Letter from Istanbul
In a world that is transforming itself so incredibly fast, Istanbul still retains the flavor of the exotic. Even in the loud, bustling, European-flavored Istiklal Caddesi, the main shopping street running from Taksim Square down toward the Bosphorus – a street which some years ago was turned into a pedestrian precinct, with a turn-of-the-century tramline running down the middle – the feeling is unmistakably oriental. In this walker’s paradise, far away from Istanbul’s big four – Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces – there are the four cinemas where the city’s film festival, now in its 21st year, takes place. The best film of the year, «Nine,» by Umit Unal, received the top prize «for portraying the hypocrisy of ordinary people in their daily relationships.» The festival lineup of some 180 selections from over 30 countries echoes those of the most successful international festivals. With an emphasis on worldwide culture and filmmaking, there were retrospectives focusing on young directors such as Chilean-born, Spanish-based Alejandro Amenabar, on older cult figures (Christopher Lee) and tributes to Japanese and Italian directors, such as Nanni Moretti, Shohei Imamura, Carlos Saura, Otar Iosseliani and many more. All of them were, or are, big-time star directors. Some of them were present in Istanbul. Other subjects of attention were British filmmaker Stephen Frears, Italian classics by Vittorio De Sica, and the Turk Tunc Basaran, who in 1991 was nominated for the Academy Award in the Best Foreign Film category. Since it is practically impossible to follow everything in this festival, I personally concentrated on the 11 Turkish films in the National Competition Program. All of them were a mosaic of lives tenuously connected by violent events. Most of them were characterized by intelligent, interesting, and aggressive filmmaking. In 1990, the Turkish Ministry of Culture’s cinema department started giving financial support in the form of loans or donations to filmmakers. Also since 1990, more critical co-productions materialized with the support of Euroimages, a European institution as the name indicates. That was the case of the courageous «In Nowhere Land,» a first film by highly talented Tayfun Pirselimoglu, one of the festival’s best entries, which dealt with the controversial subject of missing persons. In a land where censorship is alive and kicking, «controversial films» – usually on the Kurdish problem, outlawed political parties or those which are critical of the police and army – are very hot potatoes. However, they are produced. The most talked-about Turkish film in this festival was Handan Ipkci’s «Hejar,» which has been selected and programmed but was refused permission for broader screenings. The reason was that it depicted police brutality. Nevertheless, the festival showed this film on video to whoever wanted to see it. Here the question of human liberties rears its head. How are things in contemporary Turkey? Well, I would say far better than an ordinary Greek could imagine. At present, Turkey is awfully careful about any move that would consign Ankara’s EU ambitions to deep freeze. Some examples: Speaking to journalists some days ago, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz stressed that Abdullah Ocalan must not be hanged «because the death penalty does not exist in Europe.» In addition, the Hurriyet daily proudly focused attention on the fact that George Papandreou had begun a joint press conference with Ismail Cem – after meeting with Yasser Arafat in Ramallah – with the words: «We have come here as two members of the European family.» Just by watching the – predominantly young – audiences crowding the festival screenings, one can observe a new generation of cosmopolitan Turks, resembling anyone else of their age in the EU. Their Western sophistication is also apparent in the discussions after the performances. Of course, some were slightly irritated by the way Greek-Cypriot Christos Georgiou – present at the festival – showed how a Greek soldier on the island’s Green Line was shot in the back in his film «Under the Stars.» Yet overall reactions to this Cyprus/UK/Greek co-production, which narrates the story of two young Greek-Cypriots who are haunted by invasion memories, were positive. Apparently also haunted by vindictive memories was the powerful Turkish military. The establishment, as it is called in Turkey, petitioned the Justice Ministry last week to bring charges against the leader of the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP), Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for insulting the military and praising Islamic groups in Afghanistan. When did this happen? Well, in a speech Erdogan made a decade ago. Sometimes reality writes better scripts than an inventive hand. Interrogated, on the night of April 25, by the Ankara State Security prosecutor about whether he had meant Kemal Ataturk (the well-nigh sacred founding father of the Turkish Republic who introduced the secular system) when he alluded to a «dead cow blocking the train’s path» in his controversial speech, Erdogan simply answered «no,» and was set free. The next day, the Turkish Daily News published a recent opinion poll, according to which the above-mentioned party is leading with 18.17 percent while the ruling three coalition partners currently barely garner the 10-percent national threshold. After having talked to local journalists – even film critics – I came to the conclusion that Turkey is in the middle of a serious political crisis. «There are two options,» said someone who should know better. «There should either be a reshuffle in the tripartite government, or the coalition partners will be forced to accept early elections, something which no one desires.» «So, what do you think the options are?» «The senior partner of the coalition, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is already flirting with the presidency of the government. The leader of this party, also a rightist extremist, named Devlet Bahceli, has already declared that he is prepared to take over as PM ‘when the time is ripe.’» «Well, let’s talk about movies. And how is your cinematography doing?» «Not bad at all. In the last four to five years, there has been an unbelievable increase in interest in Turkish cinema. Cinema-goers, especially the younger ones, often seem to prefer quality films such as ‘Kahpe Bizans,’ ‘Vizontele’ and ‘Propaganda’ over Americans films.» «What about television? You have so many local channels here.» «I shall tell you something that I really should never tell a Greek. Anyway, the daily Hurriyet printed it, so what the hell, why not? In our tragic economic crisis, if anyone with some $200-million cash in his pocket were to come to our country, he would be able to buy not only 75 percent of our TV channels, but influence our political scene as well. Of course, there are laws here too on media monopolies, as well as the RTUK (the Supreme Radio-TV Board) but you know how these institutions work. Don’t tell Minos Kyriakou [CEO of Greece’s Antenna network] that.» I won’t. Just one week before Easter, Istanbul is expecting «more than 400 buses from Greece,» as Yiannis or Ersan (his mother is a Christian Greek from Thessaloniki, his father a Turk from Istanbul) who «sells the best Caspian caviar in the Egyptian market,» proudly announced. After a raki-induced nap, back to the festival. There’s very little plot in «The Photograph,» by 29-year-old Kazim Oz, one of the most interesting works with political connotations. An interesting and daring film. «Fate» by 35-year-old Zeki Demirkubuz, which draws natural performances from a superb cast including Serdar Orcin, Engin Gunaydin and Demir Karahan, is inspired by Albert Camus’ «Stranger.» The film got the International Critics Award (FIPRESCI) «for its cool, restrained realism and absurd humour in depicting an indifferent character adrift in a morally judgmental society.» The same director received a second FIPRESCI award for his «Confession,» a film admired «for its austere portrayal of an emotionally intense marriage torn apart by betrayal.» «Maruf» by 37-year-old Serdar Akar – a graduate from the Film and TV Department at Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul – tells the story of a young villager who suffers the violence and verbal abuse of his father (or uncle) and finds refuge in the arms of a Christian girl, though not for very long. The Hamlet-like story is shot in a conventional style but in a commanding manner and with mesmerizing images by cinematographer Mehmet Aksin. From April to September, with an expanding International Festival offering five different festivals – film, drama, classical music, jazz and a biennale, which as the name indicates, is generally held every two years – Istanbul, the erstwhile capital of three empires, is striving to carve its name on a globalized cultural circuit. With considerable success.
