Cinema of Turkey: Top Directors
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Atif Yilmaz Batibeki was a renowned Turkish film director, screenwriter, and film producer. After finishing high school in Mersin, he attended the Law School of Istanbul University. Because of his interest in arts, he dropped out of Law School and entered the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul. After graduating from the Academy, he did some painting works in workshops. His education in painting helped him when he was directing his movies, as he once remarked. In the beginning, he worked as a film critic, made paintings and wrote film scripts to earn a living. After co-directing two movies as an assistant director to Semih Evin in 1950, his directing career began with the film Kanli Feryat (The Bloody Cry). In 1960, he established his film company "Yerli Film" with the actor Orhan Günsiray.
The most important movies in his filmography were: Hickirik (The Sob), Alageyik (The Fallow Deer), Suclu (The Guilty One), Seni Kaybedersem (If I Lose You), Yaban Gülü (The Wild Rose), Kesanli Ali Destani (Kesanli Ali's Epic), Tacsiz Kral (The Crownless King), Topragin Kani (Blood of the Earth), Olum Tarlasi (Death Field), Utanc (The Shame), Zavallilar (The Poor People), Selvi Boylum, Al Yazmalim (My Girl with the Red Scarf), Baskin (The Raid), Adak (The Sacrifice), Bir Yudum Sevgi (A Sip of Love), Adi Vasfiye (Her Name is Vasfiye), Berdel, Düs Gezginleri (Walking After Midnight), Eylül Firtinasi (After the Fall) and Mine.
He made movies that were both fluent and had mainly social messages. Most of the themes of his movies were taboo when they were produced. Particularly "Mine" and "Her Name is Vasfiye" were both revolutionary at the time of their release with themes regarding sexuality and the reaction of society.
He never gave up making movies throughout his life and even in the time when the industry stopped filmmaking due to economic reasons.
Atif Yilmaz played an important role in the professional career of notable Turkish film directors like Halit Refig, Yilmaz Güney, Serif Gören, Zeki Ökten and Ali Özgentürk.
During the Antalya Film Festival in September 2005, he was admitted to hospital with gastro-intestinal complaints. He died on 5 May 2006 in Istanbul.- Director
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Ertem Egilmez was born on 18 February 1929 in Trabzon, Turkey. He was a director and producer, known for My Dear Brother (1973), Kalbimin Efendisi (1970) and Bir Millet Uyaniyor (1966). He died on 21 September 1989 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
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Osman F. Seden was born on 22 March 1924 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for Cilali Ibo: Avrupada (1970), Hindistan cevizi (1967) and Çalikusu (1966). He died on 1 September 1998 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
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Zeki Ökten was born on 4 August 1941 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a director and assistant director, known for The Herd (1978), Faize Hücum (1982) and Düsman (1980). He was married to Güler Ökten. He died on 19 December 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
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Turkish film director, screenwriter, academician. Who directed movies from 1948 to 1990. In 1949, he debuted as a film director with Vurun Kahpeye ("Strike the Whore") an adaptation of Halide Edip Adivar's book of the same title. He became one of the pioneers of the period in the "Director Generation". His 1970s trilogy comprising The Bride, The Wedding and The Sacrifice, is considered his masterpiece. Afterwards, he withdrew from movie making instead directing adaptations for TV.
Akad was born on September 2, 1916. Following his secondary education at French Jeanne d'Arc School and Galatasaray High School, he studied finance at Istanbul Economy and Commerce Higher School. Beside his occupation as financial advisor at Sema Film company, he wrote articles on theatre and cinema. After directing more than 100 movies, Akad taught twenty years at the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts.
He died on 19 November 2011 at the age of 95 in Istanbul.- Director
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- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Orhan Aksoy was born on 10 January 1930 in Mustafakemalpasa, Bursa, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for Hayat mi Bu? (1973), Yumusak Ten (1994) and Kederli Günlerim (1967). He died on 22 January 2008 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
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Ömer Kavur was born on 18 June 1944 in Ankara, Turkey. He was a director and producer, known for Akrebin Yolculugu (1997), Karsilasma (2003) and Motherland Hotel (1987). He was married to Hümeyra. He died on 12 May 2005 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Producer
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Nuri Bilge Ceylan is a Turkish filmmaker whose introspective and visually stunning films have garnered international acclaim. His career trajectory, marked by a shift from engineering to filmmaking, is a testament to his dedication to artistic expression and exploration of the human condition.
Ceylan's early interest in image and visual arts was nurtured during his studies at Bogaziçi University. His involvement in the photography club and exposure to cinema through film classes and screenings at the Film Society ignited his passion for filmmaking. After graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering and completing his military service, Ceylan chose to pursue his cinematic dreams, studying film at Mimar Sinan University while working as a professional photographer.
Ceylan's first foray into filmmaking was as an actor in a short film directed by his friend Mehmet Eryilmaz. He soon transitioned behind the camera, directing his debut short film, "Koza" (1995), which made history as the first Turkish short film selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. This early success set the stage for his "provincial trilogy": "Kasaba" (1997), "Mayis Sikintisi" (1999), and "Uzak" (2002). In these films, Ceylan took on multiple roles, showcasing his meticulous attention to detail and his ability to craft deeply personal and evocative stories. "Uzak" (2002) won the Grand Prix and Best Actor awards at Cannes, catapulting Ceylan to international recognition.
Ceylan's subsequent films continued to explore the complexities of human relationships and the nuances of emotional landscapes. "Iklimler" (2006) won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, while "Uç Maymun" (2008) earned him the Best Director award. His masterpiece "Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da" (2011) won the Grand Prix at Cannes, solidifying his reputation as a filmmaker of exceptional talent. "Kis Uykusu" (2014), his seventh feature film, garnered the Palme d'Or and the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes, further cementing his position as a leading figure in world cinema.
In recent years, Ceylan has continued to challenge himself with ambitious projects. His 2023 film "Kuru Otlar Ustüne" ("About Dry Grasses") is a visually stunning and emotionally charged drama that explores themes of isolation, disillusionment, and the search for meaning in life. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Actress award for Merve Dizdar.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan's films are characterized by their slow pace, meticulous attention to detail, and exploration of complex emotional states. His visual style, often inspired by his background in photography, creates a sense of atmosphere and mood that draws viewers into the world of his characters. Ceylan's unflinching portrayal of human relationships, combined with his poetic visual language, have earned him a dedicated following and a place among the most respected filmmakers of our time.- Director
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Born in 1929, Metin Erksan is one of the first Turkish filmmakers who saw cinema as an art form apart from a mass entertaining medium. Having studied art history in Istanbul University and being the brother of a little known director named Cetin Karamanbey, Erksan found himself at a very early age in a favourable position to combine film practice with aesthetic concerns. He worked as his elder brother's assistant for a short while and made his first debut with the script of "Binnaz" (1950) shot for Atlas Film Production Company. As many other filmmakers of the era who took the seventh art seriously, Erksan worked as a columnist in papers and film periodicals before engaging in active filmmaking. Metin Erksan's first film as a director that also heralded the unique and controversial place he would later occupy in the history of Turkish cinema was 'Asik Veysel' in "Hayati" (1952). Telling the dramatic life of the famous blind poet and song writer Asik Veysel, the film was later prohibited by the censure committe for showing the Turkish land as "infertile". With the advent of the social realist movement following the 1960 Coup d'Etat in Turkey, Erksan established himself as the "enfant prodige" of the post 60 era. Among the best films made during this period (including the Golden Bear Awarded Susuz Yaz (Dry Summer)) Erksan's work occupy a central place. His films are the fruits of an eclectic mixture of modernist themes (i.e. individual loneliness), metaphysics (the fight of good vs evil), and notions of Marxism. As other "engagé" directors of the era who did not only saw them as artists but also as "social engineers", Erksan played a major role in the foundation of the Union of Turkish Film Workers and the Association of Turkish Filmmakers. He was also Turkish Labour Party's candidate of Istanbul in the General Elections of 1965. But it is important to stress that Erksan's films are primarily praised for their aesthetic maturity which coexisted (until 1965) with a firm social commitment. Like other filmmakers who had to work within the narrow confines of the Turkish film industry, Erksan also shot commercial films to survive within the liberal minded Pine Tree (Yesilcam) system. After 1965, he gradually abandoned his social outlook and made either market oriented popular films or violent personal phantasies focusing on themes of loneliness and obsessive love. After shooting short films and serials for the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) in the 70s, Erksan completely gave up filmmaking after 1983. He started to teach at Istanbul Mimar Sinan University and is still working there, mostly isolated from the current discussions on modern Turkish cinema.- Director
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Ülkü Erakalin was born on 9 July 1934 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for Ölmüs Bir Kadinin Mektuplari (1969) and Üvey Ana (1971). He died on 6 April 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Producer
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Turkish football player, film director, actor, editor, screenwriter, producer, lecturer and Honorary Professor.
He graduated from Vefa Lisesi in 1937. In 1938, he dropped out of Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine in the third year of his education.
Ün changed the language of cinema by going beyond the melodrama mould with the film Üc Arkadas in 1958. The film was considered one of the best films of Turkish cinema. Thanks to his success in this film, he was invited to the Film Friends Association and became one of the important directors of Turkish cinema. During this period, he started to live with Fatma Girik and the couple's relationship continued for life.
In 1960, he started the era of child stars in Turkish cinema history with the film Aysecik. After his success with Aysecik, his partnership with Arsavir Alyanak at Yakut Film ended and he founded Ugur Film.
In 1990, he made his first self-financed film, Tüm Kapilar Kapaliydi, in which he turned to a subject and cinematography not seen in his previous films. This was followed by the films Gün Ortasinda Karanlik and Zikkimin Kökü, which received many awards. The last film he directed was Sinema Bir Mucizedir (2005), but due to his illness he could not complete the film and handed it over to Tunc Basaran.
He worked as a lecturer at Mimar Sinan University Cinema-TV Department.
Film worker Memduh Ün died on 16 October 2015 at the age of 95 in Bodrum where he was being treated.- Director
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Kartal Tibet was born on 27 March 1939 in Ankara, Turkey. He was a director and actor, known for Sabaniye (1984), Tarkan (1969) and Turks in Space (2006). He died on 1 July 2021 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
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- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Halit Refig, Turkish filmmaker, film critic and theoretician and an intellectual was born in Izmir, Turkey in 1934 to an industrial family. He attended Sisli Terakki High School and briefly attended Robert College Engineering Dept. During his military service he started making documentaries in Japan, Korea and Sri Lanka with a Super 8 camera. In 1957 he started the Turkish Film Review (Sinema Dergisi) with fellow film critic Nijat Ozon. Later he assisted director Atif Yilmaz in two films. In 1961 he directed his first feature, Yasak ask (1961). His approach to filmmaking was influenced by his friendship with the famous Turkish novelist Kemal Tahir. This collaboration gave fruit to Four Women in the Harem, which Refig scripted and later production of Yorgun Savasci (1979) in 1979, the most controversial film ever made in Turkish film history. Refig defended it and published a theory of national cinema, which he named Ulusal Sinema (national cinema). Later he revised his theory and called his work ATUT (Asiatic Mode of Production) cinema or Halk Sinemasi (Cinema of the People). Refig collected his articles on national cinema in a volume; Ulusal Sinema Kavgasi (Fight for a national Cinema). Refig and his fellow filmmakers like Metin Erksan and Lütfi Ö. Akad made nationalist films until late 1960s. In 1974, the newly established Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) commissioned Refig to make a literary adaptation of a Turkish novel of his choice. The result was _Ask-i memnu (1974) (TV)_ (Forbidden Love) which was hailed as the first Turkish TV mini series. In 1975 Refig joined fellow filmmakers to establish the Turkish Cinema and TV Institute. In 1977 he was invited to teach at University of Wisconsin where he made a Victorian period drama, Intercessors. In 1979 he was invited once again by the TRT to make Yorgun Savasci (Tired Warrior) Kemal Tahir's controversial novel. Described as the ultimate national cinema piece, the production and later on burning of the negatives by the military government in 1982 of Tired Warrior. The film was later aired in 1992 from a restored 1 inch tape. After this Refig made popular films for Turker Inanoglu. This gave Refig the opportunity to realize his smaller and more personal projects like Hanim (Madame). After nearly a decade Refig made Köpekler Adasi (1997) (Island of Dogs). The film received mixed reviews. As a filmmaker he made over 50 popular and personal films in Turkish film industry since 1961. As a film critic and theoretician he produced a significant body of film criticism and literally created a theory of national cinema, one that predates the theories of third cinema initiated in Latin American and African countries. Finally, as an intellectual he practiced what he preached. Refig focused on national and cultural identity in the young Turkish Republic, critiquing the westernization and nationalist ideologies in Turkey and favoring the traditional values and the Ottoman past. Refig deconstructed the Republican Kemalist ideology and the position of the Kemalist intellectual in Turkish society, discussed east-west and rural-urban tension in a rapidly changing social environment and the position of women in defining the new Turkish national identity. His work is also influenced by the psychoanalytical work of Freud and Jung's idea of collective consciousness. Refig likes applying a dialectical intellectual montage and German expressionist framing. Since 1975 Refig has taught at the Cinema and TV Institute of Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
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Nejat Saydam was born in 1929 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for Dinmeyen Sizi (1972), Ask Hikayesi (1971) and Mahpus (1973). He died on 25 October 2000 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
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- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tunç Basaran was born on 1 October 1938 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for Don't Let Them Shoot the Kite (1989), Sen de Gitme (1995) and Biri ve Digerleri (1988). He was married to Füsun Önal. He died on 18 December 2019 in Turkey.- Director
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Serif Gören was born on 14 October 1944 in Ksanthi, Greece. He is a director and editor, known for The Road (1982), Endise (1974) and Derman (1983).- Director
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Born in 1964 in Famagusta, North Cyprus, Dervish Zaim graduated from Warwick University. He took a course in independent film production, organized in London by the Hollywood Film Institute. In 1995 his first novel won the prestigious "Yunus Nadi" literary prize in Turkey. Tabutta Rövasata (Somersault in a Coffin) is his debut as director and screenwriter.- Writer
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Yavuz Turgul was born in Istanbul, 1946. He worked as journalist for many years. In 1976 he started to write scripts with the support of Ertem Egilmez. His first directing experience came with the movie Fahriye Abla, in 1984. He worked with famous Turkish actor Sener Sen in so many movies. Turgul is one of the best directors in Turkey and he is still working on new movie projects.- Director
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Süreyya Duru was born in 1930 in Samsun, Turkey. He was a director and producer, known for Kara Çarsafli Gelin (1975), Bedrana (1974) and Derya Gülü (1979). He died on 21 February 1988 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Writer
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- Actor
Yavuz Özkan was a Turkish film director, screenwriter, and producer who was active in the Turkish film industry from the 1970s to the 2000s. He is best known for his films that deal with social and political issues, and for his collaborations with some of the leading actors of Turkish cinema.
Özkan began his career as an assistant director on several films in the early 1970s. He made his directorial debut in 1975 with the film "Anayurt Oteli" (The Hotel Anatolia), which was a critical and commercial success. The film won several awards at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, including the award for Best Film.
Özkan went on to direct a number of successful films, including "Nehir" (The River, 1977), "Yol" (The Road, 1982), and "Hakkari'de Bir Mevsim" (A Season in Hakkari, 1983). These films are known for their realistic portrayal of Turkish society and for their strong political messages.
Özkan was also a prolific screenwriter. He wrote the screenplays for many of his own films, as well as for films directed by other directors. He was a member of the Writers' Union of Turkey and was awarded the union's Grand Prize for his screenplay for the film "Yol".
Özkan was a leading figure in Turkish cinema for over three decades. His films were widely acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, and he won numerous awards for his work. He was a committed and passionate filmmaker who used his films to explore important social and political issues.
In addition to his work in film, Özkan was also active in theater and television. He directed several plays and television series, and he was a member of the board of directors of the Istanbul State Theater.
Özkan passed away in 2019 at the age of 76. He is survived by his wife and two children. His legacy lives on through his films, which continue to be screened and studied by film lovers around the world.- Director
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Semih Evin was born on 3 May 1920 in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]. He was a director and writer. He was married to Gülgün Ok. He died on 3 June 1987 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Director
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Aram Gülyüz was born on 13 April 1931 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a director and producer, known for Sensiz yillar (1961), Kolla kendini bebek (1965) and Genç kizlarin sevgilisi (1963). He died on 1 September 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Producer
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Turkish director Sinan Cetin founded Plato Films in 1986. Since then he has shot 11 feature films and has become one of the most famous and successful directors in Turkey. He has also directed and produced hundreds of commercials. Plato Film Prod. is now a creative pool for young people enamored of scriptwriting, directing, or post-production and allows a unique independence most film-makers only dream of.- Actor
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While studying at the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management of Bogazici University, he started drawing comics for the Turkish humor magazine Leman. In August 1995 he did his first stand-up comedy show in "Leman Culture Center" performing with no serious career intentions as a comedian. However, after the positive response of the audience, he continued his show to attract larger crowds in Besiktas Cultural Center where he has appeared in over a thousand stand-up comedy shows since, becoming so popular that tickets have sold for 250TL (approx. US$140).
His movie career started in 1998 with a co-starring role in the comedy Her Sey Çok Güzel Olacak (1998), directed by Ömer Vargi, and continued with a role in Vizontele (2001), directed by Yilmaz Erdogan and Ömer Faruk Sorak. He achieved his greatest success by starring in and writing big-budget science-fiction parody G.O.R.A. (2004), also directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak, which despite spending several years in production because of financial and other technical problems became a box-office hit and described by Rekin Teksoy as a strong sign that showed that popular cinema was successful in appealing to wide audiences. He maintained this success with a starring role in the comedy feature movie Magic Carpet Ride (2005) AKA 'Magic Carpet Ride', also directed by Yilmaz Erdogan, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 11th Sadri Alisik Awards, and his directorial debut with The Magician (2006), co-directed by Ali Taner Baltaci, for which he won Best Actor at the 34th Brussels International Independent Film Festival and 12th Sadri Alisik Awards. He has since repeated his box office success with a sequel to G.O.R.A. (2004) called A.R.O.G (2008), also co-directed by Ali Taner Baltaci, and comedy Western parody called Yahsi Bati (2009), directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak. That same year, he co-starred, alongside veteran actor Sener Sen, in the police drama Hunting Season (2010), written and directed by Yavuz Turgul, and made a special appearance in drama Zefir (2010), written and directed by Belma Bas. After two years he also acted in Ferzan Özpetek's A Magnificent Haunting (2012). After he filmed his last stand-up comedy show CM101MMXI Fundamentals (2013) directed by Murat Dündar, he announced that for the next few years he will stop his stand-up comedy shows to have a rest.
Along his professional career, he has won numerous awards and appeared in more than 4000 stand-up comedy shows, took part in 10 movies and contributed as a dubbing performer in 4 movies.- Director
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Natuk Baytan was born on 5 July 1925 in Manisa, Turkey. He was a director and actor, known for Zaloglu Rüstem (1973), Ölüme Kosanlar (1973) and Namluda üç kursun (1969). He died in November 1986 in Istanbul, Turkey.