkish society was caught between the duality of East and West. While the West seemed to offer improvement on a material and intellectual level, the East seemed to convey spiritual, social, and cultural values; various Islamic practices; and the influential Anatolian tradition of folk culture as well.
People's everyday social life was politicized by the implementation of a variety of daily Westernized practices and the appropriation of popular Western culture as embodied in clothing, lifestyles, food, movies, and music.
The year 1965 saw a change in government. This change was the starting point of a restoration period which saw both severe inspections and tension between opposing ideologies. The beginning of the '70s were chaotic years in Turkish political life due to the rapid polarization of political groups.
These conditions caused new paths of individualization to develop, and these various paths can be grouped under the umbrella term "arabesk" (the name comes from the word "Arab," but in fact it's a Turkish cultural production and phenomenon which emphasizes the low-quality sector of art and lifestyles). The polarization of social life became more evident in mid-'70s. Interestingly, Turkish cinema flourished between the years 1965 and 1975, also known as the golden years.
A 'Golden Bear' for Turkish cinema
Between 1950 and 1966, more than 50 directors practiced the art of filmmaking in Turkey. Omer Lutfi Akad had a strong influence on the period, but in fact Osman F. Seden, Atif Yilmaz and Memduh Un made more films. Metin Erksan's film "Susuz Yaz" (Dry Summer) won the Golden Bear Award at the 1964 Berlin Film Festival. The numbers of Turkish cinema-goers and films show a constant upward trend, especially after 1958.
In the 1960s, cinema courses were included in theater department programs in the language, history and geography faculties of Ankara and Istanbul Universities and at the Ankara University Press and Publications High School. A cinema branch was also established in the art history department of the State Fine Arts Academy. The Union of Turkish Film Producers and the State Film Archives also were established during that era. The State Film Archives became the Turkish Film Archives in 1969. During the same period, the Cinema-TV Institute was established and subsequently annexed to the State Academy of Fine Arts. The Turkish State Archives also became part of this organization. In 1962, the Cinema-TV Institute became a department at Mimar Sinan University.
The golden years of Turkish cinema
When the decade of 1965-75 is examined, it is evident that the postwar unproductive era was over. The social movements of the '60s and society's addiction to cheap and collective entertainment was another reason for the rapid growth in filmmaking during those years. The 1960s witnessed two types of films being made in Turkey: films about the realities of society and "Yesilcam" movies that answered the needs of the newly-emerging consumerist culture.
But when the '70s finally drew to a close, the growing popularity of television, continuing economic crises, political instability, and an increase in migration led to the close of a number of film houses. At the same time, family melodramas were replaced with arabesk melodramas -- i.e., melodramas with singers, action and sex. These movies were far cheaper to produce.
Among the well-known directors of the 1960-70 period are Metin Erksan, Atif Yilmaz, Memduh Un, Halit Refig, Duygu Sagiroglu and Nevat Pesen. In 1970, the numbers of theatres and cinema-goers rose spectacularly. A record 246 million viewers could go to see their favorite movies at over 2,000 cinemas.
In 1970, approximately 220 films were made and this figure reached 300 in 1972. After this period, movies began to lose their audience to the newly nationwide TV broadcasts. After 1970, a new, young generation of directors emerged, but they had to cope with an increased demand for films on video cassette in the years after 1980. Increased production costs and difficulties faced in the import of raw materials brought about a decrease in the number of films made in the 1970s, and the quality of films improved.
In January 1986, a new cinema law established support for those working in cinema and music. A reorganization of the film industry began in 1987 in order to address certain problems and ensure its development. The Ministry of Culture established the "Professional Union of Owners of Turkish Works of Cinema" in the same year. The Copyrights and General Directorate of Cinema was founded in 1989, as was a Support Fund for the Cinema and Musical Arts. This fund is used to provide financial support to the film sector.
What happened after the '70s?
In the 1970s film production increased and the era of black and white films came to an end. The film industry, affected negatively by the sweeping popularity of television and economic and political developments, had to fight to regain its popularity for many years.
Yet at the same time, the '70s was a productive period in which much was achieved for the development of Turkish cinema. In fact, producers like Yilmaz Guney, Lutfi Akad, Tunc Okan, Zeki Okten, Erden Kral and Yavuz Ozkan gained considerable international recognition for their valuable work.
New names were added to this list of directors in the 1980s, including leading directors such as Ali Ozgenturk, Omer Kavur, Sinan Cetin, Serif Goren, Yavuz Turgul, and Zulfu Livaneli. Directors of the old school such as Atif Yilmaz and Tunc Basaran also made some fine films. During that time, apart from films focusing on social problems, a trend emerged which stressed individuality, especially women's search for identity. Comedy films also enjoyed a surge in popularity. And the last couple of years have seen a revival of the Turkish movie industry. Many recent Turkish films share a place alongside Hollywood films at movie houses and some have been screened at major international film festivals and competitions.
A Brief History of a Century of Turkish Cinema by Emrah Guler | Ankara- Turkish Daily News
See Also: Turkish Cinema
Scenes from Turkish Cinema The first Turkish movie was a documentary produced by Fuat Uzkinay in 1914, depicting the public's destruction of the Russian monument in Ayastefanos
From 1923 to 1939, Muhsin Ertugrul was the only film director in the country. He directed 29 films during this period, generally incorporating adaptions of plays, operettas, novels and foreign films. It could be said that Ertugrul established a monopoly over cinema which lasted for two decades, and also that it was he who introduced cinema to the Turkish people
After 1970, a new and young generation of directors emerged, but they had to cope with an increased demand for films on videocassette after 1980. Increased production costs and difficulties faced in the import of raw materials brought about a decrease in the number of films made in the 1970s, and the quality of films improved
Cinema, like any other form of entertainment, paints a clear picture of the social and cultural structure of a specific society. A detailed look at the history of cinema would reveal much about the social life and cultural inclinations of the specific period in question. And as with the history of cinema in general, Turkish cinema goes back a century, at about the same time that film emerged as a new technology and a form of art and entertainment in the West.
The first film screening in Turkey goes back to the 19th century, specifically in 1896, and it took place at the Yildiz Palace in Istanbul. Public shows by Sigmund Weinberger in the Beyoglu and Sehzadebasi districts of Istanbul followed the next year. Naturally, the films shown were foreign ones.
The first native Turkish movie was a documentary produced by Fuat Uzkinay in 1914 depicting the public's destruction of the Russian monument in Ayastefanos. The first thematic Turkish films were "Himmet Aga'nin Evliligi" (The Marriage of Himmet Aga), which was made from 1916-18, which was started by Weinberger and completed by Uzkinay; "Pence" (The Paw) in 1917; and "Casus" (The Spy) in 1917, the latter two by Sedat Simavi. The army-affiliated Central Cinema Directorate, a semi-military national defense society, and the Disabled Veterans Society were the film-producing organizations of that period.
The reign of Muhsin Ertugrul
In 1922 a major documentary film, "Kurtulus, Izmir Zaferi" (Independence, the Izmir Victory), was made about the First War of Independence, prior to the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The same year, the first private studio, Kemal Film (inspired most probably by Turkish commander and hero Mustafa Ataturk's middle name), commenced operations.
From 1923 to 1939, Muhsin Ertugrul was the only film director in Turkey. He directed 29 films during this period, generally incorporating adaptions of plays, operettas, novels and foreign films. The influence of the theater dating back to Uzkinay, Simavi, Ahmet Fehim and Karagozoglu was very influential in Ertugrul's work.
It could be said that Ertugrul established a monopoly over cinema which lasted for two decades, and also that it was he who introduced film to the Turkish people.
The years from 1939 to 1950 were a period of transition for Turkish cinema, during which time it was greatly influenced by the stage as well as the earthshaking developments of World War II. While there were only two film companies in 1939, the number increased to four from 1946 to 1950. After 1949, Turkish cinema was able to develop as a separate art, with a more professional caliber of talents.
Social changes from the '50s to the '70s
The equality of income distribution and the existence of the middle class achieved after the establishment of the Turkish Republic was replaced in the 1950s by an orientation towards capitalism, inequalities between higher and lower socioeconomic classes, political conservatism, migration from rural areas to cities, and an increasing consumerist culture within society.
The 1960 military coup and the 1961 Constitution which followed were interpreted by some as being valuable and revolutionary for intellectual life, bringing an air of hope and freedom to social and political life. But after some time, the progressive trends within cultural and social life unfortunately came to an end, eventually making a negative transformation into movements towards Westernization due to increasing restrictions within Turkey.
Turkish society was caught between the duality of East and West. While the West seemed to offer improvement on a material and intellectual level, the East seemed to convey spiritual, social, and cultural values; various Islamic practices; and the influential Anatolian tradition of folk culture as well.
People's everyday social life was politicized by the implementation of a variety of daily Westernized practices and the appropriation of popular Western culture as embodied in clothing, lifestyles, food, movies, and music.
The year 1965 saw a change in government. This change was the starting point of a restoration period which saw both severe inspections and tension between opposing ideologies. The beginning of the '70s were chaotic years in Turkish political life due to the rapid polarization of political groups.
These conditions caused new paths of individualization to develop, and these various paths can be grouped under the umbrella term "arabesk" (the name comes from the word "Arab," but in fact it's a Turkish cultural production and phenomenon which emphasizes the low-quality sector of art and lifestyles). The polarization of social life became more evident in mid-'70s. Interestingly, Turkish cinema flourished between the years 1965 and 1975, also known as the golden years.
A 'Golden Bear' for Turkish cinema
Between 1950 and 1966, more than 50 directors practiced the art of filmmaking in Turkey. Omer Lutfi Akad had a strong influence on the period, but in fact Osman F. Seden, Atif Yilmaz and Memduh Un made more films. Metin Erksan's film "Susuz Yaz" (Dry Summer) won the Golden Bear Award at the 1964 Berlin Film Festival. The numbers of Turkish cinema-goers and films show a constant upward trend, especially after 1958.
In the 1960s, cinema courses were included in theater department programs in the language, history and geography faculties of Ankara and Istanbul Universities and at the Ankara University Press and Publications High School. A cinema branch was also established in the art history department of the State Fine Arts Academy. The Union of Turkish Film Producers and the State Film Archives also were established during that era. The State Film Archives became the Turkish Film Archives in 1969. During the same period, the Cinema-TV Institute was established and subsequently annexed to the State Academy of Fine Arts. The Turkish State Archives also became part of this organization. In 1962, the Cinema-TV Institute became a department at Mimar Sinan University.
The golden years of Turkish cinema
When the decade of 1965-75 is examined, it is evident that the postwar unproductive era was over. The social movements of the '60s and society's addiction to cheap and collective entertainment was another reason for the rapid growth in filmmaking during those years. The 1960s witnessed two types of films being made in Turkey: films about the realities of society and "Yesilcam" movies that answered the needs of the newly-emerging consumerist culture.
But when the '70s finally drew to a close, the growing popularity of television, continuing economic crises, political instability, and an increase in migration led to the close of a number of film houses. At the same time, family melodramas were replaced with arabesk melodramas -- i.e., melodramas with singers, action and sex. These movies were far cheaper to produce.
Among the well-known directors of the 1960-70 period are Metin Erksan, Atif Yilmaz, Memduh Un, Halit Refig, Duygu Sagiroglu and Nevat Pesen. In 1970, the numbers of theatres and cinema-goers rose spectacularly. A record 246 million viewers could go to see their favorite movies at over 2,000 cinemas.
In 1970, approximately 220 films were made and this figure reached 300 in 1972. After this period, movies began to lose their audience to the newly nationwide TV broadcasts. After 1970, a new, young generation of directors emerged, but they had to cope with an increased demand for films on video cassette in the years after 1980. Increased production costs and difficulties faced in the import of raw materials brought about a decrease in the number of films made in the 1970s, and the quality of films improved.
In January 1986, a new cinema law established support for those working in cinema and music. A reorganization of the film industry began in 1987 in order to address certain problems and ensure its development. The Ministry of Culture established the "Professional Union of Owners of Turkish Works of Cinema" in the same year. The Copyrights and General Directorate of Cinema was founded in 1989, as was a Support Fund for the Cinema and Musical Arts. This fund is used to provide financial support to the film sector.
What happened after the '70s?
In the 1970s film production increased and the era of black and white films came to an end. The film industry, affected negatively by the sweeping popularity of television and economic and political developments, had to fight to regain its popularity for many years.
Yet at the same time, the '70s was a productive period in which much was achieved for the development of Turkish cinema. In fact, producers like Yilmaz Guney, Lutfi Akad, Tunc Okan, Zeki Okten, Erden Kral and Yavuz Ozkan gained considerable international recognition for their valuable work.
New names were added to this list of directors in the 1980s, including leading directors such as Ali Ozgenturk, Omer Kavur, Sinan Cetin, Serif Goren, Yavuz Turgul, and Zulfu Livaneli. Directors of the old school such as Atif Yilmaz and Tunc Basaran also made some fine films. During that time, apart from films focusing on social problems, a trend emerged which stressed individuality, especially women's search for identity. Comedy films also enjoyed a surge in popularity. And the last couple of years have seen a revival of the Turkish movie industry. Many recent Turkish films share a place alongside Hollywood films at movie houses and some have been screened at major international film festivals and competitions.
Selected Turkish Cinema Bibliography
Armes, Roy. "Yilmaz Guney." Third World Filmmaking and the West. Ed. John Downing. New York: Praeger, 1987. 119-129.
Buker, Secil. "This Film Does not End with an Ecstatic Kiss." Fragments of Culture: The Everyday of Modern Turkey. Eds. Deniz Kandiyoti and Ayse Saktanber. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 2002. 147-170.
Donmez-Colin. "New Turkish Cinema: Individual Tales of Common Concerns."Asian Cinema. 14:1. Spring 2003. 138-45.
Dorsay, Atilla. "Turkey on its own Terms." Being and Becoming: The Cinemas of Asia. Eds. Aruna Vasudev, Latkia Padgaonkar, and Rashmi Doraiswamy. New Delhi: Macmillan India, 2002. 462-483.
Dorsay, Atilla. "Turkish Cinema: Journey to the Future." Cinemaya: The Asian Film Quarterly. 47-48. Spring 2000. 92-94.
Ebiri, Bilge. "Yilmaz Guney." Senses of Cinema. (http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/05/guney.html). 15 November 2006.
Erdogan, Nezih. "Mute Bodies, Disembodied Voices: Notes on Sound in Turkish Popular Cinema." Screen. 43:3. 2002. 233-249.
Erdogan, Nezih. "Narratives of Resistance: National Identity and Ambivalence in the Turkish Melodrama Between 1965 and 1975." Screen. 39:3. 1998. 259-271.
Gokturk, Deniz. "Turkish Women on German Streets: Closure and Exposure in Turkish Transnational Cinema." Spaces in European Cinema. Ed. Myrto Konstantarakos. Exeter and Portland: Intellect, 2000.
Ilal, Ersan. "Turkish Cinema." Film and Politics in the Third World. Ed. John Downing. New York: Praeger, 1987. 119-129.
Kilicbay, Baris and Emine Onaran Incirlioglu. "Interrupted Happiness: Class Boundaries and the 'Impossible Love' in Turkish Melodrama." Ephemera: Critical Dialogues on Organization. 3:3. 2003. 236-249.
Monceau, Nicolas. "Confronting Turkey's Social Realities: An Interview with Yesim Ustaoglu." Cineaste. 26:3. 2001. 28-30.
Robins, Kevin and Asu Aksoy. "Deep Nation: The National Question and Turkish Cinema Culture." Cinema and Nation. Eds. Mette Hjort and Scott Mckenzie. London and New York: Routledge, 2000. 203-221.
Simpson, Catherine. "Turkish Cinema's Resurgence: The 'Deep Nation' Unravels."Senses of Cinema. (http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/06/39/turkish_cinema.html). 15 November 2006.
Sippl, Diane. "Ceylan and Company: Autobiographical Trajectories of Cinema."Cineaction. 67. 2005. 44-57.
Suner, Asuman. "Dark Passion." Sight and Sound. 15:3. March 2005. 18-21.
Suner, Asuman. "Horror of a Different Kind: Dissonant Voices of the New Turkish Cinema." Screen: The Journal of the Society for Education in Film and Television. 45:4. 2004. 305-23.
Suner, Asuman. "Nostalgia for an Imaginary Home: Memory, Space, and Identity in the New Turkish Cinema." New Perspectives on Turkey. 27. 2002. 61-76.
Woodhead, Christine, ed. Turkish Cinema: An Introduction. London: SOAS, 1989.
Ministry-supported films take awards
Turkish films made with the support of the Ministry of Culture are garnering international acclaim and awards.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is pleased with the support being given to the rejuvenated Turkish film sector both internationally and by filmgoers in Turkey. According to a 2006 survey, the percentage of those attending domestic films in theatres rose to 52 percent from a mere 8 percent.
Among the award-winning movies supported by the Ministry are: “Uzak” (”Distant”), “İklimer” (”Climates”), “Takva”(”A man’s fear of God”), “Beş Vakit” (”Times and Winds”), “Babam ve Oğlum” (”My father and son”), “Dondurmam Gaymak” (”I scream for ice cream”), “Eve Dönüş” (”The return home”), “Eve giden yol” (”The road that leads home”), “Hacivat ve Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?” (”Why were Hacivat and Karagöz killed?”) “Son Osmanlı-Yandım Ali” (”The Last Ottoman- I’m in trouble Ali”). The Ministry of Culture’s cinema manager, Selahattin Ertaş, indicated that the ministry is successful at supporting the right projects.
In 2005 the ministry supported “Babam ve Oğlum” with over YTL 2 million in financing. In 2006, 33 movies including “Takva” and “İklimler” were supported with YTL 6 million in funding. In the event a movie wins awards at international festivals or if they are simply unable to make a profit, the ministry will void the repayment of financing. While many of the films supported by the ministry have won awards from international festivals, none to date have been unable to make a profit. Their producers, thanks to renewed support at domestic cinemas, have been able to pay back the loans.
Ertaş noted the importance of the increasing the volume of Turkish movie viewers, adding the amount of Turks watching Turkish films has exceeded the amount that prefer Hollywood films. Ertaş said: “A sizeable community that usually never go to movie theatres started doing so with the revival of Turkish cinema.” Ertaş noted they would continue to support independent films, and were doing so with many important projects slated for release in 2007. Ertaş said that movies such as “Azul” (”Immigrant”), “Mavi Gözlü Dev” (”Blue eyed giant”), “Sis ve Gece” (”Fog and night”),”Ademin Trenleri” (”Adam’s Trains”), “Şanjan” (”Iridescence”) and “Sevgilim İstanbul” (”My love İstanbul”) will be premiere in 2007 and they expect each one of them to be a success. Ertaş said that although they were criticized for some of their choices in movies, the movies in question ultimately became huge success stories.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is pleased with the support being given to the rejuvenated Turkish film sector both internationally and by filmgoers in Turkey. According to a 2006 survey, the percentage of those attending domestic films in theatres rose to 52 percent from a mere 8 percent.
Among the award-winning movies supported by the Ministry are: “Uzak” (”Distant”), “İklimer” (”Climates”), “Takva”(”A man’s fear of God”), “Beş Vakit” (”Times and Winds”), “Babam ve Oğlum” (”My father and son”), “Dondurmam Gaymak” (”I scream for ice cream”), “Eve Dönüş” (”The return home”), “Eve giden yol” (”The road that leads home”), “Hacivat ve Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?” (”Why were Hacivat and Karagöz killed?”) “Son Osmanlı-Yandım Ali” (”The Last Ottoman- I’m in trouble Ali”). The Ministry of Culture’s cinema manager, Selahattin Ertaş, indicated that the ministry is successful at supporting the right projects.
In 2005 the ministry supported “Babam ve Oğlum” with over YTL 2 million in financing. In 2006, 33 movies including “Takva” and “İklimler” were supported with YTL 6 million in funding. In the event a movie wins awards at international festivals or if they are simply unable to make a profit, the ministry will void the repayment of financing. While many of the films supported by the ministry have won awards from international festivals, none to date have been unable to make a profit. Their producers, thanks to renewed support at domestic cinemas, have been able to pay back the loans.
Ertaş noted the importance of the increasing the volume of Turkish movie viewers, adding the amount of Turks watching Turkish films has exceeded the amount that prefer Hollywood films. Ertaş said: “A sizeable community that usually never go to movie theatres started doing so with the revival of Turkish cinema.” Ertaş noted they would continue to support independent films, and were doing so with many important projects slated for release in 2007. Ertaş said that movies such as “Azul” (”Immigrant”), “Mavi Gözlü Dev” (”Blue eyed giant”), “Sis ve Gece” (”Fog and night”),”Ademin Trenleri” (”Adam’s Trains”), “Şanjan” (”Iridescence”) and “Sevgilim İstanbul” (”My love İstanbul”) will be premiere in 2007 and they expect each one of them to be a success. Ertaş said that although they were criticized for some of their choices in movies, the movies in question ultimately became huge success stories.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Berlinale Special | THE LARK FARM
Release dates for Masseria delle allodole, La (2007)
Germany 14 February 2007(Berlin International Film Festival)
Italy 4 May 2007
Berlinale Special
Wed Feb 14 21:30 Filmpalast Berlin
Thu Feb 15 17:45 Cubix 8
LA MASSERIA DELLE ALLODOLE | DAS HAUS DER LERCHEN |THE LARK FARM | IL ETAIT UNE FOIS EN ARMENIE
Directed by: Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani
Italy/ Bulgaria/Spain/France 2007 |122 Min. | Format 35 mm, 1:1.85 | Color
Written by: Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani, Based on Antonia Arslan book; Cinematography: Giuseppe Lanci; Editing: Roberto Perpignani; Sound: Daniel Fontrodona; Music: Giuliani Taviani; Art direction: Andrea Crisanti; Set Design Laura Casalini; Visual Effects: Enrico Pieraccianni; Costumes: Lina Nerli Taviani; Make up: Massimiliano Duranti, Mauro Tamagnini; Asst. Direstor: Mimmola Girosi, Victor Bojinov; Exec. Producer: Guido Simonetti; Oriol Maymó; Producer: Gracia Volpi; Co-Producer: Gianfranco Pierantoni; Foreign Production: Steffano Dammicco; Cast: Paz Vega, Moritz Bleibtreu, Alessandro Preziosi, Ángela Molina, Arsinée Khanjian, Mohammed Bakri, Tchéky Karyo, Marianno Rigillo, Hristo Shopov, Christo Jivkov,Stefan Danailov, Linda Batista, Assen Blatechki, Marius Donkin, André Dussollier, Itzhak Finzi, Ubaldo Lo Presti, Hristo Mitzkov, Enrica Maria, Modugno, Elena Rainova, Yvonne Sciò,Maria Statoulova.
Ager 3, supported by MiBAC, in collaboration with: Rai Cinema & Eagle Pictures; in coproduction with: Nimar Studios (Sofia); Sagrera Tv, TVE (Madrid); Flach Film, France 2 Cinéma, Canal+, 27 Films Production, Ard Degeto (Paris); supported by EuroimagesCo-Production
Ager 3 / Via della Lungara, 3 I-00165 Roma |Tl.: 6-588 40 03 |F: 6-588 42 06 | E: agertre@tin.it
Synopsis: THE LARK FARM / The Avakians are a rich Armenian family. Two family members are Aram, a land-owner living in a small town in Turkey, and Assadour, a successful doctor from Venice. The brothers have not seen each other for a long time and decide to meet in Armenia. While Assadour prepares himself for his trip to his native land, the Armenian part of the family starts preparing the old family seat for their visitors from abroad. They set to work painting, joining and repairing, and even construct a tennis court for the Italians. Meanwhile, the political situation has grown more acute.
Since coming to power in 1913, the government of Young Turks has made it their goal to create one vast Turkish empire; in 1915, Italy and France enter into an alliance against Turkey and Austria. Assadour is still hoping in vain to be able to travel from Italy to his homeland when all hell breaks loose in Armenia. The Young Turks order the massacre of the Armenian people. Aram and his family are discovered in their hiding place. The men are murdered and the women are forcibly deported. Their march will surely mean their death. However, the Avakian women have a protector – Aram’s daughter, Nunik, falls in love with one of the Turkish officers, who sees to it that Nunik and her family are not subjected to any more suffering. But the women are by no means in safety yet.
Biographies: Vittorio Taviani and his brother Paolo were both born in San Miniato, Italy – Vittorio on 20.9.1929 and Paolo on 8.11.1931. Vittorio studied law in Pisa and his brother, art. Developing an interest in film, in 1954, the brothers made their first short film, SAN MINIATO, LUGLIO ’44, about their own village. They made names for themselves abroad with the 1977 work, PADRE PADRONE.
Selected Filmography:
1954 SAN MINIATO, LUGLIO ’44 short
1960 L’ITALIA NON E UN PAESE POVERO
1962 UN UOMO DA BRUCIARE (GEBRANDMARKT)
1963 I FUORILEGGE DEL MATRIMONIO (DIE EHEBRECHER)
1967 I SOVVERSIVI (DIE SUBVERSIVEN)
1969 SOTTO IL SEGNO DELLO SCORPIONE (IM ZEICHEN DES SKORPIONS)
1972 SAN MICHELE AVEVA UN GALLO (DER AUFSTAND DES GIULIO MANIERI)
1973 ALLONSANFAN (ALLONSANFAN)
1977 PADRE PADRONE (MEIN VATER, MEIN HERR)
1979 IL PRATO (DIE WIESE)
1982 LA NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO (DIE NACHT VON SAN LORENZO)
1984 KAOS (CHAOS)
1987 GOOD MORNING BABYLON
1990 IL SOLE ANCHE DI NOTTE (NACHTSONNE)
1993 FIORILE
1996 LE AFFINITÀ ELLETIVE (WAHLVERWANDSCHAFTEN)
1998 TU RIDI
2001 UN ALTRO MONDO È POSSIBILE Documentary / RESURREZIONE (DIE AUFERSTEHUNG) TV-Film
2004 LUISA SANFELICE TV-Film
2007 LA MASSERIA DELLE ALLODOLE
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Cinéma turc fin de siècle : le primat de l'identité nationale et de l'Histoire contemporaine
Nicolas MONCEAU
Cinéma turc fin de siècle : le primat de l'identité nationale et de l'Histoire contemporaine
Résumé
Bien que traversant une grave crise économique, la production cinématographique turque n'en demeure pas moins une cinématographie profondément riche et diversifiée, tant par sa thématique que par son expression. Face à l'hégémonie des productions hollywoodiennes, le cinéma turc tente de survivre notamment par l'intermédiaire du fonds Eurimages du Conseil de l'Europe, dont les coproductions à dimension européenne constituent le fer de lance. Le cinéma d'auteur, soutenu par une cinéphilie toujours vaillante et par une vitalité critique, se retrouve chaque année avec les plus grands succès populaires au sein du festival international du film d'Istanbul. Si le marché cinématographique est marqué par des événements, comme la sortie de Yol en Turquie après plus de quinze ans d'interdiction, l'avènement d'une jeune génération de réalisateurs témoigne d'une maturité nouvelle du cinéma turc. En enregistrant les défis et les enjeux auxquels la Turquie est confrontée à l'aube du siècle nouveau, et en premier la question kurde, dans un contexte de rapprochement avec l'Europe, le cinéma turc plonge au cœur de l'identité nationale et de l'histoire contemporaine.
Pour citer cette recension
Nicolas MONCEAU, «Cinéma turc fin de siècle : le primat de l'identité nationale et de l'Histoire contemporaine», in Cemoti, n° 28 - Turquie-Israël : un siècle d'histoire partagée, [En ligne], mis en ligne le . URL : http://cemoti.revues.org/document608.html. Consulté le 4 février 2007.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Panel Cinematic Islam - Muslims in Cinema
29. German Orientalists Day
Panel Cinematic Islam - Muslims in Cinema
Ala Al-Hamarneh and Ruth Roded
From the advent of cinema at the turn of the nineteenth century, Islamic themes were represented in European films (often spuriously) and in indigenous Middle Eastern newsreels, documentaries and dramatic films. Middle Eastern cinematic portrayals of Islam were, however, initially hampered by a tradition in large parts of the region that prohibited visual depiction of the Prophet Muhammad and other major Islamic figures (with the notable exceptions of Turkey, Iran and further eastern areas which had a history of visual presentation of Islamic themes, mainly in the fine arts). After sporadic attempts to depict Islamic religion and history in Middle Eastern cinema during the 1920s through the 1940s, a series of Arab films focusing on classical Islam were produced from the 1950s as religious authorities and political and cultural elites gradually began to recognize the impact of this audio-visual medium. Some of these cinematic presentations are popular to this day, disseminated through the media of television and video. At the same time, Middle Eastern films may have addressed contemporary Islamic practices on the margins of major plot lines.
In the wake of the rise of political Islam in the last decades, Middle Eastern governments as well as intellectual elites have harnessed television and film to offset the popularity of Islamist movements among the broad public. Religious and historical television series and critical movies were produced by Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Tunisian and Algerian filmmakers. At the same time, Muslim filmmakers in the west have carried out a double dialogue with “Islamic” societies and characters, as well as with European and American culture. Their films often stereotype the self and the other in a phenomenon dubbed by Edward Said “Orientalistic Orientalism”.
The film production of Hollywood and various European countries have in general been informed by Western stereotypes and images of “the Orient” and “Islam.” The re-production and the re-presentation of such clichés by a cinematic “Eurocentric Orientalism”, as it is called by Ella Shohat, dominate the cinematic scene, although they may be nuanced by political developments.
In this panel we aim to explore theoretical aspects of cinematic presentations of alterity and of self-presentation in an age of on-going aggressive cultural globalization and in a media that was globalized from its onset. We would like to focus on various aspects of Islam and Muslims projected on the screen, such as religious practices, alternate interpretations, gender, spatial etc. Case studies of films and filmmakers are highly encouraged.
Moderated panel
Claudia Preckel: The portrayal of Kashmir mujahidun in Bollywood cinema
Abstract: The Indian Muslim community watches every film, in which Muslim life in India is portrayed with great suspicion. Several films, e.g. Gadar ("Rebellion", A. Sharma 2001) even caused communal riots. A common reproach of the Muslim community against Bollywood cinema is that it "has gone saffron," which means completely overtaken by the Hindu majority. Muslims claim that they are portrayed as the only minority, which has not become part of the Indian nation. Indeed, the portrayal of Islam in Bollywood seems to be marked my stereotypes and even misconceptions about this religion. This is further underlined the fact that Bollywood discovered its national trauma as a subject of popular films, namely the Kashmir conflict. This paper examines three films, which depict the fight of the Muslim Kashmir mujahidun, namely K. Mohammed`s Fiza (1999), V.V. Chopra`s Mission Kashmir (2000) and M. Rathnam`s Roja (1992, re-released in Hindi 2002). The paper will focus on the question as to how Islam and Islamic justification of jihad is portrayed. Further, it will address the notions of violence and the (over-) emphasis on masculinity and the idealisation of the male hero. This will be contrasted to the depiction of female every-day life in India. Thirdly, a short analysis of icons and symbols used to stress and Islamic identity will be given.
Ruth Roded: Gender and Religious Visual Messages: Disseminating the Life of the Prophet Muhammad on Film and Video
Ala Al-Hamarneh: Stereotyping the Other: Cinematic Migrations to the "West" in Egyptian Film
Ingy Al-Sayed: Portraying Muslim Activists in Egyptian Film
Eldad J. Pardo: Trauma and Gender in the Cinema of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Panel Cinematic Islam - Muslims in Cinema
Ala Al-Hamarneh and Ruth Roded
From the advent of cinema at the turn of the nineteenth century, Islamic themes were represented in European films (often spuriously) and in indigenous Middle Eastern newsreels, documentaries and dramatic films. Middle Eastern cinematic portrayals of Islam were, however, initially hampered by a tradition in large parts of the region that prohibited visual depiction of the Prophet Muhammad and other major Islamic figures (with the notable exceptions of Turkey, Iran and further eastern areas which had a history of visual presentation of Islamic themes, mainly in the fine arts). After sporadic attempts to depict Islamic religion and history in Middle Eastern cinema during the 1920s through the 1940s, a series of Arab films focusing on classical Islam were produced from the 1950s as religious authorities and political and cultural elites gradually began to recognize the impact of this audio-visual medium. Some of these cinematic presentations are popular to this day, disseminated through the media of television and video. At the same time, Middle Eastern films may have addressed contemporary Islamic practices on the margins of major plot lines.
In the wake of the rise of political Islam in the last decades, Middle Eastern governments as well as intellectual elites have harnessed television and film to offset the popularity of Islamist movements among the broad public. Religious and historical television series and critical movies were produced by Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Tunisian and Algerian filmmakers. At the same time, Muslim filmmakers in the west have carried out a double dialogue with “Islamic” societies and characters, as well as with European and American culture. Their films often stereotype the self and the other in a phenomenon dubbed by Edward Said “Orientalistic Orientalism”.
The film production of Hollywood and various European countries have in general been informed by Western stereotypes and images of “the Orient” and “Islam.” The re-production and the re-presentation of such clichés by a cinematic “Eurocentric Orientalism”, as it is called by Ella Shohat, dominate the cinematic scene, although they may be nuanced by political developments.
In this panel we aim to explore theoretical aspects of cinematic presentations of alterity and of self-presentation in an age of on-going aggressive cultural globalization and in a media that was globalized from its onset. We would like to focus on various aspects of Islam and Muslims projected on the screen, such as religious practices, alternate interpretations, gender, spatial etc. Case studies of films and filmmakers are highly encouraged.
Moderated panel
Claudia Preckel: The portrayal of Kashmir mujahidun in Bollywood cinema
Abstract: The Indian Muslim community watches every film, in which Muslim life in India is portrayed with great suspicion. Several films, e.g. Gadar ("Rebellion", A. Sharma 2001) even caused communal riots. A common reproach of the Muslim community against Bollywood cinema is that it "has gone saffron," which means completely overtaken by the Hindu majority. Muslims claim that they are portrayed as the only minority, which has not become part of the Indian nation. Indeed, the portrayal of Islam in Bollywood seems to be marked my stereotypes and even misconceptions about this religion. This is further underlined the fact that Bollywood discovered its national trauma as a subject of popular films, namely the Kashmir conflict. This paper examines three films, which depict the fight of the Muslim Kashmir mujahidun, namely K. Mohammed`s Fiza (1999), V.V. Chopra`s Mission Kashmir (2000) and M. Rathnam`s Roja (1992, re-released in Hindi 2002). The paper will focus on the question as to how Islam and Islamic justification of jihad is portrayed. Further, it will address the notions of violence and the (over-) emphasis on masculinity and the idealisation of the male hero. This will be contrasted to the depiction of female every-day life in India. Thirdly, a short analysis of icons and symbols used to stress and Islamic identity will be given.
Ruth Roded: Gender and Religious Visual Messages: Disseminating the Life of the Prophet Muhammad on Film and Video
Ala Al-Hamarneh: Stereotyping the Other: Cinematic Migrations to the "West" in Egyptian Film
Ingy Al-Sayed: Portraying Muslim Activists in Egyptian Film
Eldad J. Pardo: Trauma and Gender in the Cinema of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Berlinale 2007 | Dol by Hiner Saleem
DOL Iraqi Kurdistan Region, France, Germany, 2007, 90 min
Written and Directed by: Hiner Saleem film editing: Dora Mantzoros, Bonita Papastathi
art director: Saman Sabunci; costumes designer: Belcim Bilgin; producer: Hiner Saleem, Michel Loro; distributor: Novociné ; Cast: Nazmi Kirik, Belcim Bilgin, Omer Ciaw Sin, Rojin Ulker, Tarik Akreyî See DOL :TRAILER
Section: Forum
The Berlinale's World Cinema Fund will provide funding for the distribution, Kurdish director Hiner Saleem's "Dol". Berlin-based Mitosfilm will release "Dol," which the WCF is supporting with Euros 8,000 ($10,400), in April. The WCF is sponsored by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlinale in cooperation with the Goethe Institute. "Dol" is set in a Turkish-Kurdish village under the rigid control of the Turkish military and explores the conflict between the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq and areas in Turkey and Iran.
A political refugee living in exile in Italy, Hiner Saleem returned secretly to Kurdistan to film his people. The result, a medium-length film entitled “Shero,” was selected at the Venice Film Festival in 1992. He continued to film his countrymen by making two documentaries for Italian television in 1991, “Le retour de Huner” and “Les kurdes d’Irak.” His frst feature film, “Vive la mariée... et la libération du Kurdistan,” gives a rare insight into Kurdish society and its contradictions.
Hiner Saleem Filmography
2006 Feature Sous les toits de Paris Director, Scriptwriter Hiner Saleem
2006 Feature Dol ou la valée des tambours Director, Scriptwriter Hiner Saleem
2005 Feature Kilomètre Zéro Director, Scriptwriter Hiner Saleem
2003 Feature Vodka Lemon Director, Scriptwriter Hiner Saleem
Seven dollars per month pension, a wardrobe, an old Soviet television and a military costume are all that Hamo, a handsome man in his sixties, has. He lives alone in a small Kurdish village in Armenia one one of the sons and his granddaughter. One day a letter arrives from his other son, who lives in France. The rumor goes round the village that the envelope is full of dollars. But all Hamo can think of is the beautiful stranger he saw in the cemetery.
2002 Short film 8, cité Richard Lenoir Actor Christine Marrou
2000 Feature Beyond Our Dreams Director, Scriptwriter Hiner Saleem
Dolovan and Zara want nothing more than to escape their native Kurdistan and make a life for themselves in Paris, far from the violence and oppression they have grown up with. But Zara's money, and Dolovan's dreams are not enough. They must wait in the Winter Palace, an urban refuge for those awaiting secure passage to the West. When they finally make it to the train that will get them to the boat for Italy, they are pried apart by circumstances and one of their Winter Palace Acquaintances. Upon reaching Italy, Dolovan must labor for a deceitful Venetian traficker in order to get his loved one to safety. But from empty promises to broken dreams, will he and Zara find the strength to beat life's cruel odds or will their budding love be yet another wasted struggle ?
1998 Feature Vive la mariée… et la libération du Kurdistan/ Kebab Connection Director, Scriptwriter, Music Composer Hiner Saleem
Cheto, a Kurdish political refugee living in Paris, has a French girlfriend called Christine. Cheto wants to get married, but not to Christine. He wants a beautiful Kurdish virgin who is also a patriot. He sends his best friend, Misto Vidéo, with a camcorder to Kurdistan to find his bride. He chooses a beautiful bride and a marriage is arranged. But it’s not the happy bride he has chosen that shows up in Paris.
The script started out from a basic fact of Kurdish life: the first generation of Kurdish refugees, who were not very numerous, could not return to their homeland so their families took charge of finding them a wife. When a girl was agreed upon, she was “dispatched” with a guarantee of her good morals and virginity. These types of marriage were known ironically as “postal marriages”. Nowadays, the camcorder has revolutionized the practice and we talk about “video marriages”. Hiner Saleem
Il commence par réaliser en 1997 Vive la mariée… et la libération du Kurdistan et s’est depuis imposé en s’engageant avec subtilité pour la cause de ce peuple déchiré. Il enchaîne avec Passeurs de rêves, Absolitude, Vodka Lemon, Kilomètre zéro et aujourd’hui avec Dol ou la vallée des tambours, qui sera présenté au Festival de Berlin. Il s’arrête ici, au travers d’un film proche du documentaire, sur la situation sociale du pays, en se focalisant sur le cheminement d’un personnage fuyant l’oppression turque et traversant le Kurdistan irakien puis iranien, espérant juste pouvoir se poser pour exister. Un film grave, âpre, à la mise en scène minimaliste cherchant à se rapprocher avec réalisme d’une vérité politique dramatique. Alors qu’il vient d’achever le tournage de son prochain film, Sous les toits de Paris, avec Michel Piccoli et Mylène Demongeot, Hiner Saleem a accepté de revenir sur cette nouvelle expérience reposant sur son seul espoir d’une nouvelle liberté pour son peuple.
Quelle est aujourd’hui la situation politique du Kurdistan ?
Depuis la première Guerre Mondiale, le Kurdistan est divisé entre la Turquie, l’Iran, l’Irak, et la Syrie. Ces Etats ont pratiqué une politique d’assimilation forcée de déportation, allant jusqu’au génocide. Mais les Kurdes n’ont jamais cessé de lutter pour défendre leur liberté. Aujourd’hui la situation commence à évoluer, il y a un réel espoir, notamment du côté de l’Irak. La plus grande partie du Kurdistan est annexée par la Turquie, qui ne reconnaît pas le peuple Kurde et nous surnomme "les Turcs des montagnes". C’est donc très difficile pour le peuple Kurde, qui vit une situation quelque peu similaire à ce qui s’est passé en Afrique du Sud du temps de l’apartheid. Je reconnais qu’il y a une sorte de démocratie, avec des partis politiques, une certaine forme d’immigration… mais pour les Kurdes, tout est interdit. Aujourd’hui, en 2007, ils sont encore obligés de chanter sur la place publique : "je suis Kurde, je suis pauvre." En Irak, en revanche, après la chute de Saddam Hussein tout a changé. Via la nouvelle constitution l’Irak est devenu un Etat Fédéral où les Kurdes peuvent circuler librement. La partie irakienne du Kurdistan est vraiment à l’opposé de ce qu’on peut entendre sur l’Irak, il n’y a pas de violence, pas de terrorisme, les frontières sont contrôlées, c’est une vraie démocratie.
Pour vous le cinéma s’est immédiatement imposé comme le meilleur moyen d’exprimer ce que vous ressentiez ?
C’est plus le hasard qui m’y a conduit. Quand j’étais gamin, nous avons fui les massacres irakiens et nous nous sommes réfugiés dans les montagnes. Nous n’avions rien, pas d’eau, pas d'électricité, rien ! Mais nous avions des livres et j’adorais lire, cela me permettait d’échapper à la réalité. Un jour, mon père a ramené un livre illustré, je crois que c’était la première fois de ma vie que je voyais un dessin. J’avais l’impression de découvrir quelque chose de mystique. Mon père m’a dit que le peintre s’était inspiré de la poésie, du coup je me suis mis à écouter attentivement les poèmes qu’il nous lisait. Plus tard, je me suis tourné vers la peinture, avant de découvrir les premiers programmes de télévision. J’étais déjà un amoureux de l’image, mais en voyant les premières images à la télévision, je me suis dis que c’était le support idéal, il alliait poésie, image, peinture, musique, j’ai senti que c’était vraiment ainsi, vers l’image que j’avais envie d’aller. Au-delà, il est certain qu’au travers du cinéma, je lutte d’une certaine façon pour la liberté du peuple kurde. On me dit que je suis engagé ou militant, mais tout ce que je veux c’est que tout le monde vive librement.
Vos films sont-ils aujourd’hui diffusés sur les différents territoires abritant les Kurdes ?
Pour certains de ces pays il est bien évidemment hors de question de le sortir. Il y avait une sortie prévue en Turquie, mais elle a été annulée par le ministère de l’intérieur. Sur les territoires kurdes, c’est difficile d’avoir un relais pour le cinéma, la musique est accessible à tout le monde, mais pour les films c’est vraiment plus dur d’accès, cela implique plus de bâtiments, du matériel… je ne peux donc pas compter sur un public auquel je tiens personnellement.
Comment avez-vous réussi du coup à tourner votre premier film ?
Lorsque la guerre a commencé en Irak, j’étais en Italie et j’avais une caméra, j’ai donc décidé de me rendre sur place et de filmer ce qui s’y passait. J’ai eu la chance que les images que j’avais montées puissent être présentées au Festival de Venise, ce qui m’a permis de trouver les fonds pour réaliser mon premier film Vive la mariée… et la libération du Kurdistan, une comédie qui se passe à Paris.
Par rapport à vos précédents films, qu’est ce que Dol apporte de nouveau ?
J’ai essayé de raconter quelque chose de plus actuel, une histoire qui permettrait à ceux qui n’en ont pas encore conscience de comprendre ce qui se passe au Kurdistan. J’avais aussi envie de filmer les montagnes kurdes. Mes films partent néanmoins toujours d’une idée qui me taraude, ici c’est une phrase qui m’a choqué lorsque je me suis rendu en Turquie, "Heureux celui qui se dit Turc". Cette phrase résume pour moi l’idéologie officielle qui règne toujours en Turquie et l’abnégation du peuple kurde. C’est l’idée de départ pour moi de Dol. Le ballon blanc qui s’envole à la fin du film, qui s’envole toujours plus haut pour finir par disparaître est l’image pour moi d’une urgence, celle que cette oppression prenne fin. C’est pour cette raison que j’ai tourné ce film.
Pourquoi avoir choisi de vous centrer sur plusieurs personnages, de vous focaliser sur une trame narrative assez décousue ?
Les films trop linéaires m’ennuient et je voulais vraiment que l’on saisisse différentes destinées qui se rejoignent sans forcément s’arrêter trop longuement sur un personnage. Comme j’étais producteur sur le film j’ai pu faire ce que je voulais.
Que signifie "Dol" ?
Cela signifie "tambour", et aussi "vallée". En français c’est un terme juridique qui signifie s’approprier illégalement le bien d’autrui par le biais d’une manœuvre frauduleuse. C’est donc très symbolique de ce que traverse le peuple kurde.
Vous avez été tourné le film sur place, en Irak ?
En Kurdistan irakien et près de la frontière avec la Turquie. Nous n’avons eu aucun problème du coté irakien, c’est vraiment un pays libre. Ce fut plus compliqué près de la Turquie parce qu’il n’y a pas vraiment de frontière légale et que les autorités sont plutôt hostiles. Certains Kurdes ont été jusqu’à déchirer le drapeau que nous avions gravé avec des pierres pour les besoins du film. Il nous a fallu leur expliquer longuement que c’était pour le besoin d’un film, qu’il était factice, ils avaient du mal à l’accepter. Nous avons perdu une journée de tournage du coup, mais ce sont juste de petits désagréments.
Les comédiens, ce sont des professionnels ou vous avez choisi une optique plus proche du documentaire ?
Ce ne sont pas des acteurs dans la majorité. Certains sont chanteurs, d’autres ont fait un peu de théâtre. Les deux héroïnes sont actrices, l’une d’elle a déjà tourné avec moi, c’était un mélange.
Qu’est-ce qu’il émane pour vous de cette nouvelle expérience ?
Je suis vraiment heureux que le film ait été traduit en plusieurs langues. Toute nouvelle expérience est formatrice, enrichissante ? Cette année j’ai fait deux films, j’en termine un qui sera purement français, Sous les toits de Paris avec Michel Piccoli, Mylène Demongeot et Maurice Bénichou que j’ai commencé juste après Dol. Je reviens sur la canicule de 2003, sur les nombreux morts que cette catastrophe a engendrés en France. Cela ne serait jamais arrivé au Kurdistan même si les conditions de vie sont beaucoup plus précaires, pour la seule raison qu’il y a une réelle solidarité familiale, amicale, les personnes âgées ne sont jamais abandonnées. J’avais très envie d’aborder ce problème.
Propos recueillis par Sophie Wittmer
DOL OU LA VALLEE DES TAMBOURS
Un film de Hiner Saleem
Avec Nazmi Kirik, Belcim Bilgin, Omer Çiaw Sin
Durée : 1h30
Date de sortie : 24 janvier 2007
Berlinale 2007 | My Mother Learns Cinema
Annem sinema ögreniyor |My Mother Learns Cinema |Meine Mama lernt Kino
Turkey, 2006, 4 min| Directed by: Nesimi Yetik; Cast: Dudu Yetik, Nesimi Yetik
Section: Competition Short Film
Turkey, 2006, 4 min| Directed by: Nesimi Yetik; Cast: Dudu Yetik, Nesimi Yetik
Section: Competition Short Film
Berlinale 2007 | Riza
Internationales Forum, Berlin.
Riza |Turkey, 2007, 109 min 35mm, 1:1.85 Color 25fps|Written and Directed by: Tayfun Pirselimoglu; Produced by: Tayfun Pirselimogu, Ilknur Akanlar Cinematography by Colin Mounier, Edited by: Cicek Kahraman Art Direction by: Natali Yeres; Music by Cengiz Onural Sound by:Ismail Karadas Cast: Riza Akin, Nurcan Eren, Hayati Pirselimoglu, Muhammed Cangören, Melissa Ahmedi, Fatih Sevildi, Melih Düzenli, Gürbüz Demir, Emin Bas, Turgay Tanülkü
World Sales: Zuzi Film, Basın Sitesi C/25, 34337 Etiler, Istanbul, Turkei. Tel.: (90-212) 265 8658,
email: tayfun.pirselim@gmail.com; gulay.rosset@gmail.com
Review
Riza is a truck driver. His truck is in the shop. Riza can't work and his existence is threatened. With every possible means, he tries to drum up the money for the repairs and he's even willing to commit a brutal crime to get it.
A feeling of isolation and hopelessness runs through the film. The shabby downtown hotel where Riza lives is populated by figures whose days are marked by an agonizing waiting. Sometimes on television we can see - it's during the World Cup - that there's also a faster, louder life out there. The moment of the act, the crime that solves Riza's problem, is not depicted: the hotel, the people and their longings are exactly as they were before, but every image now speaks, with great precision in the perception of change, of the difficulties of living in sin. With Riza, Istanbul is inscribed on the map of unatoned crimes, closer to Raskolnikov's Petersburg than to Woody Allen's London in "Matchpoint". It is not the living metropolis of bars and tourist attractions, but a city that finds itself, much like the film's protagonists, in a state of uncertain waiting.
Anna Hoffmann
Synopsis
“Rıza” tells the story of a truck driver named Rıza, who works between Adana and Istanbul. Rıza begins a struggle, as he searches for enough money to get his truck fixed after it is broken in Istanbul, as the truck is the most valuable thing in his life. He starts sharing a new life in a hotel with people of different age groups and from different backgrounds. They have one thing in common: All expect life to become better.
Adana-İstanbul arasında kamyon şoförlüğü yapan Rıza’nın hikayesini anlatıyor. Hayattaki en değerli varlığı -ipotekli kamyonu- İstanbul’da bozulan Rıza, tamir için para aramaya başlar. Bu arada da kendisi gibi hayattan beklentileri olan farklı çevre ve yaşlardan insanlarla birlikte bir otelde kalır. Hikayeye giren bu kişiler ve kesişen yaşam öyküleriyle zenginleşen film, Rıza’nın bir suça bulaşmasıyla yön değiştirir. Rıza, işlediği suçtan sonra iç dünyasına dönerek vicdan muhasebesi yapmaya başlar.
Extended Synopsis
Rıza is a truck driver on the Istanbul – Adana route. His truck is all he owns and plays an important role in his life. One day, the truck breaks down with engine trouble shortly after Rıza arrives in Istanbul. Without a source of income, he has no way to pay off the mortgage he has taken on the truck. While desperately trying to find other work in Istanbul, he lives in a miserable hotel. A number of other unemployed people live there, including an old man waiting for his son, who watches TV incessantly; a young Kurdish peddler hoping for a job in a factory; a gay sailor
counting the days before his ship sets sail for America; and an old Afghan and his daughter-in-law, who plan to immigrate illegally to Italy, where the man’s son lives.
Searching for ways to earn money, Rıza turns to Aysel, an ex-girlfriend who works in a laundry. The two had a troubled affair some years ago until Rıza broke it off. Aysel is not pleased to see him again; and when he asks her for money, she is angry and hurt. Desperate now, Rıza commits a terrible crime. Plagued by guilt, he returns to Aysel, the only person he feels close to, despite everything. But she harbors a secret of her own.
Longing for hope | Director’s statement
Dostoyevsky demonstrated how terrible the stories of so- called ordinary people can be. My fi lm follows an ordinary truck driver, one whose fate and suffering mirrors that of many others in his country. His life is monotonous: eating, watching TV, waiting. Each morning brings another
uneventful day without hope.
Unemployment is the biggest problem facing Turkey. Contradicting official figures, this nightmare continues to spread, and people desperately look for a way out. In a way, Rıza’s story refl ects Turkey’s hopes of one day joining the European Union. People long for a glimmer of hope.
The hotel in the film exists in real life. It is one of many dreary temporary accomodations situated in a section of Istanbul’s old town. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people arrive in this city, full of hope, and some of them land directly in these cheap hostels. Life here is cruel, and
nowhere is it so easy to get involved in crime as in this part of town. Rıza, a typical example of life here, is the victim of his fears and is pursued by feelings of guilt. One of my concerns as writer and director was to represent the complexity of his inner life.
RIZA is dedicated to my father, who played the role of the old man waiting at the hotel, and who died shortly after shooting ended.
Tayfun Pirselimoglu |Biofilmography
Tayfun Pirselimoglu was born in 1959 in Trabzon. He graduated from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, after which he went to Vienna where he studied painting and engraving at the Academy of Applied Arts. RIZA is his second full-length feature fi lm. Along with painting and
fi lmmaking, Pirselimoglu is the author of four novels and writes about cinema and literature in various magazines.
Films
1999: Dayım (My Uncle).
2002: Il silenzio e d‘oro (Silence is
Golden). Hicbiryerde (Innowhereland).
2007: RIZA.
Rıza arbeitet als Lastwagenfahrer auf der Strecke Istanbul–Adana. Der Lastwagen ist sein einziger Besitz und nimmt einen besonderen Platz in seinem Leben ein. Eines Tages bleibt der Wagen kurz nach Rızas Ankunft in Istanbul mit einem Motorschaden liegen. Ohne Einkommensquelle kann er nun
die Hypothek nicht abzahlen, die er auf den Wagen aufgenommen hat. Wahrend seiner verzweifelten Versuche, in Istanbul Arbeit zu fi nden, kommt er in einem verwahrlosten Hotel unter. Hier wohnen außer ihm und auf seinen Sohn wartet; ein junger kurdischer Hausierer, der darauf hofft, einen Arbeitsplatz in einer Fabrik zu bekommen; ein schwuler Matrose, der die Tage zahlt, bis sein Schiff nach Amerika auslauft; und ein alter Afghane; der gemeinsam mit seiner Schwiegertochter auf
illegalem Wege nach Italien reisen will, wo sein Sohn lebt. Auf der Suche nach Moglichkeiten, sich Geld zu beschaffen, wendet Rıza sich an seine Ex-Freundin Aysel, die in einer Wascherei arbei-
tet. Die beiden hatten vor Jahren eine ungluckliche Affare, bis Rıza sich von Aysel trennte. Sie ist alles andere als erfreut, ihn plotzlich wiederzusehen; als er sie um Geld bittet, reagiert sie verargert und verletzt.
Rıza weiß keinen anderen Rat mehr und begeht eine schreckliche Straftat. Von Schuldgefuhlen gepeinigt, zieht es ihn danach zu Aysel, dem einzigen Menschen, der ihm trotz allem nahezustehen scheint. Doch auch sie tragt ein Geheimnis mit sich herum.
Sehnsucht nach Hoffnung |Der Regisseur uber den Film
Schon Dostojewski hat gezeigt, wie schrecklich die Geschichten der sogenannten kleinen Leute sein konnen. In meinem Film geht es um einen ganz normalen Lastwagenfahrer, dessen Schicksal und Leid dem vieler Menschen in seinem Land anelt. Sein Leben verlauft eintonig: essen, fernsehen, warten. Jeden Morgen aufs Neue beginnt ein ereignisloser Tag ohne Hoffnung.
Die Arbeitslosigkeit ist das grote Problem in der Turkei. Im Gegensatz zu den offi ziellen Zahlen greift dieser Albtraum immer weiter um sich, und die Menschen suchen verzweifelt nach einem Ausweg.
Riza |Turkey, 2007, 109 min 35mm, 1:1.85 Color 25fps|Written and Directed by: Tayfun Pirselimoglu; Produced by: Tayfun Pirselimogu, Ilknur Akanlar Cinematography by Colin Mounier, Edited by: Cicek Kahraman Art Direction by: Natali Yeres; Music by Cengiz Onural Sound by:Ismail Karadas Cast: Riza Akin, Nurcan Eren, Hayati Pirselimoglu, Muhammed Cangören, Melissa Ahmedi, Fatih Sevildi, Melih Düzenli, Gürbüz Demir, Emin Bas, Turgay Tanülkü
World Sales: Zuzi Film, Basın Sitesi C/25, 34337 Etiler, Istanbul, Turkei. Tel.: (90-212) 265 8658,
email: tayfun.pirselim@gmail.com; gulay.rosset@gmail.com
Review
Riza is a truck driver. His truck is in the shop. Riza can't work and his existence is threatened. With every possible means, he tries to drum up the money for the repairs and he's even willing to commit a brutal crime to get it.
A feeling of isolation and hopelessness runs through the film. The shabby downtown hotel where Riza lives is populated by figures whose days are marked by an agonizing waiting. Sometimes on television we can see - it's during the World Cup - that there's also a faster, louder life out there. The moment of the act, the crime that solves Riza's problem, is not depicted: the hotel, the people and their longings are exactly as they were before, but every image now speaks, with great precision in the perception of change, of the difficulties of living in sin. With Riza, Istanbul is inscribed on the map of unatoned crimes, closer to Raskolnikov's Petersburg than to Woody Allen's London in "Matchpoint". It is not the living metropolis of bars and tourist attractions, but a city that finds itself, much like the film's protagonists, in a state of uncertain waiting.
Anna Hoffmann
Synopsis
“Rıza” tells the story of a truck driver named Rıza, who works between Adana and Istanbul. Rıza begins a struggle, as he searches for enough money to get his truck fixed after it is broken in Istanbul, as the truck is the most valuable thing in his life. He starts sharing a new life in a hotel with people of different age groups and from different backgrounds. They have one thing in common: All expect life to become better.
Adana-İstanbul arasında kamyon şoförlüğü yapan Rıza’nın hikayesini anlatıyor. Hayattaki en değerli varlığı -ipotekli kamyonu- İstanbul’da bozulan Rıza, tamir için para aramaya başlar. Bu arada da kendisi gibi hayattan beklentileri olan farklı çevre ve yaşlardan insanlarla birlikte bir otelde kalır. Hikayeye giren bu kişiler ve kesişen yaşam öyküleriyle zenginleşen film, Rıza’nın bir suça bulaşmasıyla yön değiştirir. Rıza, işlediği suçtan sonra iç dünyasına dönerek vicdan muhasebesi yapmaya başlar.
Extended Synopsis
Rıza is a truck driver on the Istanbul – Adana route. His truck is all he owns and plays an important role in his life. One day, the truck breaks down with engine trouble shortly after Rıza arrives in Istanbul. Without a source of income, he has no way to pay off the mortgage he has taken on the truck. While desperately trying to find other work in Istanbul, he lives in a miserable hotel. A number of other unemployed people live there, including an old man waiting for his son, who watches TV incessantly; a young Kurdish peddler hoping for a job in a factory; a gay sailor
counting the days before his ship sets sail for America; and an old Afghan and his daughter-in-law, who plan to immigrate illegally to Italy, where the man’s son lives.
Searching for ways to earn money, Rıza turns to Aysel, an ex-girlfriend who works in a laundry. The two had a troubled affair some years ago until Rıza broke it off. Aysel is not pleased to see him again; and when he asks her for money, she is angry and hurt. Desperate now, Rıza commits a terrible crime. Plagued by guilt, he returns to Aysel, the only person he feels close to, despite everything. But she harbors a secret of her own.
Longing for hope | Director’s statement
Dostoyevsky demonstrated how terrible the stories of so- called ordinary people can be. My fi lm follows an ordinary truck driver, one whose fate and suffering mirrors that of many others in his country. His life is monotonous: eating, watching TV, waiting. Each morning brings another
uneventful day without hope.
Unemployment is the biggest problem facing Turkey. Contradicting official figures, this nightmare continues to spread, and people desperately look for a way out. In a way, Rıza’s story refl ects Turkey’s hopes of one day joining the European Union. People long for a glimmer of hope.
The hotel in the film exists in real life. It is one of many dreary temporary accomodations situated in a section of Istanbul’s old town. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people arrive in this city, full of hope, and some of them land directly in these cheap hostels. Life here is cruel, and
nowhere is it so easy to get involved in crime as in this part of town. Rıza, a typical example of life here, is the victim of his fears and is pursued by feelings of guilt. One of my concerns as writer and director was to represent the complexity of his inner life.
RIZA is dedicated to my father, who played the role of the old man waiting at the hotel, and who died shortly after shooting ended.
Tayfun Pirselimoglu |Biofilmography
Tayfun Pirselimoglu was born in 1959 in Trabzon. He graduated from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, after which he went to Vienna where he studied painting and engraving at the Academy of Applied Arts. RIZA is his second full-length feature fi lm. Along with painting and
fi lmmaking, Pirselimoglu is the author of four novels and writes about cinema and literature in various magazines.
Films
1999: Dayım (My Uncle).
2002: Il silenzio e d‘oro (Silence is
Golden). Hicbiryerde (Innowhereland).
2007: RIZA.
Rıza arbeitet als Lastwagenfahrer auf der Strecke Istanbul–Adana. Der Lastwagen ist sein einziger Besitz und nimmt einen besonderen Platz in seinem Leben ein. Eines Tages bleibt der Wagen kurz nach Rızas Ankunft in Istanbul mit einem Motorschaden liegen. Ohne Einkommensquelle kann er nun
die Hypothek nicht abzahlen, die er auf den Wagen aufgenommen hat. Wahrend seiner verzweifelten Versuche, in Istanbul Arbeit zu fi nden, kommt er in einem verwahrlosten Hotel unter. Hier wohnen außer ihm und auf seinen Sohn wartet; ein junger kurdischer Hausierer, der darauf hofft, einen Arbeitsplatz in einer Fabrik zu bekommen; ein schwuler Matrose, der die Tage zahlt, bis sein Schiff nach Amerika auslauft; und ein alter Afghane; der gemeinsam mit seiner Schwiegertochter auf
illegalem Wege nach Italien reisen will, wo sein Sohn lebt. Auf der Suche nach Moglichkeiten, sich Geld zu beschaffen, wendet Rıza sich an seine Ex-Freundin Aysel, die in einer Wascherei arbei-
tet. Die beiden hatten vor Jahren eine ungluckliche Affare, bis Rıza sich von Aysel trennte. Sie ist alles andere als erfreut, ihn plotzlich wiederzusehen; als er sie um Geld bittet, reagiert sie verargert und verletzt.
Rıza weiß keinen anderen Rat mehr und begeht eine schreckliche Straftat. Von Schuldgefuhlen gepeinigt, zieht es ihn danach zu Aysel, dem einzigen Menschen, der ihm trotz allem nahezustehen scheint. Doch auch sie tragt ein Geheimnis mit sich herum.
Sehnsucht nach Hoffnung |Der Regisseur uber den Film
Schon Dostojewski hat gezeigt, wie schrecklich die Geschichten der sogenannten kleinen Leute sein konnen. In meinem Film geht es um einen ganz normalen Lastwagenfahrer, dessen Schicksal und Leid dem vieler Menschen in seinem Land anelt. Sein Leben verlauft eintonig: essen, fernsehen, warten. Jeden Morgen aufs Neue beginnt ein ereignisloser Tag ohne Hoffnung.
Die Arbeitslosigkeit ist das grote Problem in der Turkei. Im Gegensatz zu den offi ziellen Zahlen greift dieser Albtraum immer weiter um sich, und die Menschen suchen verzweifelt nach einem Ausweg.
Berlinale 2007 | Coffee
Forum expanded Short Film |Coffee |Turkey, 2007, 25 min
Directed by: Ayse Erkmen
Directed by: Ayse Erkmen
Berlinale 2007 | TAKVA – A MAN’S FEAR OF GOD
With the objective of discovering films for the coming European arthouse season and providing the market with inspiration, the Panorama has sought to explore cutting-edge works by contemporary filmmakers and bridge the gap between artistic visions and commercial interests. The Panorama films will screen as either world or European premieres.TAKVA
Berlinale 2007 [1]| Panorama |Special
TAKVA – A MAN’S FEAR OF GOD 96 Min. 35 mm, 1:1.85 |color | Directed by Ozer Kiziltan; Written by Onder Cakar ; Cinematography Soykut Turan; Edited by Andrew Bird ; Musik Gokce Akcelik ; Produced by Sevil Demirci , Onder Cakar ; Co-produced by Fatih Akin, Klaus Maeck, Andreas Thiel ; Executice producer Feridun Koc, Falk H. Nagel | Corazon International, Hamburg co production
Cast: (Muharrem) Erkan Can;(Rauf)Guven Kirac;(Sheikh) Meray Ulgen;(Dream women/Sheikhs Daughter) Oznur ; (Muhittin) Erman Saban, (Mahmut) Murat Cemcir; (Ali) Settar Tanriogen
For over 30 years, Muharrem has led a quiet life as an employee in the same traditional part of Istanbul where he was born. A modest, introverted and lonely man of humble circumstances, he is a strict observer of the Islamic precepts: he prays a great deal and practices sexual abstinence. Muharrem’s religious devotion brings him to the attention of the leaders of a rich and powerful religious group. His reputation for being trustworthy and duteous prompts them to offer him job as a rent collector for their numerous properties.
Muharrem receives a new set of clothes; he is given a mobile phone and computer. All at once he finds himself in a world that he had previously
succeeded in evading. Before long he begins to encounter such things as hypocrisy and alcoholic excess; to his own consternation he discovers his own penchant for tyranny and pride and even becomes an unwitting accom plice in a con trick. His inner peace is over. Day and night he is tor-
tured by the image of a seductive woman who haunts his dreams. Until now, Muharrem was able to differentiate between worldly and spiritual values. But now the balance and order of his devout existence is in ruins and his fear of God’s punishment is tearing him apart.
Production: Yeni Sinemacilar |Sofyali Sok. 26/14, Beyoglu TURKEY-Istanbul
T: 212-245 30 41 |F: 212-245 30 41 |cakaronder@yahoo.com
World Sales:The Match Factory GmbH |Sudermanplatz 2 D-50670 Koln
T: 0221-292 10 20 |F: 0221-292 10 21-0 |festivals@matchfactory.de
Ozer Kiziltan Biography
Born in Istanbul in 1963, he graduated in law from Istanbul University before taking up studies at the Film and Television Academy of Mimar Sinan, where he graduated in 1994. He has made several television series. TAKVA marks his debut as a screen director.
Ozer Kiziltan Filmography
2002 GULBEYAZ TV-Series
2003 KURSUN YARASI TV-Series
2004 MUJGAN BEY TV-Serie s
2005 YAGMUR ZAMANI TV-Series
2006 TAKVA
[1] Screenings at the festival:
Mon Feb 12 19:00 Zoo Palast 1 (E)
Tue Feb 13 11:00 CinemaxX 7 (E)
Sat Feb 17 19:00 Zoo Palast 1 (E)
Berlinale 2007 [1]| Panorama |Special
TAKVA – A MAN’S FEAR OF GOD 96 Min. 35 mm, 1:1.85 |color | Directed by Ozer Kiziltan; Written by Onder Cakar ; Cinematography Soykut Turan; Edited by Andrew Bird ; Musik Gokce Akcelik ; Produced by Sevil Demirci , Onder Cakar ; Co-produced by Fatih Akin, Klaus Maeck, Andreas Thiel ; Executice producer Feridun Koc, Falk H. Nagel | Corazon International, Hamburg co production
Cast: (Muharrem) Erkan Can;(Rauf)Guven Kirac;(Sheikh) Meray Ulgen;(Dream women/Sheikhs Daughter) Oznur ; (Muhittin) Erman Saban, (Mahmut) Murat Cemcir; (Ali) Settar Tanriogen
For over 30 years, Muharrem has led a quiet life as an employee in the same traditional part of Istanbul where he was born. A modest, introverted and lonely man of humble circumstances, he is a strict observer of the Islamic precepts: he prays a great deal and practices sexual abstinence. Muharrem’s religious devotion brings him to the attention of the leaders of a rich and powerful religious group. His reputation for being trustworthy and duteous prompts them to offer him job as a rent collector for their numerous properties.
Muharrem receives a new set of clothes; he is given a mobile phone and computer. All at once he finds himself in a world that he had previously
succeeded in evading. Before long he begins to encounter such things as hypocrisy and alcoholic excess; to his own consternation he discovers his own penchant for tyranny and pride and even becomes an unwitting accom plice in a con trick. His inner peace is over. Day and night he is tor-
tured by the image of a seductive woman who haunts his dreams. Until now, Muharrem was able to differentiate between worldly and spiritual values. But now the balance and order of his devout existence is in ruins and his fear of God’s punishment is tearing him apart.
Production: Yeni Sinemacilar |Sofyali Sok. 26/14, Beyoglu TURKEY-Istanbul
T: 212-245 30 41 |F: 212-245 30 41 |cakaronder@yahoo.com
World Sales:The Match Factory GmbH |Sudermanplatz 2 D-50670 Koln
T: 0221-292 10 20 |F: 0221-292 10 21-0 |festivals@matchfactory.de
Ozer Kiziltan Biography
Born in Istanbul in 1963, he graduated in law from Istanbul University before taking up studies at the Film and Television Academy of Mimar Sinan, where he graduated in 1994. He has made several television series. TAKVA marks his debut as a screen director.
Ozer Kiziltan Filmography
2002 GULBEYAZ TV-Series
2003 KURSUN YARASI TV-Series
2004 MUJGAN BEY TV-Serie s
2005 YAGMUR ZAMANI TV-Series
2006 TAKVA
[1] Screenings at the festival:
Mon Feb 12 19:00 Zoo Palast 1 (E)
Tue Feb 13 11:00 CinemaxX 7 (E)
Sat Feb 17 19:00 Zoo Palast 1 (E)
Rotterdam 2007 | The Flag (Bayrak)
An oppressive video work about the indoctrination of young people in Turkey.
The Flag is part two of a series of video works about Turkish national day ceremonies. This work was shot during Children's Day on 23 April, a festive day celebrating the forming of the Turkish parliament and the official end - in 1920 - of the Ottoman Empire. On this day, children perform pompous patriotic rituals that were conceived by the elders. With the mayor and governor of Istanbul as host, and accompanied by a senior soldier, the schoolchildren recite poems and take an oath in which patriotism turns to ultra-nationalism.
Director Köken Ergun
Sales Köken Ergun
Print source Köken Ergun
Photography Köken Ergun, Hatice Güleryüz
Editor Köken Ergun
Sound Köken Ergun, Thomas Wallmann Length 8'
Rotterdam 2007 | The Earthquake (Zilzal)
Gripping, claustrophobic, loving. A girl is stuck after an earthquake and finds her video camera. The Earthquake pays homage to the 15,000 victims at least killed by a major earthquake that took place in 1999 in north-western Turkey. A girl is trapped in a collapsed house. She finds her video camera.
Director Mehmet Bahadir Er
Sales Protim Video Production
Print source Mehmet Bahadir Er
Scenario Mehmet Bahadir Er
Cast Diba Ener, Gülsen Er
Photography Diba Ener, Mehmet Bahadir Er
Editor Mehmet Bahadir Er
Length 14'
Rotterdam 2007 | Bes Vakit - Times and Winds
Impressionist coming-of-age story about three children in a small Turkish mountain village where life follows the rhythm of the prayers. Physical changes, a crush on a female teacher and apparently loveless parents are just a few of their problems.
Times and Winds is an impressionistic mosaic of life in a Turkish mountain village and the coming of age confusions of two boys and a girl. It follows the rhythm of everyday life in the village, according to the mosque’s calls for prayers and is divided into seven chapters - the days of the week.Ömer, the son of the village imam, is confused by the changes in himself, by his feelings of loneliness and by his parents’ privileged treatment of his younger brother. Because of all of this, he secretly wishes for his father’s death. Ömer’s best friend has his own troubles and confusions, as he is secretly in love with the beautiful schoolteacher. During one of his voyeuristic trips he finds out that he is not the only one. The girl’s confusion lies in her relationship with her mother, who only has eyes for her baby. All in all, it is not easy to be this age and to be brought up by adults who seem not to be very direct towards their children. The film’s landscape and scene shots, accompanied by Arvo Pärt’s music, are breathtakingly wonderful. The film as a whole is an enriching and emotional trip for the senses. (LC)
Director Reha Erdem
Production company Atlantik Film
Sales Atlantik Film
Distributor NL Cinemien
Print source Atlantik Film
Scenario Reha Erdem
Cast Özkan Özen, Ali Bey Kayali, Elit Iscan, Bülent Emin Yarar, Taner Birsel
Photography Florent Herry
Editor Reha Erdem
ArtDesign Ömer Atay
Sound Herve Guyader, Murat Senürkmez
Music Arvo Pärt
Length 111'
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Variety Review | Ice Cream I Scream
Palm Springs |Ice Cream I Scream |Dondurman Gaymak (Turkey)
By ROBERT KOEHLER
A Hermes Film presentation of a Makara Film production. (International sales: Hermes Film, Istanbul.) Produced by Eyup Boz, Tankut Kilinc, Yuksel Aksu. Co-producers, Elif Dagdeviren Guven, Bulent Helvaci.
Directed, written by Yuksel Aksu.
With: Turan Ozdemir, Gulnihal Demir, Ismet Can Suda, Ulas Saribas.
The aim may be Capraesque charm in "Ice Cream I Scream," but the net effect of writer-director Yuksel Aksu's Turkish comedy is the desire that its loud protag -- an insistent and often obnoxious small-town ice cream vendor -- would simply go away. Given Turkey's option of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "Climates" as an Oscar selection, its choice of this minor and poorly shaped bit of whimsy borders on the scandalous. A sure local hit, pic won't sweeten auds anywhere else.
Determined to hold his own against bigger, corporate ice cream outfits peddling artificial bars, Ali (Turan Ozdemir, who does indeed scream most of his lines) is proud of his new TV ad touting his real delicacies in Mediterranean tourist town of Mugla. As he sells his ice cream via bicycle cart in nearby villages, Ali is trailed by Tingoz Kerim (Ismet Can Suda) and his tyke gang of naughty boys. They make off with Ali's cart, leading the nutty vendor to assume that spies from his big competitors are trying to do him in. Much nonsense ensues.
Camera (Safak Film and Video color, DV), Eyup Boz; editor, Sedat Karadeniz; music, BaBaZuLa; production designer, Tan Berk Kurtcebe, Bora Batur, Burcin Batu; sound (Dolby Digital) Suat Alhan; sound designers, Onan Karagozoglu, Jan Peridar. Reviewed at Palm Springs Film Festival (Awards Buzz), Jan. 7, 2007. (Also in Istanbul Film Festival.) Original title: Dondurman gaymak. Running time: 105 MIN.
By ROBERT KOEHLER
A Hermes Film presentation of a Makara Film production. (International sales: Hermes Film, Istanbul.) Produced by Eyup Boz, Tankut Kilinc, Yuksel Aksu. Co-producers, Elif Dagdeviren Guven, Bulent Helvaci.
Directed, written by Yuksel Aksu.
With: Turan Ozdemir, Gulnihal Demir, Ismet Can Suda, Ulas Saribas.
The aim may be Capraesque charm in "Ice Cream I Scream," but the net effect of writer-director Yuksel Aksu's Turkish comedy is the desire that its loud protag -- an insistent and often obnoxious small-town ice cream vendor -- would simply go away. Given Turkey's option of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "Climates" as an Oscar selection, its choice of this minor and poorly shaped bit of whimsy borders on the scandalous. A sure local hit, pic won't sweeten auds anywhere else.
Determined to hold his own against bigger, corporate ice cream outfits peddling artificial bars, Ali (Turan Ozdemir, who does indeed scream most of his lines) is proud of his new TV ad touting his real delicacies in Mediterranean tourist town of Mugla. As he sells his ice cream via bicycle cart in nearby villages, Ali is trailed by Tingoz Kerim (Ismet Can Suda) and his tyke gang of naughty boys. They make off with Ali's cart, leading the nutty vendor to assume that spies from his big competitors are trying to do him in. Much nonsense ensues.
Camera (Safak Film and Video color, DV), Eyup Boz; editor, Sedat Karadeniz; music, BaBaZuLa; production designer, Tan Berk Kurtcebe, Bora Batur, Burcin Batu; sound (Dolby Digital) Suat Alhan; sound designers, Onan Karagozoglu, Jan Peridar. Reviewed at Palm Springs Film Festival (Awards Buzz), Jan. 7, 2007. (Also in Istanbul Film Festival.) Original title: Dondurman gaymak. Running time: 105 MIN.
Variety Review | A Man's Fear of God
Antalya Golden Orange | A Man's Fear of God | Takva (Turkey-Germany)
By JAY WEISSBERG
'A Man's Fear of God'
Ozer Kiziltan's 'A Man's Fear of God' explores the uneasy struggle between spiritual teaching and capitalism.
A Yeni Sinemacilar (Turkey)/Corazon Intl. (Germany) production. (International sales: The Match Factory, Cologne/Munich.) Produced by Sevil Demirci, Onder Cakar, Fatih Akin, Andreas Thiel, Klaus Maeck. Executive producers, Falk H. Nagel, Feridun Koc. Directed by Ozer Kiziltan. Screenplay, Onder Cakar; script supervisor, Fatih Akin.
With: Erkan Can, Meray Ulgen, Guven Kirac, Erman Saban, Settar Tanriogen, Murat Cemcir, Engin Gunaydin, Mufit Aytekin, Oznur Kula, Hakan Gursoytrak.
A richly textured, thoughtful exploration of the hypocrisies inherent when fundamentalists engage in commercial ventures, "A Man's Fear of God" reps a strong new voice in Turkish cinema. Focusing on a simple man whose administrative job within an Islamic sect sets him spinning adrift from his previously unquestioned moral compass, pic benefits from a stand-out central perf and a finely tuned script (supervised by Fatih Akin, whose Corazon Intl. co-produced) that refuses to condescend to anyone. Helmer Ozer Kiziltan's bigscreen debut deservedly bagged the lion's share of prizes at Antalya's national fest; awards are possible off-shore as well.
Muharrem (the superb Erkan Can) is a man of few needs, his life centering on his religion and his job for sack merchant Ali (Settar Tanriogen). His outlook is as limited as his wardrobe, so it comes as a shock when the leader of his religious sect, the Sheik (Meray Ulgen), asks him to become the rent collector for the sect's property-rich seminary.
Muharrem's lack of ambition and worldliness is precisely why he's been chosen. The Sheik and his right-hand man Rauf (Guven Kirac) "suggest" Ali give Muharrem afternoons off so he can collect rents and see to repairs on the many properties the sect owns throughout Istanbul.
It is also "suggested" that Muharrem move into the seminary's building, where he's given suits, a cell phone, and all the accoutrements of a businessman, even a car and driver: "You must reflect the wisdom and the wealth of the Sheik and of the order," Rauf explains. Fish-out-of-water isn't the half of it.
As he adjusts to his new role, Muharrem visibly changes. Whereas before he lived in a timeless world that could equally be 1926 or 2006, now he confidently strides into shopping malls and ultra-modern offices. When his basic goodness tells him to allow a poor family to skip their rent for a month, the Sheik says this might prevent a student from coming to the seminary.
Increasingly confused and plagued by "sinful" recurring wet dreams, Muharrem's previously black-and-white existence becomes filled not just with temptation, but with sophistical debates wrapped in opaque religious finery.
In a world currently extra-sensitive to all treatments of Muslim subjects, it should be added that Kiziltan is clearly criticizing a particular strain of fundamentalism that uses a moral sleight-of-hand to reconcile spiritual teaching with capitalism. His target could just as easily be any religious institution.
What really makes "A Man's Fear of God" stand out is the way Kiziltan enriches his characters through their environment. Muharrem's life was full of familiar, solid traditions linked to office, tea-shop, mosque and home. His plunge into the contempo world reveals the two sides of Istanbul, and the uneasy struggle that exists between them.
As he changes clothes and transforms from near indentured servitude to a position of respect, thesper Can undergoes a visual physical transformation, carrying his body with a new confidence and spontaneously, if uncomfortably, manifesting a forceful confrontational attitude. With heavy-lidded eyes that beautifully register his painful confusion, Can easily won the best actor award in Antalya.
Visuals are rich and multi-dimensional. Akin's regular editor Andrew Bird, along with Niko, do an outstanding job of building tension during a music-filled religious ceremony that hits a fever pitch and then jumps to a most unexpected follow-up.
Camera (color), Soykut Turan; editors, Andrew Bird, Niko ; music, Gokce Akcelik; art director, Erol Tastan; costume designer, Ayten Senyurt; sound (Dolby Digital), Onur Yavuz; associate producers, Alberto Fanni, Flaminio Zadra, Paolo Colombo, Sarmasik Sanatlar, Baran Seyhan; assistant director, Seren Yuce. Reviewed at Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (competing), Turkey, Sept. 22, 2006. (Also in Toronto Film Festival --- Visions.) Running time: 100 MIN.
By JAY WEISSBERG
'A Man's Fear of God'
Ozer Kiziltan's 'A Man's Fear of God' explores the uneasy struggle between spiritual teaching and capitalism.
A Yeni Sinemacilar (Turkey)/Corazon Intl. (Germany) production. (International sales: The Match Factory, Cologne/Munich.) Produced by Sevil Demirci, Onder Cakar, Fatih Akin, Andreas Thiel, Klaus Maeck. Executive producers, Falk H. Nagel, Feridun Koc. Directed by Ozer Kiziltan. Screenplay, Onder Cakar; script supervisor, Fatih Akin.
With: Erkan Can, Meray Ulgen, Guven Kirac, Erman Saban, Settar Tanriogen, Murat Cemcir, Engin Gunaydin, Mufit Aytekin, Oznur Kula, Hakan Gursoytrak.
A richly textured, thoughtful exploration of the hypocrisies inherent when fundamentalists engage in commercial ventures, "A Man's Fear of God" reps a strong new voice in Turkish cinema. Focusing on a simple man whose administrative job within an Islamic sect sets him spinning adrift from his previously unquestioned moral compass, pic benefits from a stand-out central perf and a finely tuned script (supervised by Fatih Akin, whose Corazon Intl. co-produced) that refuses to condescend to anyone. Helmer Ozer Kiziltan's bigscreen debut deservedly bagged the lion's share of prizes at Antalya's national fest; awards are possible off-shore as well.
Muharrem (the superb Erkan Can) is a man of few needs, his life centering on his religion and his job for sack merchant Ali (Settar Tanriogen). His outlook is as limited as his wardrobe, so it comes as a shock when the leader of his religious sect, the Sheik (Meray Ulgen), asks him to become the rent collector for the sect's property-rich seminary.
Muharrem's lack of ambition and worldliness is precisely why he's been chosen. The Sheik and his right-hand man Rauf (Guven Kirac) "suggest" Ali give Muharrem afternoons off so he can collect rents and see to repairs on the many properties the sect owns throughout Istanbul.
It is also "suggested" that Muharrem move into the seminary's building, where he's given suits, a cell phone, and all the accoutrements of a businessman, even a car and driver: "You must reflect the wisdom and the wealth of the Sheik and of the order," Rauf explains. Fish-out-of-water isn't the half of it.
As he adjusts to his new role, Muharrem visibly changes. Whereas before he lived in a timeless world that could equally be 1926 or 2006, now he confidently strides into shopping malls and ultra-modern offices. When his basic goodness tells him to allow a poor family to skip their rent for a month, the Sheik says this might prevent a student from coming to the seminary.
Increasingly confused and plagued by "sinful" recurring wet dreams, Muharrem's previously black-and-white existence becomes filled not just with temptation, but with sophistical debates wrapped in opaque religious finery.
In a world currently extra-sensitive to all treatments of Muslim subjects, it should be added that Kiziltan is clearly criticizing a particular strain of fundamentalism that uses a moral sleight-of-hand to reconcile spiritual teaching with capitalism. His target could just as easily be any religious institution.
What really makes "A Man's Fear of God" stand out is the way Kiziltan enriches his characters through their environment. Muharrem's life was full of familiar, solid traditions linked to office, tea-shop, mosque and home. His plunge into the contempo world reveals the two sides of Istanbul, and the uneasy struggle that exists between them.
As he changes clothes and transforms from near indentured servitude to a position of respect, thesper Can undergoes a visual physical transformation, carrying his body with a new confidence and spontaneously, if uncomfortably, manifesting a forceful confrontational attitude. With heavy-lidded eyes that beautifully register his painful confusion, Can easily won the best actor award in Antalya.
Visuals are rich and multi-dimensional. Akin's regular editor Andrew Bird, along with Niko, do an outstanding job of building tension during a music-filled religious ceremony that hits a fever pitch and then jumps to a most unexpected follow-up.
Camera (color), Soykut Turan; editors, Andrew Bird, Niko ; music, Gokce Akcelik; art director, Erol Tastan; costume designer, Ayten Senyurt; sound (Dolby Digital), Onur Yavuz; associate producers, Alberto Fanni, Flaminio Zadra, Paolo Colombo, Sarmasik Sanatlar, Baran Seyhan; assistant director, Seren Yuce. Reviewed at Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (competing), Turkey, Sept. 22, 2006. (Also in Toronto Film Festival --- Visions.) Running time: 100 MIN.
Der Lebensversicherer by Bulent Akinci
Der Lebensversicherer / Running on Empty 2006, 100 mins, in German with English subtitles Director: Bulent Akinci, Cast: Jens Harzer, Marina Galic, Anna Maria Mühe, Tom Jahn, Eva Mannschott, Oliver Marlo, Christian Blümel
Awards: Best Actor (Jens Harzer), Special mention and a diploma of The 28th MIFF Jury of the Russian Guild of Film Critics, Moscow International Film Festival 2006; DIALOGUE en Perspective (Bülent Akinci), Berlin International Film Festival 2006
Book your tickets online now!
Running on Empty
Insurance agent Burkhard Wagner (Jens Harzer) has decided not to return home until he has closed enough deals to dig his family out of misery. He turns into the Flying Dutchman of Germany’s motorways, embarks on a year-long odyssey and contact with the family boils down to leaving odd reports on the answering machine. Behind the routine details of an insurance agent’s life meeting his unfortunate customers - most of them déclassé, thrown out by prosperous society – one sees a metaphor. “Closer and closer is the moment when he’ll be able to regain his family, his home and himself. The question remains – where is his home, where is Burkhard himself? Will the endless tape of a road, this lonely ‘life insurer’ is driving along, ever let him go?” (Larisa Malyukova, FIPRESCI). Only after a miraculous encounter with a woman running a roadside motel, he does find peace. A deeper understanding seems to connect them. The hapless landlady tries to open his eyes to reality, but Burkhard is afraid of waking up and takes severe measures to end his apparently endless journey. Director/Writer Bülent Akinci’s first full-length feature Running on Empty is a sombre, desperate and atmospheric road-movie, in which Jens Harzer (also in Hans-Christian Schmid’s Requiem) has brilliantly rendered the state of mind of a hunted down, lost soul.
Biography
Born in Ankara on 10.3.1967, he moved to Berlin in 1970. He was a musician, security guard and an insurance salesman before taking final school examinations and studying philosophy, art history, drama and film at the FU in Berlin. He took up studies at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin in 1996. "Der Lebensversicherer" is his first feature-length drama.
Source: 56. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (catalogue)
Filmography
2005/2006 Der Lebensversicherer, Screenplay,Director
2000/2001 Eine kleine Geschichte, Producer,Director
1995 Die letzten Bilder, Director
Awards: Best Actor (Jens Harzer), Special mention and a diploma of The 28th MIFF Jury of the Russian Guild of Film Critics, Moscow International Film Festival 2006; DIALOGUE en Perspective (Bülent Akinci), Berlin International Film Festival 2006
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Running on Empty
Insurance agent Burkhard Wagner (Jens Harzer) has decided not to return home until he has closed enough deals to dig his family out of misery. He turns into the Flying Dutchman of Germany’s motorways, embarks on a year-long odyssey and contact with the family boils down to leaving odd reports on the answering machine. Behind the routine details of an insurance agent’s life meeting his unfortunate customers - most of them déclassé, thrown out by prosperous society – one sees a metaphor. “Closer and closer is the moment when he’ll be able to regain his family, his home and himself. The question remains – where is his home, where is Burkhard himself? Will the endless tape of a road, this lonely ‘life insurer’ is driving along, ever let him go?” (Larisa Malyukova, FIPRESCI). Only after a miraculous encounter with a woman running a roadside motel, he does find peace. A deeper understanding seems to connect them. The hapless landlady tries to open his eyes to reality, but Burkhard is afraid of waking up and takes severe measures to end his apparently endless journey. Director/Writer Bülent Akinci’s first full-length feature Running on Empty is a sombre, desperate and atmospheric road-movie, in which Jens Harzer (also in Hans-Christian Schmid’s Requiem) has brilliantly rendered the state of mind of a hunted down, lost soul.
Biography
Born in Ankara on 10.3.1967, he moved to Berlin in 1970. He was a musician, security guard and an insurance salesman before taking final school examinations and studying philosophy, art history, drama and film at the FU in Berlin. He took up studies at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin in 1996. "Der Lebensversicherer" is his first feature-length drama.
Source: 56. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (catalogue)
Filmography
2005/2006 Der Lebensversicherer, Screenplay,Director
2000/2001 Eine kleine Geschichte, Producer,Director
1995 Die letzten Bilder, Director
Aus der Ferne by Thomas Arslan
Aus der Ferne (2006) From Far Away / 89 min. / Color / 35 mm / in German w English sub titles
Written and Directed by: Thomas Arslan ; Director of photography: Thomas Arslan ; Music: Martin Steyer ; Edited by: Bettina Blickwede Production company: Pickpocket Filmproduktion (Berlin) ZDF/3sat; Producer Thomas Arslan, Inge Classen
"Aus der Ferne" is a personal travelogue, a documentary about a trip through Turkey. Thomas Arslan, who filmed the journey himself, undertook the trip in May/June 2005. The route takes him through Istanbul and Ankara to Gaziantep in the southeastern part of the country, from there further eastwards via Diyarbakir and Van to Dogubayazit near the Iranian border.
The film describes moments during the journey that differ from the usual motifs that inform the image of present-day Turkey – from impressions of day-to-day life in such Western cities as Istanbul and Ankara all the way to regions in the country’s easternmost territory that were locked in battle until recently. "Aus der Ferne" is not a journalistic reportage. The film is not trying to prove anything, but rather to observe. It is the personal look of the filmmaker at this country.
Premiere: 56. Int. Filmfestspiele Berlin 2006, Int. Forum des jungen Films
THOMAS ARSLAN TALKS ABOUT HIS FILM (excerpts from an interview with Michael Baute, on January 3, 2006 in Berlin):
At the time I was shooting the film, the public discussion about Turkey had become quite intense. And it still is. It became almost the major task of the film to avoid immediately landing into the trap associated with the current slogans about Turkey and the stereotypical imagery. Occident, Orient, the West, the East: I can’t associate anything real with these terms. The starting point for the film was to be able to get an impression at all, and not to fall in line with some theory or to illustrate something you thought you already knew. I wanted to keep my eyes open for simple, concrete things in everyday life in this country.
… Before starting, I made two research trips to Turkey. I decided on the route of the journey. We followed this route during the shoot, from west to east. In the major cities of the trip we stayed for a week, although we never filmed for the first day or two. I wanted to first settle in and have a look around. Afterwards, we would make a plan for the following days. This is how we moved along, towards the east.
… Besides myself the crew consisted of a soundman, a director’s assistant, and a driver. I am really happy we were able to shoot on film. I was afraid that if we shot video, I would have gotten lost in the pile of material we could have generated. It actually helped to have to deal with a relatively limited amount of material. Since it made every decision very important, whether to turn the camera on or not. … In the scenes I shot, I tried to influence the situation as little as possible.
… Istanbul was the first stop on the journey. It was clear to me that this was a film which would slowly develop itself, but at the same time I realized that with the first shots I would lay down the path. With the Istanbul sequence the film begins to feel its way forwards. I didn’t want to simply deduce something. The point was to arrive, to be open to discovery. Istanbul is an enormous city, we could have shown many things. The images I chose were a reaction to the typical pictures that exist about Istanbul. For example the tired, old metaphor of the city as a bridge. I tried to disregard images, which have been shown a thousand times, but still to make something from the city visible.
… In the end, with a travel film your stay is always too short, even when you try to take your time. In just a few days, you only get close to a limited number of people. Of course you try, but nevertheless only very few situations arise which allow this to happen. The gaze of the film is a gaze from the outside. The gaze of a traveller passing through. Not to lose sight of this point was important to give the film its form.
Written and Directed by: Thomas Arslan ; Director of photography: Thomas Arslan ; Music: Martin Steyer ; Edited by: Bettina Blickwede Production company: Pickpocket Filmproduktion (Berlin) ZDF/3sat; Producer Thomas Arslan, Inge Classen
"Aus der Ferne" is a personal travelogue, a documentary about a trip through Turkey. Thomas Arslan, who filmed the journey himself, undertook the trip in May/June 2005. The route takes him through Istanbul and Ankara to Gaziantep in the southeastern part of the country, from there further eastwards via Diyarbakir and Van to Dogubayazit near the Iranian border.
The film describes moments during the journey that differ from the usual motifs that inform the image of present-day Turkey – from impressions of day-to-day life in such Western cities as Istanbul and Ankara all the way to regions in the country’s easternmost territory that were locked in battle until recently. "Aus der Ferne" is not a journalistic reportage. The film is not trying to prove anything, but rather to observe. It is the personal look of the filmmaker at this country.
Premiere: 56. Int. Filmfestspiele Berlin 2006, Int. Forum des jungen Films
THOMAS ARSLAN TALKS ABOUT HIS FILM (excerpts from an interview with Michael Baute, on January 3, 2006 in Berlin):
At the time I was shooting the film, the public discussion about Turkey had become quite intense. And it still is. It became almost the major task of the film to avoid immediately landing into the trap associated with the current slogans about Turkey and the stereotypical imagery. Occident, Orient, the West, the East: I can’t associate anything real with these terms. The starting point for the film was to be able to get an impression at all, and not to fall in line with some theory or to illustrate something you thought you already knew. I wanted to keep my eyes open for simple, concrete things in everyday life in this country.
… Before starting, I made two research trips to Turkey. I decided on the route of the journey. We followed this route during the shoot, from west to east. In the major cities of the trip we stayed for a week, although we never filmed for the first day or two. I wanted to first settle in and have a look around. Afterwards, we would make a plan for the following days. This is how we moved along, towards the east.
… Besides myself the crew consisted of a soundman, a director’s assistant, and a driver. I am really happy we were able to shoot on film. I was afraid that if we shot video, I would have gotten lost in the pile of material we could have generated. It actually helped to have to deal with a relatively limited amount of material. Since it made every decision very important, whether to turn the camera on or not. … In the scenes I shot, I tried to influence the situation as little as possible.
… Istanbul was the first stop on the journey. It was clear to me that this was a film which would slowly develop itself, but at the same time I realized that with the first shots I would lay down the path. With the Istanbul sequence the film begins to feel its way forwards. I didn’t want to simply deduce something. The point was to arrive, to be open to discovery. Istanbul is an enormous city, we could have shown many things. The images I chose were a reaction to the typical pictures that exist about Istanbul. For example the tired, old metaphor of the city as a bridge. I tried to disregard images, which have been shown a thousand times, but still to make something from the city visible.
… In the end, with a travel film your stay is always too short, even when you try to take your time. In just a few days, you only get close to a limited number of people. Of course you try, but nevertheless only very few situations arise which allow this to happen. The gaze of the film is a gaze from the outside. The gaze of a traveller passing through. Not to lose sight of this point was important to give the film its form.
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