Turkey’s Cinema Writers Association awards presented

ISTANBUL

Actress Defne Halman protested the new Emek Movie Theater.

The 48th Cinema Writers Association (SİYAD) Awards were presented on March 2 in Istanbul, at a ceremony marked by a protest against the demolition of the historic Emek Movie Theater in the Beyoğlu district. 

Theater actress Defne Halman, who is also the spokeswoman of the Emek Movie Theater Struggle, came to the stage to present the ceremony’s “Labor Award” and said they would never accept that the new movie theater - built on the site of the original Emek cinema – had also been named “Emek.” Halman also unfurled a banner reading “Emek is ours, Istanbul is ours” and shouted slogans, with the participation of members of the audience. 

A separate SİYAD statement said it would not be attending any events held in the new cinema built in a shopping mall on the site of the old Emek Movie Theater. 

The ceremony opened with the presentation of Honorary Awards to Ahmet Soner, Menderes Samancılar, Gülsen Tuncer and Hilmi Etikan. Director Emin Alper’s acclaimed film “Abluka” (Frenzy) was selected as the Best Film, while Alper also received the Best Director and Best Script awards. “The whole crew did a very good job despite a difficult filming process,” Alper said, adding that scriptwriting was for him the most enjoyable part of cinema.

The Best Foreign Film award went to “Mad Max: Fury Road” and the Labor Award to Emek Movie Theater ushers Murat Aldemir and Hayri Akkoç. Actress Esme Madra won the Best Actress award for her performance in “Nefesim Kesilene Kadar” (Until I Lose my Breath) and Nadir Sarıbacak won the Best Actor award for his performance in “Sarmaşık” (Ivy).