‘Ayla’ named best film at Asian Pacific Film Festival

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s foreign-language Oscar nominee “Ayla” was selected as the best film with the votes of audiences at the International Asian Pacific Film Festival in Los Angeles between Oct. 25 and Nov. 2.

“Ayla,” which focuses on the relationship between a Turkish soldier and a Korean orphan during the Korean War, is hoping to be named among the top five films in the Oscars.

The film also recently received the award for best editing for Mustafa Preheva at the Cape Town International Film Festival.

Directed by Can Ulkay and produced by Mustafa Uslu, “Ayla” tells the story of Sergeant Süleyman, who finds an abandoned five-year-old girl in 1950 during the Korean War. It stars İsmail Hacıoğlu, Çetin Tekindor and Lee Kyung-Jin.

The girl has no parents and he names her Ayla. Within a short time, Süleyman and Ayla become like father and daughter. But in the end of the 15-month process, the team should return to Turkey. Süleyman does everything within his power to take her with him. After repeated failure, he is forced to give Ayla to an orphanage, but doesn’t give up on the hope of one day reuniting with her.

A selective committee of 17 persons has evaluated 13 films and selected “Ayla” for the 90th Academy Awards to be held on March 4, 2018.