Pera Fest looks at ‘Politics and Art’

ISTANBUL

Istanbul’s inter-disciplinary art festival Pera Fest starts for the 12th time this year and hails Gezi Park. The main theme of the festival, which started on Sept. 22 and will continue until Sept. 30, will be “Arts and Politics.” The festival director will be Vecdi Sayar and attendance at the events will be free of charge.

The festival events will be at different art centers around the district of Beyoğlu. The festival started with concerts by the bands, Gezici Müzisyenler Platform “Teneke Trampet” and “Siya Siyabend.”
The festival will host many seminars and forums for artists and art lovers.

Theater plays

Among the cinema events of the event, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Anger” (La Rabbia) will be screened today. The event will take place at 8 pm at Italian Culture Center with English subtitles. On Sept. 24 at 3 p.m. the Beyoğlu Asmalıgeçit square will host Osman Okkan’s documentary “Şair ve Devrimci Nazım Hikmet” (Poet Nazım Hikmet) and also Metin Avdaç’s “Sabah Yıldızı: Sabahattin Ali” (Morning Star: Sabahattin Ali) documentary. On Sept. 25 at Koç University Anatolia Civilizations Research Center, Berrin Söylemez, Haşmet Topaloğlu, Berke Baş, Somnur Vardar’s “Bu Ne Güzel Demokrasi” (Beautiful Democracy) will be screened. The festival will also stage a theater show. On Sept. 29 with the support of Cihangir Park Forum the theater play “Gezerken…” (Wandering) will be staged. Cem Uslu’s “Tesadüf ya da Değil” (Coincidence or not), Mirza Metin’s “Kağıtçı’nın Köpeği Kitmir” (Dog of the paper boy: Kıtmir), Özen Yula’s “Boşluğu Doldurmak” (Fill in the blanks), Yiğit Serdemir’s “Toma’nın Uyanışı” (Toma’s Awakening) plays will be on stage with the participation of actors Serkan Altıntaş, Sermet Yeşil, Erdem Akakçe and Sevinç Erbulak.