‘Fate’ premieres at Golden Orange Film Fest

ANKARA

The 61st International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, hosted by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, unfolds with an exciting lineup of film screenings and engaging discussions.

The film "Mukadderat" (Fate) premiered on Oct. 7 as part of the National Feature Film Competition at the 61st International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, earning a standing ovation from the audience.

The cast of "Mukadderat" includes Nur Sürer, Aslıhan Gürbüz, Osman Sonant, Şerif Erol and Gülçin Kültür. The dark comedy, filmed in the northern province of Kastamonu's Cide district, revolves around the events that occur after Sultan (played by Sürer) loses her husband, Recep.

Addressing the challenges of telling women's stories, Güç said: "I was very excited while making the film. Sometimes we get lost in the excitement of the film. You made us feel today that we found our way. Telling a woman's story is very difficult because every story you tell becomes a utopia, and we are trying to reach that. I hope we can see this in real life one day.”

‘A good director supports a good story’

The lead actress, Sürer, who plays the character of Sultan, noted that the filming in Kastamonu went very well, saying: “We have a performance that began with Erdi's writing. The director is very important to me; I always say this. A good director supports a good story. We worked in a wonderful place; the people of Cide treated us very well. I appreciated how the film portrays a woman finding herself after her husband’s death and quickly overcoming her grief with something else.”

The film’s screenwriter, Erdi Işık, revealed that he is from Kastamonu and wrote the screenplay inspired by his family story.

“I am from Cide; all the characters you see in the film are based on people from my life. My mother, father, brother-in-law, grandfather, aunt, sister-in-law and the neighbor who took care of me in my childhood are represented in this film. Therefore, this film is very special to me. In the film, the character Hanife is based on Fevziye Abla, the woman who looked after me in my childhood. She is currently 93 years old and battling cancer. She really wants to watch this film. My next goal is to ensure that Fevziye Abla gets to see it. Mukadderat is a word my mother often used. Since it’s a character I identify with my mother, I named the film ‘Mukadderat.’”

About the film

After losing her husband, Sultan fears being alone and tells her children that she wishes to remarry right away. However, her children believe this is inappropriate, considering that only a day has passed since their father's death.

According to her son, Nevzat, who holds a traditional view, no one in their small town will accept this. Her daughter, Reyhan, seeks to honor her mother’s wishes but feels it’s a decision made too soon. Nevertheless, Sultan remains steadfast in her choice.

Sultan's attitude becomes an example for other women in the district, prompting them to live independent lives from their husbands. Her struggle inspires the women in the area to organize and assert their own identities.