Life in Turkey

World Famous Award Winning Turkish Films

Turkish cinema is a developing cinema and there are successful Turkish films watched around the world. Which are these movies?

YOL-The Road-(1981) – Cannes Film Festival FIPRESCI

  • Director: Yilmaz Guney, Serif Goren
  • IMDb Rating: 8.2

Awards

  • Cannes Film Festival – FIPRESCI and Palme d’Or
  • Golden Globe Awards – Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film

Subject

  • The hardships and the dramas of the lives of five prisoners who wanted to go to their villages and homes after getting permission from Imralı Semi-Open Prison during the most painful days of the Martial Law are told very successfully.
The Road-YOL

GUNESE YOLCULUK-Journey to the Sun (1999) – 49th Berlin Film Festival Special Jury Prize

  • Director: Yesim Ustaoglu
  • IMDb Rating: 7.0

Awards

  • 49th Berlin Film Festival – Special Jury Prize
  • Jerusalem Film Festival – Peace Prize
  • São Paulo International Film Festival – International Jury Prize
  • Festróia – Tróia International Film Festival – Special Jury Prize

Subject

  • It is a story of friendship and courage for a naive young person to be aware of the realities of today’s Turkey. Berzan, Mehmet and his girlfriend from both ends of Turkey meet while trying to survive in the lower class life of Istanbul. The lives of the friends, who are connected to each other day by day, change when Mehmet is unjustly arrested. Meanwhile, Berzan, who is looking for his missing father, is in constant trouble with the police. Mehmet’s devotion to Berzan takes him on a journey east to his friend’s village, across the country. Journey to the Sun…
GUNESE YOLCULUK-Journey to the Sun

DUVARA KARSİ-Against the Wall-(2004) – 54th Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear Award

  • Director: Fatih Akin
  • IMDb Rating: 8.0

Awarsd

  • 54th Berlin Film Festival – Golden Bear Award

Subject

Cahit and Sibel, a young man in his 40s living in Germany, are two people who have given up on suicide. Cahit, who managed to overcome his problems to some extent with the help of his psychologist, wants to help Sibel. On the other hand, Sibel looks for a way out in marriage and her husband becomes Cahit, whom she never knew. An inevitable rapprochement begins between Cahit and Sibel, who start living in the same house.

DUVARA KARSİ-Against the Wall

Takva (2005) – 57th Berlin Film Festival FIPRESCI

  • Director: Ozer Kiziltan
  • IMDb Rating: 7.5

Awards

  • 57th Berlin Film Festival – FIPRESCI
  • Sarajevo Film Festival – Best Film Award

Subject

Born in a traditional Istanbul neighborhood, Muharrem has been living in the same neighborhood for over 30 years. He has a simple job. Muharrem, a modest and introverted person, leads a life that is far from sexuality, strictly adheres to the harshest Islamic creeds, and worships day and night. Muharram’s deep piety attracts the attention of a wealthy and powerful sect sheikh. His commendable reliability and conscientiousness lead this sheikh to offer him an administrative post where he will work as a rent collector on many properties owned by the order.

Takva

Yasamin Kiyisinda-On the Edge of Life (2007) – 60th Cannes Film Festival Best Screenplay Award

  • Director: Fatih Akin, Buse Akin
  • IMDb Rating: 7.9

Awards

  • 60th Cannes Film Festival – Best Screenplay Award

Subject

  • Six people, six biographies, six lives are fatefully intertwined. Each one goes on a journey. Between days and nights, it is a journey that wanders to the shores of life on steep and thorny paths and goes to the travelers themselves. One end starts from Bremen in Germany and reaches the Black Sea coast, while one end starts from Istanbul and reaches Bremen.
Yasamin Kiyisinda-On the Edge of Life

Gül Demirci

Hi, I'm Gul. I am a writer for Expat Guide Turkey and I strive to create the best content for you. To contact me, you can send an e-mail to info@expatguideturkey.com. Happy reading!

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