Turkey’s rising film talent

Variety (USA), Fri., May 15, 2009

By Nick Holdsworth

4 on and offscreen up-and comers

Ayça Damgaci

The 31-year-old Turkish actress from Istanbul essayed her powerful lead role in Huseyin Karabey’s « My Marlon and Brando, » based on her own true story of crossing a war zone to reach the love of her life, Iraqi-Kurdish actor Hama Ali Khan. Damgaci brings the power of emotional authenticity to a performance that bodes well for her career; she already has won the Heart of Sarajevo in 2008 for best actress.

Tomris Giritlioglu

Although her first feature, « Mrs. Salkim’s Diamonds, » was received with critical acclaim in 1999 and picked up a clutch of Turkish awards, Giritlioglu returned to producing and directing TV series until latest film, « Pains of Autumn, » which explores events around the tragic anti-Greek pogrom in Istanbul in September 1955, which remains a sensitive issue. Film recently was released in Greece following a gala screening in Athens.

Özcan Alper

Alper’s directing debut feature, « Autumn, » is about a man’s struggles to come to terms with his life after release from 10 years in jail as a political prisoner. The film won best director at March’s Sofia Intl. Film Festival. Alper, a writer-director whose first work was the 25-minute Armenian-language short « Momi » in 2001, has established his credentials as a member of the new wave of Turkish arthouse fare.

Zeynep Özbatur

In the 10 years since she moved from advertising into the film industry, 42-year-old Ozbatur has proved herself a key player in the Turkish film industry. The producer of Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s « Three Monkeys » and « Climates, » Ozbatur set up Zeynofilm in 2007, dedicating the company to discovering « new people who have high potential for bringing Turkish cinema to international fields. » She recently began collaborating with provocative new director Ismail Necmi (« Should I Really Do It? ») on his next feature.