Bodrum’s second film week calls for support

MUĞLA - Anatolia News Agency

Film director Hakan Kurşun says Turkish cinema needs support from the government.

The second Bodrum Turkish Films Week began Sept. 27 in the Aegean province of Bodrum, opening with a screening of “Ayaz” by director Hakan Kurşun.

Kurşun said “Ayaz” was an art movie that reflected hard work, on which a lot of money had been spent.
Turkish cinema is still some distance from world cinema, said Kurşun, particularly in terms of financial support for the cinema sector. In other countries a lot of money is regularly spent on making films, but in Turkey it is not possible to see this. “We are carrying cinema to a certain level and trying to develop it,” he said.

In such a situation, using technology efficiently becomes even more important, according to Kurşun.
The producer of “Ayaz,” Lütfi Kara, said there should be no laws restricting the activity of culture and the arts, as culture is the only thing that can develop society.

Kara said state support given to Turkish cinema was not high enough, and that the government should support various cinema events such as cinema weeks like that currently ongoing in Bodrum.

The same week was organized last year, featuring 10 films and attended by 10 directors.

Speaking to Anatolia news agency, local cinema owner Cenk Sezgin said: “We would like to see more Turkish movies in the cinema salons.”

He said such weeks were essential to support Turkish cinema with the movies and expressed his pleasure at the Bodrum cinema week. “We are very happy to support the Bodrum Turkish Cinema Week,” he said.

The film week with will continue until Oct. 4, and is set to host movies from Turkish directors such as İmre Azem, Fatih Akın, Çağan Irmak, Reis Çelik, Raşit Çelikezer and Adem Kılıç.