Trabzon to become the Hollywood of Turkey

Trabzon’s geographical characteristics are the reason directors and producers choose to come to the area and shoot movies and documentraies.

Blessed with unparalleled natural beauty, culture and history, the Black Sea province of Trabzon is drawing more and more attention from film producers and directors, who are arriving in droves to shoot

Film producers and directors are increasingly flocking to iconic Trabzon to shoot movies thanks to the region’s unparalleled natural beauty and rich history, allowing the area to entertain dreams of creating their own Hollywood in the eastern Black Sea region. “Many directors from abroad have visited the city in the recent months. Trabzon may play an important role in the coming years,” Erdal Eksert, a producer and director, recently told Anatolia news agency.

The province has become one of the top choices for producers in a number of film genres, including television series, documentaries and films. They have been eager to reflect Trabzon’s beauty, 4,000-year-old history and cultural richness on the screen.
Trabzon is currently hosting a number of film production teams, although more are expected in the coming months.

The province’s geographical characteristics are the reason directors and producers choose to come to Trabzon, Eksert told Anatolia news agency. “Trabzon is full of natural beauty. It has not been damaged. The nature and people here have special characteristics.”

Presenting Trabzon as a cinema hub

Noting that many people go to Istanbul to shoot movies, Eksert said: “It is very important to present Trabzon with these kinds of events. This also affects the tourism events in the region. People who watch TV series and movies shot in Trabzon would like to come to the region.”

In the last two years the number of documentaries about Trabzon has increased, according to Eksert. “People who came to Trabzon to shoot movies have also contributed to the city’s economic situation,” he said.

Director Aytekin Çakmakcı echoed Eksert’s comments, saying the Black Sea province presented a great place for directors.

“Now, everyone would like to shoot movies in Trabzon,” the director said. “Trabzon has a cinematographic characteristic because of its natural landscape. The forests and highlands allow one to make very good cinematic photography,” Çakmakçı said. “You can catch 360-degree cinematic scenes here.”

Giving an example, the director said the province had a lot of fog which offered cinematic opportunities for film and documentary producers. The director also said a new incentive system for Turkish cinema had started a new filming trend.

The proclivity toward filming in the province is not limited solely to series, documentaries and film, according to Özer Çağlayan, the coordinator for Academy Trabzon.

“Many advertisement movies are also shot in the Black Sea region, particularly in Trabzon,” he said. “Nearly 500 to 600 people have applied for advertisement shootings. This means this can create new employment opportunities,” he said.

“There should be cast agreements for the employment agreements of these advertisements,” he said.
In Trabzon many areas have historical attractions. For example, the Ortahisar neighborhood reflects Turkish urban culture with its walls, architecture and nature.

There are also numerous examples of Ottoman civilian architecture in the province. The fountains of the Black Sea province have also attracted movie directors. (Trabzon-Anatolia News Agency)

Stephen King writing crime novel

AP Photo

Stephen King will take on crime for a novel coming out next year.

The author of "Carrie" and other horror classics has a deal with the publisher Hard Case Crime for "Joyland," a whodunit scheduled for June 2013. King was an early advocate for e-books, but in a statement released Wednesday he said he has such fond memories of reading crime stories as a kid that "Joyland" will initially come out just as a paperback. That way fans will have to buy "the actual book."

Hard Case Crime is an imprint of Titan Books and also has released works by Mickey Spillane, Lawrence Block and Pete Hamill. King has written one other book for Hard Case Crime, the novel "The Colorado Kid." (NEW YORK - The Associated Press)

State pressure in Turkey leads unmarried TV couples to tie the knot

Zeynep's frustration at not being able to convince Ozan to settle down had been a comedic source for the writers over the show’s previous 250 episodes.

Pressure from Turkish TV’s watchdog is forcing the writers of a popular TV show to have their lead characters, an unmarried couple, wed in the interests of promoting greater morality, daily Habertürk reported today.

Zeynep and Ozan, the couple in the popular "1 Erkek 1 Kadın" (One Man, One Woman), will be married in a wedding scene that is to be included in next week's episode following pressure by the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

The pair's failure to tie the knot, due to Ozan's reluctance to settle down, was one of the key dynamics to the show, which features a series of skits that follow the couple during their daily routines.

Zeynep's frustration at not being able to convince Ozan to settle down had been a comedic source for the writers over the show’s previous 250 episodes.

RTÜK, however, has been criticizing the show for some time, accusing the writers of encouraging extramarital affairs. The cohabiting couple is often portrayed as sexually active.

The general director of the show, Müge Turalı, recently announced the screen wedding, but added that the original story, which was adapted for Turkish TV, made no clear mention of the characters’ official marital status.

"It is a format adaptable to the culture and social values of the host country," Turali was quoted as saying. "In some countries they never got married. In others, like Lebanon, they were a married couple from the start."

A similar plot fix has been made to the popular cop show "Behzat Ç.," in which the lead actor, a maverick homicide detective, was finally hitched to his long-time girlfriend. (Hurriyet Daily News)

Shakespeare play in Turkish in London

Turkish actors perform Shakespeare’s ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’ three times over the course of the weekend. AA photo

The actors of Oyun Atölyesi have taken the stage at the World Shakespeare Festival in London performing “Anthony and Cleopatra” in Turkish. Stage and screen veteran Haluk Bilginer’s theater group performed its “Antony and Cleopatra” in Turkish over the weekend at London’s Globe Theater.

Zerrin Tekindor played the character of Cleopatra, while Haluk Bilginer played Anthony. Emre Karayel played Pompeius and Mert Fırat played Ceasar.

The actors performed the play three times over the course of the weekend. The first play took place on May 26, while the other were performed on May 27.

The 1,500 people capacity Globe Theater stage was witnessing a Turkish language play for the very first time.

Speaking to journalists during the press conference, Haluk Bilginer said: “It is very exciting to play on this stage. We are taking a role in a play of the most important playwright on the most important theater stage.”

Noting that the aura and the atmosphere of the Globe was unique, Bilginer said: “This is a different feeling. It does not feel like anywhere else.”

The director of the play, Kemal Aydoğan, said: “it is very exciting to have this play here on this stage.” Noting that she had visited London as a tourist before, Tekindor said: “This time I am here to stage a play.”

Speaking after the actors, the festival’s manager, Tom Bird, said this was a unique performance. The reason that the festival staged three plays in Turkish was that there are lots of Turkish people living
in Britain.

Produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, in collaboration with leading UK and international arts organizations, this festival is the biggest celebration of Shakespeare ever staged.

Almost 60 partners gathered to bring the festival alive. Thousands of artists from around the world are taking part in almost 70 productions, as well as supporting events and exhibitions, right across the UK, including London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Newcastle/Gateshead, Birmingham, Wales and Scotland and online.

The festival will run until November. (ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News)

Turkish viewers complain about dramas

Turkey’s internationally recognized TV series ‘Magnificent Century’ ranks second on the list of TV productions that Turkish viewers complain most, according to RTÜK.

Complaints received by the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) in the first three months of the year show that Turkish viewers complain about TV dramas and commercials the most.

According to information gathered from the RTÜK’s report, its website and communication center received 27,363 complaints from citizens in January, February and March. Out of this figure, 9,530 complaints were about TV dramas and 4,818 were about commercials.

Most of the complaints were made according to the criteria that programs were against public morals and the protection of the family.

The TV drama that received the most complains was “Yer Gök Aşk” (Love is Everywhere), which received 742 complaints. The other two were “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century) and “Suskunlar” (The Silent).

Honey and toothpaste

Among commercials, viewers complained about honey commercials the most, as they mislead consumers. A toothpaste commercial ranked second as it was considered depressing, while a potato chip commercial ranked third as it portrayed women as sexual tools and was insulting to men. (ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency)

Bond film disappoints shopkeepers in Adana

Some streets and avenues were closed to traffic during the month of ‘James Bond’ shooting. Shopkeeprs say that they did not see much profit from the filming. AA photo

Shopkeepers in Adana Residents of the the southern province of Adana, which recently hosted the shooting of some scenes for the latest installment of the James Bond 007 series, “Skyfall,” had hoped the filming would help to promote the city to the world.

Residents of the the southern province of Adana, which recently hosted the shooting of some scenes for the latest installment of the James Bond 007 series, “Skyfall,” had hoped the filming would help to promote the city to the world. But shopkeepers in the city have said that are experiencing hard times because some streets and avenues were closed to traffic during the month of shooting.

The filming of the Bond scenes did not make an economic contribution to shopkeepers in Adana, Adana Union of Chambers of Merchants and Craftsmen Chairman Kazım Barışık said, speaking to Anatolia news agency. He did say, however, that the film could contribute to the cultural promotion of the city.

“The filming was advantageous for the cultural promotion of the city, we cannot deny that. I live in a place where streets were closed to traffic during the shooting. We had some problems, but it will be useful for our city. But I can’t say that the filming made any economic contribution to the city. [The film crew] only contributed to the economy through the places where they stayed and ate. Small shopkeepers did not [see much profit from] the filming,” Barışık said.

Adana Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association Chairman Süleyman Sönmez said that some shopkeepers suffered, but they tolerated it, believing that the Bond film will benefit Adana in the future. “Even if it is a nice thing for the development of our region, some shopkeepers suffered, because some streets were closed to traffic,” he said. Sönmez said it is natural that streets need to be closed to facilitate a project like the film, and that of course some problems will result from it. “This is inevitable. We did not see the Adana scenes of the film; we don’t know anything about it. The James Bond series has been a classic in the world for 50 years. I hope that the shopkeepers’ losses will turn into future earnings,” he said. (Hurriyet Daily News)

Comic book "X-men" plan same-sex superhero wedding

Artwork from the cover of Marvel Comics "Astonishing X-Men #51" is shown in this undated publicity photograph released to Reuters May 22, 2012. REUTERS photo

Marvel comic book crime fighters X-Men have put down their weapons and picked up wedding rings for the first same-sex marriage in the superhero world, set for June.

Marvel on Tuesday said Jean-Paul Beaubier, aka Northstar, a Canadian with piercing blue eyes and silver-streaked black hair who can move and fly at superhuman speeds, will propose to his longtime boyfriend Kyle Jinadu in the issue, "Astonishing X-Men #50," due on sale May 23.

"The Marvel Universe has always reflected the world outside your window, so we strive to make sure our characters, relationships and stories are grounded in that reality," Marvel editor-in-chief, Axel Alonso said in a statement. "We've been working on this story for over a year to ensure Northstar and Kyle's wedding reflects Marvel's 'world outside your window' tradition."

The pair will marry in the next issue of "Astonishing X-Men #51," on sale June 20, and some comic book retailers will be hosting wedding parties on that day, Marvel said.

Northstar and Kyle have been a couple since 2009, but Marvel is not promising the pair will live happily ever after. In fact, Marvel asks in its wedding announcement: "Will their path to wedded matrimony in New York City be smooth or are there hidden dangers around the corner?"

As if battling evildoers and saving the world weren't enough. (LOS ANGELES - Reuters)

Turkish movie theaters draw more audiences

Some 21.36 million people in Turkey have gone to a movie in the country so far this year, representing a slight increase over box office numbers over the first 20 weeks of 2011, according to new data.

According to Box Office Turkey statistics, the number of cinema tickets sold in the first 20 weeks of the year increased by nearly 8 percent over 2011.

There was no change in audience number over the first 10 weeks of 2012 – a period that includes a school semester break – in comparison to last year, with 14.25 million people flocking to see movies like “Fetih 1453” (Conquest 1453) and “Berlin Kaplanı” (Berlin Tiger). In the second 10 weeks of the year, the number of cinemagoers dropped in half to 7.12 million.

The most popular film in the first 20 weeks of this year was “Fetih 1453,” breaking a record with 6.47 million viewers. It was followed by “Berlin Kaplanı” at 1.59 million and “Sen Kimsin?” (Who Are You?) on the same figure. Sixteen Turkish films and 78 Hollywood productions have been released so far this year in the country although films from the former have performed well despite the disparity in numbers.

The most watched 10 films in Turkey in the year’s first 20 weeks were as follows: “Fetih 1453,” “Berlin Kaplanı,” “Sen Kimsin?” “Sümela’nın Şifresi Temel” (The Secret Code of Sümela), “Puss in Boots,” “Hunger Games,” “Kurtuluş Son Durak” (Kurtuluş Last Stop), “Happy Feet,” “The Avengers” and “Clash of the Titans.” (İZMİR - Anatolia News Agency)

Yeşilçam movies head for US

‘Züğürt Ağa,’ a classic of Yeşilçam, will also be shown in the festival.

Istanbul’s Bahçeşehir University is preparing to organize the International Yeşilçam Film Festival on May 27 at the Goethe Institute in Washington, D.C.

According to a written statement made by the university, the films “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım” (The Girl with the Red Scarf), “Züğürt Aga” (The Agha) and “Ah Güzel Istanbul” (Oh Beautiful Istanbul) will all be screened during the festival honoring Yeşilçam, Turkey’s cinema industry.

The opening reception will include a speech by Harriet Fulbright, who gave her name to the prestigious college that is also collaborating on the festival. The opening will also draw significant film scholars from George Washington University, Georgetown University and George Mason University.

As part of the event, Professor Ercüment Akman from Georgetown University will also provide information on the values Yeşilçam films are based on. (ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News)

Jackie Chan announces retirement from action films

Actor Jackie Chan poses for portraits at the American Pavilion during the 65th international film festival, in Cannes. AP photo

Jackie Chan is landing his last punch as an action star, but says he is stepping into retirement having made one of the most important films of his career.

The Hong Kong actor told the AP on Friday that his latest film "Chinese Zodiac" will be his last action movie.

Chan, launching the movie at the Cannes Film Festival with co-stars Kwone Sang Woo, Yao Xingtong and Liao Fan, said that people don't believe him when he says he is going to retire.

"They say 'no, you're still young, you can still do it,' but I have to stop one day." The 58-year-old says he is bowing out with "Chinese Zodiac" in which he plays a fortune hunter, travelling the world trying to track down missing astrological antiques because it is one of the "most important" films in his career.

Chan says he spent seven years working on the movie writing, producing, directing and coordinating fight scenes.

"For the last ten years I've been choosing the director to direct me. This one I direct myself." he said.

"I hope this movie, 20 years later, people still remember it. For me, for the audience, for my future, for my history, it's very important." Chan says "Chinese Zodiac," and the many films before it, have taken their toll on his body.

"It hurts, it really hurts," he says, flinching. "The shoulder, the ankle, it really hurts. You don't know because I still look healthy." Not that he plans on putting his feet up, Chan shrugs off suggestions of taking up gardening, cooking or bowling in his spare time. He wants to work on his acting muscles instead.

"When I look at Hollywood, at Robert De Niro, he can do anything comedy, drama," he says.

"Clint Eastwood, 60-70 years old, he can still move. I said yes, that's my goal. Because action stars' life is so short. Actor's life is very long. I want to show audiences I can act." (CANNES - The Associated Press)

Tajiks ban Turkish dramas for being violent

“Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century) . Hürriyet Photo.

Authorities in the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan have banned several hugely popular Turkish television series over concerns that the violence in them could have a bad influence on viewers.

State film and video agency head Davlat Safarov said Wednesday that the shows in question contain what he described as elements of terrorism and extremism.

The Turkish shows, which are distributed locally on DVDs and are dubbed by well-known Tajik actors, have gained a huge following in Tajikistan over the past two years and are relatively tame melodramas by U.S. and Russian standards.

The move is unusual for this moderate Muslim former Soviet nation, but authorities have lately demonstrated deep concern over anything they deem to be a manifestation of radical Islamism. (DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - The Associated Press)

Harry Potter world coming to Japan

TOKYO - Agence France-Presse

Fans in Japan of boy wizard Harry Potter will soon be able to explore the magical world of Hogwarts when Universal Studios Japan expands its theme park with a half-billion dollar investment.

The company is going to boost the footprint of its park in Osaka, western Japan, by one fifth, with an area devoted to the Harry Potter phenomenon that is slated for opening in 2014, a spokesman said Thursday.

"We will build several attractions, including a school for wizards," he said.

James and Oliver Phelps, who played the Weasley Twins in the Harry Potter movies, will be on hand later Thursday for the official unveiling of the plan, the spokesman said.

The blockbuster series has been a huge success in Japan, sparking long queues of costume-clad fans at bookstores every time the Japanese translation of a new novel was released.

Cinematic releases of each instalment have also proved wildly popular.

The operator of Universal Studios Japan, which opened in 2001, is a private firm licensed by the US Universal group. It has attractions featuring Sesame Street, Peter Pan's Neverland, and the Land of Oz, among others. (TOKYO - Agence France-Presse)

Turkish stars Tatlıtuğ and Öden visit Dubai

Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ. Hürriyet Photo

Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Songül Öden, leading actors of the series titled “Noor,” are visiting Dubai to promote the Istanbul Shopping Fest, which will take place between July 9 and 29 this year. This year’s festival will be the second ever festival.

Speaking at a press conference, manager Füsun Sönmez introduced the festival. Tatlıtuğ said he had been visiting Dubai for many years, and added that he was very happy to see the interest in Turkish soap operas in Dubai and the wider Middle East.

Tatlıtuğ said he was proud to present Turkey and was very happy to contribute to the representation of Turkey in other countries as an actor.

He added that he had received a number of film proposals from the Middle East and said, “if the scenario is good, I would like to play in one of the projects.”

Öden agreed that it was very important to see the interest in Turkish series’ in other countries, and said that it helped to keep the relations between two cultures. “We would like to be in front of the audience with better projects. I would like to be a part of an Arabic project.

”The presentation in Dubai was the first stop on the festival’s promotional tour, before the team travels on to Baku in Azerbaijan and Belgrade in Serbia. (ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News)

Brad Pitt to be new face of Chanel No. 5 perfume

Brad Pitt. REUTERS PHOTO

Brad Pitt is the new face of Chanel's No. 5 perfume.

The French-based company announced today that the 48-year-old actor will star in an upcoming ad campaign for its signature women's scent. Other famous names who have been the face of Chanel include Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman and Audrey Tautou.

Chanel's founding designer, the late Coco Chanel, also modeled in ads in 1937 for what is now the company's oldest fragrance. It remains one of the world's top-selling perfumes.

Pitt, a former People magazine Sexiest Man Alive, is engaged to longtime companion Angelina Jolie. (NEW YORK - The Associated Press)

TV star Beren Saat to leave Turkey as show draws to end

Hürriyet Photo

Actress Beren Saat, one of the most popular names in Turkish T.V., is planing to go to the United States for a long vacation after the final episode of her current series "Fatmagül'ün suçu ne?" (What is Fatmagül's Crime?), daily Hürriyet reported today.

Saat reportedly told her friends that she was tired of being in the public eye so much, and said this situation had made her desicide to leave for the U.S., according to report.

Popular singer Kenan Doğulu, Saat's latest boyfriend, will supposedly keep her company during the six-month-planned vacation, during which they will stay together at Doğulu's house in Los Angeles.

Doğulu and Saat have been together for a while, and their relationship is said to be very serious. Turkish dailies have written that Saat has even met Doğulu's family. (Hürriyet)

The Avengers powers to US box office record

Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Chris Evans as Captain America in The Avengers, which has broken US box office records. Photograph: Zade Rosenthal/AP

Hollywood adaptation of superhero comic overtakes Harry Potter finale with $200m takings

Hollywood's latest adaptation from the world of comics, The Avengers, has smashed the box office record for the biggest US opening weekend by a margin befitting a film trading heavily on cacophonous superhero-style walloping.

The $200.3m (£124m) debut is by far the biggest American opening to date, shooting past the previous record of $169.2m for the debut of last year's Harry Potter finale.

A $200m total for every movie in release is considered a great weekend for the business as a whole, so The Avengers has effectively redefined the standards for a blockbuster debut.

"If The Avengers is any indication, we're going to see a leap rather than a gentle little nudge into new territory, and the lineup is there to justify it going forward," said Greg Foster, chairman and president of the Imax cinema chain.

The film – renamed Avengers Assemble for the UK and Irish market, to avoid confusion with the vintage TV series – opened in 39 countries, excluding the US, last week.

Crowds in the US were so anxious to see the film on giant Imax screens that Foster said the company had only one problem: it ran out of seats to sell.

The record weekend was the culmination of years of careful planning by Marvel Studios, which has included teasers for an Avengers dream team collaboration in its solo superhero adventures.

Directed by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), The Avengers features Robert Downey Jnr as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury.

The Avengers added $151.5m outside the US over the weekend to bring its total to $441.5m since it began opening internationally a week ago.

That figure raised the film's worldwide haul to $641.8m in barely a week and a half, more than its Marvel superhero forerunners Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America took during their entire runs.

When the final US weekend count is released on Monday, The Avengers will be the first movie to haul in $200m in a single weekend in the US if the estimates currently being put out by distributor Disney hold up.

The Avengers is the first of three superhero blockbusters coming this summer: The Amazing Spider-Man is released on 3 July and The Dark Knight Rises wraps up the current Batman series on 20 July.

Until the Harry Potter finale, 2008's The Dark Knight had held the revenue record with a $158.4m debut. Before that, the record-holder was 2007's Spider-Man 3 with $151.1m.

As admission prices rise, Hollywood's record-breakers often take in more money but sell fewer tickets than previous blockbusters. But The Avengers took in so much money that it has become the undisputed champion among debuts. (Source: guardian)

Films tackle honor killings

The film focuses on honor killings in Turkey, which, have always been a major problem in Turkey, especially in the rural areas of eastern and southeastern Turkey.

‘Ateşin Düştüğü Yer’ (Where the Flame Falls), tells the story of honor killings. Hürriyet daily is the sponsor of the movie with its campaign ‘Violence against women’

According to numbers released by a rights organizations and compiled from the press, about one woman every day was killed by a family member, husband, ex-husband or partner in Turkey last year.

Government figures are even more drastic, suggesting murders of women have increased ten-fold in the last decade, from 66 in 2002 to around 1,000 each year over the last few years. Thousands are victims of the cultural and social oxymoron of “honor killings.”

Honor killings have always been a major problem in Turkey, especially in the rural areas of eastern and southeastern Turkey. Until quite recently, Turkish law tended to be lenient to honor killers, with many sentences reduced through claims of “provocation.” Thanks to women’s NGOs, devoted followers of the problem in the media, and the country’s quest to enter the European Union, honor killings were deemed a scarlet letter against Turkey, eventually leading to the introduction of a mandatory life sentence for those found guilty of the crime seven years ago.

Unfortunately, visibility, change and an adamant stance towards change do not seem to have helped much, as honor killings continue to hover as a sinister threat over the women (and men) of Turkey.

Campaigning has at least managed to transform honor killings from an accepted practice into a cultural shame, with a couple of feature movies on the subject being released each year.

Ateşin Düştüğü Yer (Where the Flame Falls), released in cinemas this week, is a harrowing look at honor killings, considering the medieval tradition from the eyes of both the unsuspecting victim and the family willing to take the life of their daughter in cold blood.

A companion film to ‘Bliss’

At the beginning of the film, the 17-year-old Ayşe (Elifcan Ongurlar) is taken to hospital, where her family finds out that she not only has a heart condition, but is also pregnant. As the tradition goes, a “family council” of the elders and the men in the family is called to decide the fate of a young woman who has shamed the family name. The decision is unanimous: Ayşe is to be executed. The patriarch of the family Osman (Hakan Karahan), the father of five including Ayşe, is given the job of killing his daughter. Adamant not to reveal the father of her baby, Ayşe is taken by Osman on a journey from the southwestern coast of Turkey to Konya – the latter ironically being the home of the 13th century Sufi mystic Rumi, an overarching figure who symbolizing acceptance, compassion, and unconditional love.

The film takes the form of a road movie, in which the opposing forces of love for a child and an urgency to kill the one who has brought inexcusable shame upon the family tear Osman apart. The journey becomes the first opportunity where father and daughter can connect, where Osman sees the woman Ayşe is blossoming into.

Ateşin Düştüğü Yer is the final film of a trilogy in which director and writer İsmail Güneş explored societal tragedies like torture and systematic violence of the state against its people, as well as personal tragedies like broken families and cancer. The final film in the trilogy cements Güneş’s excellence as a filmmaker, a powerful meditation on the mechanisms and the state-of-mind that turns fathers into slayers.

The film will remind many of another movie, a box office hit of 2007 and a popular DVD, Mutluluk (Bliss).
Directed by Abdullah Oğuz and adapted from internationally-acclaimed writer Zülfü Livaneli’s novel of the same name, Mutluluk was also an unconventional road movie, where the executioner of the honor killing and a condemned young woman go on a journey of self-discovery.

Mutluluk was another powerful film shining a light on women’s status in Turkey and the complicated dynamics of sexual and familial relations. It showed how ideas of virtue and honor can be as scary for men as they are for women, as well as the indifference of the urban intellectual to class differences. A sincere film, with no blatant messages, Mutluluk is the perfect companion piece to Ateşin Düştüğü Yer. (EMRAH GÜLER-ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News)

Tension rises on Bond film set in Istanbul

British actor Daniel Craig arrives for the photocall of the 23rd film in the James Bond series, 'Skyfall', in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 29, 2012.(AP Photo )

Bodyguards for James Bond actor Daniel Craig struggled to prevent the media from filming the star in between takes, resulting in tension and a minor confrontation on set.

A minor confrontation erupted between reporters and the bodyguards after they attempted to physically interfere and obstruct reporters from capturing shots of the actor. Craig’s team later resorted to using a smoke machine to repel the reporters swarming the set.

Bystanders were affected by the heavy smoke, daily Hürriyet reported.


(ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News)

The Avengers brings big names together

Actors Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo are shown in a scene from "The Avengers" in this publicity photo released to Reuters May 1, 2012. REUTERS photo

The Avengers, based on a strong infrastructure made up of five films shot in four years, is quite good visually as well as plot-wise.

The thought of adapting The Avengers, which is composed of multiple stand alone Marvel characters originally assembled together in 1963, into a movie goes back to the year 2008 when both Captain America and Iron Man Tony Stark made cameo appearances at the end of the Hulk movie released in that year. Four years have passed since then and five movies released in that time have been preparing the masses for The Avengers.

The Avengers' plot may be summarized as this: Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) is working on the energy cube tesseract S.H.I.E.L.D base. Suddenly the cube is activated. S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury (Samuel J. Jackson) notifies agent Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) that the cube is now working and may be used as a door, letting someone through from the other side.

As discussions continue, tesseract gets activated again. Thor's stepbrother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) then appears with a wand. Loki brings Selvig and Bartok to his side with his wand. He takes tesseract with him and escapes. Upon this, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who is known as Captain America, Iron Man Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Dr. Bruce Banner’ (Mark Ruffalo), who turns into The Hulk when angry, and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johannson), who is known as the Black Widow, unite under Fury.

Upon finding out that the world is in great danger the heroes head down to Helicarrier. Iron Man Tony Stark and Bruce Banner look for the gamma ray reflecting tesseract while Captain America, Black Widow and the other S.H.I.E.LD agents chase down Loki. They eventually find him in Germany and try to bring him back to the Hellicarrier but they come across Thor. Iron Man and Captain America chase Thor and following a brief confrontation, they understand that that they are all on the same side. Loki's plans, however, are different and he tries to set the team members against each other. But as a matter of fact, all of the heroes have a secret.

In the first issue of The Avengers comic the team members were again fighting against Loki. From that perspective, the movie stays loyal to the comic book.

The movie tells the difficulty of several characters that are used to fighting individually working together. It also emphasizes that the most difficult part of being a team is trust. However, the factor that is going to bind them comes from a point Loki least expects.

Loki is one of the most impressive of the characters in the movie, but each viewer will find themselves relating to at least one of the characters. Loki nearly comes off as a Hannibal Lecter especially in the scene with Black Widow.

Hulk, on the other hand, gets shorted on screen time and is only present in the final 20 minutes of the movie.

Marvel, now bringing together Hollywood's most interesting team together, will surely benefit from this film.

We can only wish the same for the Justice League of DC Comics. (ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News)

'Conquest 1453' to continue as TV series

The widely popular Turkish film "Fetih 1453," which details the capture of Istanbul by the Ottomans, will continue as a TV series titled "Fetihten Sonra" (After the Conquest), daily Habertürk reported today.

“Fetih 1453” became the most watched film in Turkish cinema history with over 6.5 million viewers after hitting theaters on Feb. 16.

The film's producer, Faruk Aksoy has been working with his brother Fatih Aksoy on a project to continue the story told in “Fetih 1453” in a television series format, the report said. The Aksoy brothers reached an agreement with broadcaster Show TV to air the series.

The 160-minute long film would be divided into four parts and comprise the first four episodes of the series. The new story would begin with the fifth episode, Habertürk's report said.

Devrim Evin will return to the role of Sultan Mehmed II along with other actors from the movie.

“Fetih 1453” was the most expensive film ever made in Turkey, with a total cost of $17 million.