Turkish version of 'Wizard of Oz'.
Zeynep Degirmencioglu was almost 17 years old when she played Ayse. Almost a year older than Judy Garland was when she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939). In the book, Dorothy is said to be between the ages of 10-12.
The name of the leading character was changed from Dorothy to Ayse. This was to capitalize and cash in on Zeynep's iconic status in Turkish pop culture with her signature and title role of Ayse in the Ayse films (which are still popular in Turkey to this day). Throughout her career, Zeynep was often typecast in this girl next door mold, and often played the character of Ayse in different settings.
Ayse's dogs name is Boncuk (changed from Toto), which is a very common name for pets in Turkey. The name itself means "beads" in Turkish. Over the years, English speaking audiences misinterpreted his name as "Banju".
Many of the films exterior shots were filmed on location in thick dense forests and nature reserves. Most of the cast and crew lodged at a local tourist cabin camping site for the duration of production.