Yesilcam Directors -

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.

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.

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.

He was born in Bursa in 1931. He left his secondary education and started to do sports and became a national basketball player. He started editing for the cinema next to Orhan Atadeniz. He continued in this business for 10 years and increased his technical knowledge to edit many films. In the 1950s, he became an assistant to Orhan M. Ariburnu and later to Atif Yilmaz, Abdurrahman Palay and Memduh Ün. He worked as assistant director for important films of the period such as "Surgun (Exile)", "Lejyon Dönüsü (Legion Return)", "Üç Arkadas (Three Friends)" and "Atesten Damla (Fire Drop)". Memduh Ün joined a field of study. He started directing in 1960 with the movie "Kanli Sevda". He made his debut with "Otobüs Yolculari (Bus Passengers)". In 1964, he shot three films "Karanlikta Uyananlar (Awakening in the Dark)". Written by Vedat Türkali, the film was about the "awareness" and "struggle" of the workers working in a paint factory. Turkish cinema is considered to be the first film to deal with laborers. He made social realistic films from the 60s. In the face of the crisis economy of the 1980s, it has been criticized for using cheap ordinary movies. In 1987, he shot the TV series "Önce Canan". Continuing to make films until the 1980s, Ertem Goreç wrote most of his films himself. He passed away on March 12, 2021 due to a heart attack.

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.

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 The Chaos Class Failed the Class (1975). He died on 21 September 1989 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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 Asktan da üstün (1960). He died on 1 September 1998 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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.

Hulki Saner was born in 1921 in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire. He was a producer and director, known for Gülizar (1972), Ilk ask (1960) and Zorlu damat (1962). He died on 20 July 2005 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Zeki Ökten was born on 4 August 1941 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a director and assistant director, known for The Herd (1978), Strike the Interests (1982) and The Enemy (1980). He was married to Güler Ökten. He died on 19 December 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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 Kadin asla unutmaz (1968). He died on 22 January 2008 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Erdogan Tokatli was born in 1940 in Denizli, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for Firtina Kemal (1972), Biz Belayi Severiz (1972) and Rumuz Sev Beni (1993). He died on 5 June 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Kartal Tibet was born on 27 March 1939 in Ankara, Turkey. He was a director and actor, known for The Chaos Class Failed the Class (1975), Deli Deli Küpeli (1986) and Sabaniye (1984). He was married to Gündüz Tibet. He died on 1 July 2021 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Serif Gören was born on 14 October 1944 in Ksanthi, Greece. He was a director and editor, known for Yol (1982), Remedy (1983) and Anxiety (1974). He died on 8 December 2024 in Turkey.

Güney and his work were almost entirely unknown outside of his homeland Turkey until his 1981 escape from imprisonment in Turkey and his "discovery" the following year at the Cannes Film Festival for his autobiographical screenplay for Yol (1982), the festival's grand prize winner. Born in 1937 in a village near the southern city of Adana, Güney studied law and economics at the universities in Ankara and Istanbul, but by the age of 21 he found himself actively involved in filmmaking. As Yesilcam, the Turkish studio system, grew in strength, a handful of directors, including Atif Yilmaz, began to use the cinema as a means of addressing the problems of the people. Only state-sanctioned melodramas, war films and play adaptations had previously played in Turkish theaters, but these new filmmakers began to fill the screens with more artistic, personal and relevant pictures of Turkish & Kurdish life. The most popular name to emerge from the Young Turkish Cinema was that of Yilmaz Güney. Güney was a gruff-looking young actor who earned the moniker "Cirkin Kral," or "the Ugly King." After apprenticing as a screenwriter for and assistant to Atif Yilmaz, Güney soon began appearing in as many as 20 films a year and became Turkey's most popular actor. More than a screen idol, Güney was a Kurdish who believed in the Kurdish people and their way of life, as well as being personally committed to social change. Although the early 1960s brought some political reform to Turkey, Güney was imprisoned in 1961 for 18 months for publishing a "communist" novel. The country's political situation and Güney's relationship with the authorities only became more tense in the ensuing years. Not content with his star status atop the Turkish film industry, Güney began directing his own pictures in 1965 and, by 1968, had formed his own production company, Güney Filmcilik. Over the next few years, the titles of his films mirrored the feelings of the Kurdish people: Hope (1970); Agit (1971); _Acý (1971)_; The Hopeless Ones (1971). After 1972, however, Güney would spend most of his life in prison. Arrested for harboring anarchist students, Güney was jailed during preproduction on The Poor (1975) (completed in 1975), and before completing Anxiety (1974), which was finished in 1974 by Güney's assistant, Serif Gören. This was a cherished role that Gören would repeat over the next dozen years, directing several scripts that Güney wrote laboriously while behind bars. Released from prison in 1974 as part of a general amnesty, Güney was re-arrested that same year for shooting a judge. During this stretch of incarceration, his most successful screenplays were The Herd (1978) and The Enemy (1980), both directed by Zeki Ökten. After escaping from prison in 1981 and fleeing to France, Güney was greeted at the Cannes Film Festival with a Palme d'Or for Yol (1982), again directed by Gören. It was not until 1983 that Güney resumed directing, telling a brutal tale of imprisoned children in his final film, The Wall (1983), made in France with the cooperation of the French government. At that point, Güney's name was unspeakable in his homeland; eleven of the films he directed or appeared in were confiscated and reportedly burned to ashes; even so much as writing about Güney was forbidden. Despite the great international success of Yol and Duvar, Güney was ultimately a Kurdish director for the Kurdish people; his final separation from his home audience must have been even more painful to endure than his years of imprisonment.

Ergin Orbey, is a Turkish, film and theatre actor and director born in Istanbul, Turkey. After high school, he was educated as a theatre actor at the Istanbul University State Conservatory and worked for the Ankara State Conservatory from 1955 and onward. Orbey is acclaimed for his short-tempered characters who find themselves in frustrating situations by the main characters. He is famous mainly for supporting roles in Yesilcam Cinema in Turkey, such as Tosun Pasha (1976), The Chaos Class Is Waking Up (1976), and The Foster Brothers (1976). He also directed popular Yesilcam films like: Our Family (1975), You're Crazy (1975), and Yasar Ne Yasar Ne Yasamaz (1975).

Bay Okan was born on 18 August 1942 in Istanbul, Turkey. He is an actor and director, known for The Bus (1975), The Yellow Mercedes (1992) and Umut Üzümleri (2013).

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.

Ali Özgentürk was born on 4 November 1945 in Adana, Turkey. He is a director and writer, known for Hazal (1979), At (1982) and Çiplak (1991).

Erden Kiral was born on 10 April 1942 in Gölcük, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for On Fertile Lands (1980), The Blue Exile (1993) and A Season in Hakkari (1983). He was married to Tezer Özlü. He died on 17 July 2022 in Antalya, Turkey.

Bilge Olgaç was born on 14 January 1940 in Vize, Kirklareli, Turkey. Bilge was a director and writer, known for Kasik Düsmani (1985), Linç: Arap Kadir (1970) and Merhamet (1970). Bilge died on 2 March 1994 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Nesli Çölgeçen was born in 1955 in Manisa, Turkey. He is a director and writer, known for The Broken Landlord (1985), Denizden Gelen (2010) and Kardesim Benim (1983).

Ömer Kavur was born on 18 June 1944 in Ankara, Turkey. He was a director and producer, known for A Scorpion's Journey (1997), The Encounter (2003) and Motherland Hotel (1987). He was married to Hümeyra. He died on 12 May 2005 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Yusuf Kurçenli was born on 20 January 1947 in Çayeli, Rize, Turkey. He was a director and writer, known for Karartma Geceleri (1990), Çözülmeler (1994) and Ask Your Heart (2010). He died on 21 February 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Mesut Uçakan was born in 1953 in Kirikkale, Turkey. He is a producer and director, known for Mr. Chief (1990), Sonsuza Yürümek (1991) and Anne ya da Leyla (2006).