Yesilcam: Semih Ates Around The Corner

The highly anticipated series Yesilcam will be coming to BluTV on April 22, 2021. The platform has shared a number of trailers and teasers, and from all accounts, it seems to be an excellent production that not only captures the cinematic glory of the Yesilcam era of Turkish filmmaking, but also showcases the noteworthy filmmakers of today.

Cagan Irmak, who is a highly acclaimed director, is no stranger to paying homage to Yesilcam. He is the director of Unutursam Fisilda, a period piece focusing on the careers of musicians of the era. In a recent interview, Cagatay said of Cagan, "“Cagan is a very successful director who really loves his job, knows the period well, knows its textures, knows the lines between the lines, follows life in every aspect. His observation skills are very impressive."

Cagan Irmak, on the sets of Yesilcam

The trailers reveal an intricate look at the world of Yesilcam filmmaking of the 60s, the peak of the industry when 200 - 300 movies were produced in a year, often on a shoe string budget. Artistes flocked to support the growth of the industry, often driven more by an entrepreneurial spirit rather than a sure shot at stardom.

Cagatay's Semih Ates is a young filmmaker who grew up in Yesilcam. As Cagatay describes in his interview with GQ Turkey, "It's one colorful world where we will watch how Semih Ateş, who was raised in Yeşilçam as a child, is trying to exist as a producer in Yeşilçam as an adult, his relationships, the balance of power and money, the organic and passionate relationships of the characters with one another and the ongoing story in this context. He himself is also the character that I have enjoyed playing the most to this day, the most colorful and the one that left a mark on me."

His ex-wife Mine Cansu played by Selin Sekerci is portrayed as a femme fatale who is the darling of Yesilcam. Tulin Saygi, played by Afra Sarracoglu, comes knocking on the doors of Yesilcam, and is seen to be the fresh new talent that turns heads. Semih falls in love with Tulin, presumably during his journey of re-establishing himself in the industry. The following photos were shared by BluTV, that provide a character sketch for the three main protagonists:

And all this will take place against the backdrop of the great political, cultural and social changes Turkey experienced between it's two coup d'etats in 1960 and 1980. 

As the Yesilcam movies fell off its beloved perch with the advent of modern programming, it is no wonder that there is so much anticipation for this visually and aurally rich production that is now considered a point of local pride. A series about the lost glory of Turkish films, produced by local filmmakers, for a local streaming platform that is spreading its wings at an unprecedented rate! 

As Semih Ates says, "Why is the cinema beautiful? Because life is a worthless monotony" ... "I make a movie. The sick recover. The season changes."

The series will come with English, Spanish and Arabic subtitles, and it may also get licensed by other major platforms such as Netflix. 

And we all await this glorious experience with much anticipation. 


​
​Article (c) CUNA 
Follow us on Facebook here and be wary of fake pages​