Çevrimdışı

The beginnings of cinema in Turkey seem to go back to approximately a year after the Lumiére brothers gave their first show on December 22, 1895. The then Ottoman Empire was introduced to this fabulous art in the Palace and a beer hall in Istanbul. Although cinema came to Turkey without a long delay, film-making came along much later. After 1914, when the first film in Turkey (produced for the army at the beginning of the First World War, by a reserve army officer, Fuat Uzkinay, under the direction of the Turkish military command) was made, Turkish cinema encountered many difficulties.

Turkish film-making came to turning point in 1922, when the stage actor Muhsin Ertugrul, who had been directing films in Germany since 1916, set up his own private film company Kemal Film. His film based on the novel "Atesten Gömlek" by Halide Edip Adivar was the first that dealt with the War of Independence. It was also the first film in which Muslim Turkish women (Bedia Muvahhit and Neyyire Neyir), acted.
Between 1923 and 1939, theatre actors dominated the Turkish film industry and one of the most important films of the time "Bir Millet Uyaniyor", directed by Muhsin Ertuğrul, is considered one of the most valuable of Turkish films (1932).
From 1940 onwards, there was a period of growth, and film companies such as Ha-Ka Film, Istanbul Film, Atlas Film were established. Film producers also began to give more attention and importance to establishing their own film sets and studios. During this period the cinema industry began to form its own professional institutions, and in 1946, the "Domestic Film Producers' Association" and the "Cinema and Film Producers' Association" were established. With a change in municipality tax laws in 1948, a boost was given to the film industry, as taxes were reduced to 25% for films made and directed in Turkey. 1939 to 1950 could be seen as the transition period, when efforts were made to do away with using stage actors in films.
During the 1950's, the number and quality of films increased and the industry began to take on a shape of its own. Directors like Lütfi Akad, Atif Yilmaz, Metin Erksan, Memduh Ün and Osman Seden came to the fore. In 1952, these were followed by new directors, foremost among whom were Nejat Saydam, Nevzat Pesen, Orhan Aksoy and Hulki Saner.
In 1961, Istanbul Municipality organized a "Domestic Film Contest", wherein Memduh Ün's film "Kirik Çanaklar" won the award. In 1963 a film entitled "Sehirdeki Yabanci" directed by Halit Refig, starring Nilüfer Aydan, was awarded the "Mention of Honour".
During these years younger producers began to give more weight to films dealing with social issues and "Karanlikta Uyananlar" directed by Ertem Göreç was the first film that dealt with a strike in a paint factory. In 1964, Halit Refig directed an interesting film called "Gurbet Kuslari" on migration within the country. Again in 1964, Metin Erksan won a gold medal at the Berlin Film Festival with "Susuz Yaz", which dealt with village life and was also awarded the "Merito Biennali" in Venice.
In 1965, 213 full length feature films were produced, which led to an unavoidable explosion of poor quality films, due to lack of really a sound basis in the industry. This was a time when the industry outgrew its strength and exploitation was rampant, with second rate films flooding the market, although some were good such as Duygu Sagiroglu's "Bitmeyen Yol", Feyzi Tuna's first work "Yasak Sokaklar", Abdurrahman Palay's "Isyancilar", Atif Yilmaz's "Murad'in Türküsü" and Metin Erksan's "Sevmek Zamani". The Turkish Cinématheque Society was also founded in 1965.
In 1966 when a record number of 240 films was produced, the actor Yilmaz Güney produced his first film "At, Avrat, Silah" and Lütfi Akad created "Hudutlarin Kanunu" in which Yilmaz Güney both acted and wrote the script.
In the 1970s film production increased and the era of black and white films came to an end. The film industry was also negatively affected by the sweeping growth of television and economic and political developments, and many companies had to struggle to stay in business. The industry had to fight for years to regain its popularity. Producers like Yilmaz Güney, Lütfi Akad, Tunç Okan, Zeki Ökten, Erden Kral and Yavuz Özkan gained much international recognition for their valuable work.
To this line of directors, new ones were added in the 1980's, which included leading producers such as Ali Özgentürk, Ömer Kavur, Sinan Çetin, Serif Gören, Yavuz Turgul, and Zülfü Livaneli. Directors of the old school such as Atif Yilmaz and Tunç Basaran also made some fine films. In recent years, aside from films on social problems there has been a trend to stress individuality, especially the female's search for identity and a surge of popularity for comedy films.
In 1986, steps taken in search of innovations in the cinema resulted in some 20 high quality films that brought a fresh look into Turkish cinema and once more drew audiences. New laws on cinema, video and music were passed by the government.
High quality and well-produced films continued to grow in number in 1987, with more emphasis being placed on good direction rather than on star material. The Cinema d'Auter was strengthened and revitalized with new faces and directors. That year another professional association was formed, "The Professional Union of Cinema Works Owners". In 1988, the Cinema Actors' Association was founded.
The Ministry of Culture was instrumental in getting certain projects off the ground, solving problems and setting up a workable infrastructure for the future. The Cinema Council, which was first organized in 1990 had to treat the cinema as a branch of the industrial sectors, and to obtain a new tax deal especially for film companies. Other aspects that were given new importance was a better deal for those employed in the cinema industry which involved a new law and later new incentives for introducing bigger and better cinemas throughout the country. For many years, Turkish films lacked the necessary order and legal measures which were needed to enter international markets, which was also due to the inability to meet international standards in the way of technology.
In 1990, 75 films were produced. Although there was a notable decrease in the number of films produced , there was however an increase in quality encouraged by the Ministry of Culture which also arranged a congress on Turkish Cinema. "Minyeli Abdullah" by Yücel Çakmaklı was an example of the increasingly popular Islamic cinema. The film set a new country-wide box-office record. "Berdel" by Atif Yilmaz received the CICAC award at the 41st International Berlin Cinema Festival. With the participation of 203 experts from the cinema, press, universities and business circles, the Turkish Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Foundation was established.
In 1991, 33 films were produced. For political reasons, Kurdish epics were the themes dealt with in some films like "Siyabend ile Heço" by Şahin Gök, "Mem u Zın" by Ümit Elçi, the first examples of their kind. Due to a lack of financial resources, the Ankara Film Festival was not organized that year. At the Orleon Film Festival, a week was dedicated to films in which Türkan Ţoray played the leading roles.
In 1992, 38 films were produced out of which only 12 were released. "Mavi Sürgün" by Erden Kıral, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Eurimages, was the most expensive of all Turkish films produced until that year. The Adana Golden Cocoon Film festival was revived after a long interval. The Yılmaz Güney Art Foundation was established.
In 1993, 83 films were produced. The Ankara Art Foundation awarded Agah Özgüç for his publications on cinema. The Cinema writers Foundation (SİYAP), closed down after the 12 September 1980 coup, was re-established. "Amerikalı" by Şerif Gören, set a box office record that year.
In 1994, Turkish cinema was in difficulties because Turkish producers could barely find enough suitable cinemas to screen films. Most of the films produced that year were designed for television in preference to cinemas. The IFSAK cinema award was presented to Mahmut Tali Öngeren that year. A "cinema days" week was organized in Manisa. Türkan Ţoray was presented with the Kyrgyzstan International Aytmatov Club award. "Bir Sonbahar Hikayesi" by Yavuz Özkan, was presented with best film awards both at the 6th Ankara Film Festival and the 13th İstanbul International Film Festival. The same year, at the 6th İzmir Film Festival, the "Golden Artemis" award was presented to Nijat Özin for his books on cinema.

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Çevrimdışı

In 1995 the down-trend in film production continued. Private TV channels mainly included old Turkish films in their programmes. A group of directors established the Turkish Cinema Foundation, the first production of which was "On Yönetmen İki Film" based on ten short film scenarios on "love" and "tolerance". Also during 1995, a private TV channel, Cine5 organized a short film competition in which "Çöllerin Everllyn'i" by Billur Karaevli, won the best film award. A "European Films Festival" was organized in Ankara, later on this festival was also held in four other cities.
The drop in film production continued again. Out of 37 films produced in 1996, only 10 films were released for public showing. Films produced in 1996 were mainly low-budget productions designed for TV. Nevertheless, the films "Eşkiya", "İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında", "Işıklar Sönmesin", and "Mum Kokulu Kadınlar", which were released in 1996, all set box-office records. Furthermore, "Hamam" and "Tabutta Röveşata" won successes at the international film festivals. The most comprehensive promotion campaign for Turkish cinema was organized in 1996. An exhibition of 110 Turkish films, was held at the Georges Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris between April 17- October 14, 1996. Also during this festival, a book on Turkish cinema edited by French writer Jean Loup Parsek and Mehmet Basutçu, "Le Cinema Turc" including research by Turkish writers, was featured. The Habitat International Film Festival was held in İstanbul between June 1-6 1996. Aiming to contribute to the aims of the world series of Habitat II conferences, 80 films on the theme of "city life, growth and development" were screened at the festival.
During the period from 1997 to 1999, 27, 23 and 16 films were produced respectively. Out of the films produced in 1997, "Ağır Roman" by Mustafa Altıoklar, "Masumiyet" by Zeki Demirkubuz and "Nihavend Mucize" by Atıf Yılmaz received numerous awards at Film Festivals. 1998 saw the success of Yeşim Ustaoğlu’s "Güneşe Yolculuk", Ferhan Özpetek’s "Harem Suare", Reha Erdem’s "Kaç Para Kaç", Derviş Zaim’s "Tabutta Rövaşata", Sinan Çetin’s "Propaganda" and Zeki Demirkubuz’s "Üçüncü Sayfa". 1999 ended the decade setting a positive mood for the next years of Turkish cinema with several important fılms like Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s "Mayıs Sıkıntısı", Tomris Giritlioğlu’s "Salkim Hanım’ın Taneleri", Atıf Yılmaz’s "Eylül Fırtınası", Zeki Ökten’s "Güle Güle" and the great box office hit "Kahpe Bizans" by Gani Müjde.
Turkish cinema went through probably one of its worst phases during the first half of the 90’s. Despite the majority view that this happened due to the dominance of Hollywood films, the real reasons were a lot deeper. On average, Turkish films of the early 90’s were not of a very high standard. And of course, the films that were produced under an "Arthouse" umbrella distanced the average moviegoer while being intellectually and cinematically incompetent. This period passed as a majority of filmmakers attacked "commercial cinema". According to them, trying to connect with the viewer was unnecessary and pointless as cinema was supposed to be purely an artform.
Another view was that a healthy "national cinema" could only be brought together by establishing a cinema industry, and that this could only be achieved by taking the viewer into account. Alternative cinema could only complement this central backbone, and what was being described in a way was similar to American cinema. It could set a benchmark for the methods but not necessarily content, character or ideology. Underground cinema could only exist in an environment where it could get its nourishment from mainstream cinema. This view started being put into action with Mustafa Altıoklar’s "İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında" and gave a feel that some things were moving in the right direction. Its weaknesses arising from the script, directing and special effects kept it from being a "technically sound" film, however it was what Turkish cinema needed in terms of story, music and marketing techniques.
"Eskiya" by Yavuz Turgul or "Hamam" by Ferhan Özpetek were steps taken along this way that was to save Turkish cinema. Despite having differing themes, visual styles, stories and characters they were similar in a way that was "mainstream". Their stars, scripts, on-location-sound-shooting, "quality feel", soundtracks and even posters served the needs of commercial cinema. In the course of these, films like Derviş Zaim’s "Tabutta Rövaşata", Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s "Kasaba" or Serdar Akar’s "Gemide" formed the opposition by supporting the "underground" film movement. Their unconventional styles, "losing" protagonists and indifference to box office results bore a sharp contrast to their mainstream counterparts which, with box office results between 200,000 and 2,500,000 were the milestones in what may become a genuine movie industry.
These days, in Turkey about 15 films are being produced a year (from 12 to 18). This is a steady number in the last few years. They are all produced on a private base. Film producers managing to put together the necessary budget use private investors, private television channels, Eurimage, the state television TRT. About 20% of the budgets is coming from state subsidies (on a competition principle). The Committee on Film Projects established by the Ministry of Culture (seven members – three film makers and four state employees) distributes the state subsidy. There is a definite presence to be seen of a new generation of young producers, directors and actors. They are setting the principal non-commercial line of the new Turkish cinema into a stark contrast to the predominantly mass-culture-like commercial production of the not-so-distant past.
Today, Turkish films try to respond to very vibrant social problems with serious artistic ambitions using a contemporary artistic language. The contemporary Turkish cinema leaves an impression of high artistic hopes.
There is a distinct increase in the quality of the films produced. The increase in the numbers of university departments providing education in this field, the emergence of a generation of new directors, actors and actresses who had received a higher quality education, the aid given by the state in support of this branch of art, the competition between the cinema and television, and increasing international recognition are among the main factors which contribute to the recent increase in the average quality of the Turkish movies and which herald a brighter future for Turkish cinema.


Bibliography

Dinçer, S M, 1996, Türk Sineması Üzerine Düşünceler, (Ankara, Doruk)
Scognamillio, G, 1998, Türk Sinema Tarihi, (İstanbul, Kabalcı)
alıntı...

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