Turkish cinema, now a regular in Venice Film Festival
Turkish cinema has become a regular fixture at the Venice International Film Festival since 2008, following a nearly decade-long stupor. This year, acclaimed Turkish-German director Fatih Akın will compete for the Golden Lion with âThe Cut,â while newcomer Kaan Müjdeciâs âSivasâ is in the lineup for the Future of the Lion award. Hereâs a look at Turkey in Venice throughout the years Back in 1990, director Yusuf Kurçenliâs âKarartma Geceleriâ (The Blackout Nights) competed for the Golden Lion in the worldâs oldest film festival, the Venice International Film Festival. Three other films were selected to the Golden Lion line-up before that, all in the 1980s, Erden Kıralâs âAynaâ (The Mirror), Ali Ãzgentürkâs âBekçiâ (The Guard) and the late Ãmer Kavurâs âAnayurt Oteliâ (Motherland Hotel).
Then the winter sleep came when Turkey was nowhere to be seen in Venice for almost two decades, save for two directors, YeÅim UstaoÄlu (in 2002) and Ferzan Ãzpetek (in 2007), being invited to the jury. 2008 turned out to be the year when Turkish cinemaâs luck turned around, with two films included into the lineup for the main competition.
An adaptation of Melania G. Mazzuccaâs best-selling Italian novel âUn Giorno perfettoâ by Turkish/Italian director Ferzan Ãzpetek, the previous yearâs jury member, as well as director Semih KaplanoÄluâs âSütâ (Milk), the second film in Yusufâs Trilogy, were both listed in the line-up competing for the Golden Lion. âUn Giorno perfetto,â the story of the 24 hours in a family right before a general election, brought...
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