Renowned director Şerif Gören dies aged 80

ISTANBUL

Şerif Gören, one of the leading figures of Turkish cinema, has passed away at the age of 80.

The acclaimed director, known for masterpieces such as “Yol” (The Road), the winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as “Yılanların Öcü” (Revenge of the Snakes), “Derman” (Remedy), “Umut” (Hope) and “Katırcılar,” had suffered a severe injury after falling and hitting his head at home. He was intubated due to his critical condition.

A prominent name in the second wave of the social realism movement, Gören was born on Oct. 14, 1944, in Xanthi, Greece. In 1956, he came to Türkiye on a scholarship and attended Istanbul Boys' High School.

Gören began his cinema career as an editor at Erman Film Studio in 1962, where he developed his signature rapid editing style. In 1968, he worked as an assistant director on Mehmet Aslan’s film “Hakanların Savaşı.”

Over the years, he collaborated with notable directors such as Remzi Jöntürk, Atıf Yılmaz, Yılmaz Güney, Natuk Baytan and Osman Seden.

In 1974, Gören took over directing “Endişe” (The Anxiety) after well-known director Yılmaz Güney was arrested during the early days of filming. His work on this project earned him the "Best Director" award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.

Gören's greatest international achievement was winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival with the film “Yol,” which was written by Güney. Addressing themes such as urban life and the human-nature relationship, Gören directed not only films rooted in social realism but also commercial productions and documentaries.