A number of truly notable films have come from Turkey recently. There have been new films by several world class directors. The first is Iklimlar (Climates) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, best known in the West for his 2002 film Uzak. Iklimlar continues the director’s minimalist approach, with spare dialogue and long tight close-ups. Its story casts a chilly view on the possibilities of real communication in human relationships. Next is Zeki Demirkubuz’s film Kader (Fate). Like Ceylan, Demirkubuz is on familiar ground. As in his 1997 film Masumiyat (Innocence), this movie is set among the criminal fringe, the down and outs of Turkish urban life, but explores the universal theme of the power of passion to destroy, rather than uplift, a life, when it becomes obsession. There is also a new film by Dervis Zaim, which I have not seen yet, called Cenneti Beklerden (Waiting for heaven). Zaim’s fine earlier work, such as Tabutta Rouasata (Somersault in a coffin) (1996) and Filler ve Cemen (Elephants and grass) (2000), bodes well for this film.
Two sweet and gentle comedies have come out this year: Hokkabaz (Trickster), written and directed by and starring one of Turkey’s top comics, Cem Yilmaz. The film traces the adventures in magic and love of a somewhat less than talented stage magician. The other is the award-winning Dondurmam Gaymak (Creamy ice cream), written and directed by Yuksel Aksu. In the film, a village ice cream man takes on both the challenge of the big ice cream companies, and the mischievous little boys of his town. There is also a sci-fi oddity out, a sequel to one of the worst films ever made, Dunyayi Kurtaran Adam (The man who saved the world) (1982). Prepare yourself for Dunyayi Kurtaran Adam’nin Oglu (Son of the man who saved the world), starring a quite aged Cuneyt Arkin, who played the title role in the first film. The first Star Trek films spring to mind. Get the original for kitsch value alone, and pass on the sequel. Also pass on Sinav (Exam) a slick Western MTV-inspired look at Turkish students preparing (in unorthodox ways) for their crucial college entrance exam. It is not worthy of the director, Omer Faruk Sorak, who also made Vizontele and G.O.R.A.
As people who choose to live a religiously conservative lifestyle become more numerous and conspicuous on Turkish streets, Islam and the role it might play in their heretofore strictly secular society have become subjects much in the minds of Turks today. Two fine films that reflect this preoccupation are the award-winning Takva (Piety) by Ozer Kiziltan, and Adem’in Trenleri (Adam’s trains) by Baris Pirhasan. In Takva a simple pious man is chosen to look after the considerable financial holdings of his Sufi lodge. The film charts his growing corruption and loss of faith. In Adem’in Trenleri, a new imam comes to a small rural village. At first, he seems a grim, unsympathetic figure who mistreats his young wife and daughter. Eventually, it is revealed that he married his wife when she was pregnant by another man to save her from mistreatment and ridicule. In the course of the film, the villagers learn of his compassionate nature, while he learns just how much he really loves his young wife. The realistic depiction of a village imam in this film is far beyond the offensive “imam as cool guy” caricature presented by last year’s Imam.
The Turks have long enjoyed historical films, usually of the ghazi variety. A film that deals with modern political events like the 1980 coup is a rarity, but that is the subject of the new film Zincirbozan (The broken chain), directed by Atil Inac. This political thriller pulls no punches historically, and is a fine fictional examination of one of Turkey’s dark periods. On the lighter side is Son Osmanli Yandun Ali (The last Ottoman, Yandun Ali), directed by Mustafa Sevi Dogan. The film is an adaptation of a series of graphic novels by Suat Yalaz about the fictional character involved in the Turkish War of Independence. The film casts the hero as a Turkish James Bond, but it is still a unique expression of contemporary Turkish culture and essential to any collection. Another fine costume epic of World War I that has recently been released is Eve Giden Yol 1914, written and directed by Semir Aslanyurek.
Lastly, there have been two reissues of classic Turkish films from the days of the Turkish Hollywood, known as Yesilcam. These films feature some the best known stars and directors, and most importantly, have English subtitles. Many of the classic Turkish films are available, but most do not have subtitles. The first is an atmospheric masterwork by auteur Metin Erksan, Sevmek Zamani (Time for love) (1965). The other is the award-winning Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim (The girl with the red scarf) (1977) by Atif Yilmaz. Based on a novel by Cengiz Aytmatov, it stars Kadir Inanir, Turkan Soray, and Ahmet Mekin. These films will provide some historical perspective to any collection.
David Giovacchini
Stanford University