Author: Emrah Güler
Place: Turkey
Date: 20 June 2011

Founded two years ago, the Armenia-Turkey Cinema Platform has played a vital role in bringing together young filmmakers, supporting the production of films, and facilitating dialogue between artists from the two countries. The project’s Turkey Coordinator Çiğdem Mater spoke with Southeast Europe: People and Culture about how the Platform started, and about her pride in this civil initiative between Armenia and Turkey.

Author: Emrah Güler
Place: Turkey
Date: 05 April 2011

With such a rich history as Turkey’s, one would think that there would be a string of period dramas on the numerous civilizations that have left their marks on Anatolia, and especially the flamboyant Ottoman Empire. While Turkish cinema has experienced a renaissance in the last decade, and examples from a variety of genres can be seen, historical movies have hardly been the go-to projects for filmmakers. The exceptions are the half a dozen filmed biographies of the founder of the modern Turkish state, Kemal Atatürk.

Author: Emrah Güler
Place: Turkey
Date: 11 March 2011

History was made when the biggest cinema event in Turkey, the Golden Orange Film Festival, included two films in the Kurdish language in its prestigious list of films running for the National Competition. It was a first in the nearly half-a-century history of the awards. Screened at the festival with Turkish subtitles, the inclusion of “İki Dil Bir Bavul” (On the Way to School) and “Min Dit: The Children of Diyarbakır” was a cinematic reflection of the Kurdish  Opening, the Turkish government’s undertaking to include greater cultural rights and freedom for Kurds.

Author:  Emrah Güler
Place: Turkey
Date: 20 November 2009

When autumn comes to Turkey, competition, controversy, and cinema run hand in hand in the streets of the southern city of Antalya with the Golden Orange Film Festival. The biggest event of cinema in Turkey for the last half-a-century, the festival has always been a volatile event, especially with its national competition. The selection of the films, the selection of the jury, the handing out of the awards, and the after-shock following the awards, have always made the national competition more than just a competition.

Author:  Emrah Güler
Place: Turkey
Date: 6 July 2009

In the last five years, Turkish film director Nuri Bilge Ceylan has won the Grand Jury, FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics) and Best Director prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2008, he was nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or award with his film “Uç Maymun” (Three Monkeys). Eventually, he took home the award for the Best Director.