Çevrimdışı

In 1995 the down-trend in film production continued. Private TV channels mainly included old Turkish films in their programmes. A group of directors established the Turkish Cinema Foundation, the first production of which was "On Yönetmen İki Film" based on ten short film scenarios on "love" and "tolerance". Also during 1995, a private TV channel, Cine5 organized a short film competition in which "Çöllerin Everllyn'i" by Billur Karaevli, won the best film award. A "European Films Festival" was organized in Ankara, later on this festival was also held in four other cities.
The drop in film production continued again. Out of 37 films produced in 1996, only 10 films were released for public showing. Films produced in 1996 were mainly low-budget productions designed for TV. Nevertheless, the films "Eşkiya", "İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında", "Işıklar Sönmesin", and "Mum Kokulu Kadınlar", which were released in 1996, all set box-office records. Furthermore, "Hamam" and "Tabutta Röveşata" won successes at the international film festivals. The most comprehensive promotion campaign for Turkish cinema was organized in 1996. An exhibition of 110 Turkish films, was held at the Georges Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris between April 17- October 14, 1996. Also during this festival, a book on Turkish cinema edited by French writer Jean Loup Parsek and Mehmet Basutçu, "Le Cinema Turc" including research by Turkish writers, was featured. The Habitat International Film Festival was held in İstanbul between June 1-6 1996. Aiming to contribute to the aims of the world series of Habitat II conferences, 80 films on the theme of "city life, growth and development" were screened at the festival.
During the period from 1997 to 1999, 27, 23 and 16 films were produced respectively. Out of the films produced in 1997, "Ağır Roman" by Mustafa Altıoklar, "Masumiyet" by Zeki Demirkubuz and "Nihavend Mucize" by Atıf Yılmaz received numerous awards at Film Festivals. 1998 saw the success of Yeşim Ustaoğlu’s "Güneşe Yolculuk", Ferhan Özpetek’s "Harem Suare", Reha Erdem’s "Kaç Para Kaç", Derviş Zaim’s "Tabutta Rövaşata", Sinan Çetin’s "Propaganda" and Zeki Demirkubuz’s "Üçüncü Sayfa". 1999 ended the decade setting a positive mood for the next years of Turkish cinema with several important fılms like Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s "Mayıs Sıkıntısı", Tomris Giritlioğlu’s "Salkim Hanım’ın Taneleri", Atıf Yılmaz’s "Eylül Fırtınası", Zeki Ökten’s "Güle Güle" and the great box office hit "Kahpe Bizans" by Gani Müjde.
Turkish cinema went through probably one of its worst phases during the first half of the 90’s. Despite the majority view that this happened due to the dominance of Hollywood films, the real reasons were a lot deeper. On average, Turkish films of the early 90’s were not of a very high standard. And of course, the films that were produced under an "Arthouse" umbrella distanced the average moviegoer while being intellectually and cinematically incompetent. This period passed as a majority of filmmakers attacked "commercial cinema". According to them, trying to connect with the viewer was unnecessary and pointless as cinema was supposed to be purely an artform.
Another view was that a healthy "national cinema" could only be brought together by establishing a cinema industry, and that this could only be achieved by taking the viewer into account. Alternative cinema could only complement this central backbone, and what was being described in a way was similar to American cinema. It could set a benchmark for the methods but not necessarily content, character or ideology. Underground cinema could only exist in an environment where it could get its nourishment from mainstream cinema. This view started being put into action with Mustafa Altıoklar’s "İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında" and gave a feel that some things were moving in the right direction. Its weaknesses arising from the script, directing and special effects kept it from being a "technically sound" film, however it was what Turkish cinema needed in terms of story, music and marketing techniques.
"Eskiya" by Yavuz Turgul or "Hamam" by Ferhan Özpetek were steps taken along this way that was to save Turkish cinema. Despite having differing themes, visual styles, stories and characters they were similar in a way that was "mainstream". Their stars, scripts, on-location-sound-shooting, "quality feel", soundtracks and even posters served the needs of commercial cinema. In the course of these, films like Derviş Zaim’s "Tabutta Rövaşata", Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s "Kasaba" or Serdar Akar’s "Gemide" formed the opposition by supporting the "underground" film movement. Their unconventional styles, "losing" protagonists and indifference to box office results bore a sharp contrast to their mainstream counterparts which, with box office results between 200,000 and 2,500,000 were the milestones in what may become a genuine movie industry.
These days, in Turkey about 15 films are being produced a year (from 12 to 18). This is a steady number in the last few years. They are all produced on a private base. Film producers managing to put together the necessary budget use private investors, private television channels, Eurimage, the state television TRT. About 20% of the budgets is coming from state subsidies (on a competition principle). The Committee on Film Projects established by the Ministry of Culture (seven members – three film makers and four state employees) distributes the state subsidy. There is a definite presence to be seen of a new generation of young producers, directors and actors. They are setting the principal non-commercial line of the new Turkish cinema into a stark contrast to the predominantly mass-culture-like commercial production of the not-so-distant past.
Today, Turkish films try to respond to very vibrant social problems with serious artistic ambitions using a contemporary artistic language. The contemporary Turkish cinema leaves an impression of high artistic hopes.
There is a distinct increase in the quality of the films produced. The increase in the numbers of university departments providing education in this field, the emergence of a generation of new directors, actors and actresses who had received a higher quality education, the aid given by the state in support of this branch of art, the competition between the cinema and television, and increasing international recognition are among the main factors which contribute to the recent increase in the average quality of the Turkish movies and which herald a brighter future for Turkish cinema.


Bibliography

Dinçer, S M, 1996, Türk Sineması Üzerine Düşünceler, (Ankara, Doruk)
Scognamillio, G, 1998, Türk Sinema Tarihi, (İstanbul, Kabalcı)
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