Zondag 11 mei
Burning Passions
a Metin Erksan Retrospective
EN Filmhuis Cavia is proud to present, in collaboration with our partners at Sonra Film, a full day retrospective of Metin Erksan, the father of modern Turkish cinema! Known for having once said: “The director is the omnipotent, he is the god-like king”, when taking the role of director, Erksan acted like an all-powerful being, refusing to be bound by the stylistic norms of his time, or even of his own previous work. Thanks to this strong-willed creativity, Metin Erksan has not only revolutionized Turkish cinema, bringing a force of renewal which can only be likened to the one brought by the French New Wave, but has constantly experimented and changed styles, as we hope our selection will make you appreciate.
In between the films we will also be happy to give out typical Turkish pastries to keep you fresh and satiated throughout the day!
Zondag 11 mei, 14:00
CLASSIC
Dry Summer (Susuz Yaz)
Metin Erksan | 1963 | Turkije | 90’ | EN subtitles
EN We start off with Dry Summer, probably Erksan’s most famous work in the West, having won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in 1964. The film takes place in the scorching heat of rural Türkiye, after a greedy tobacco farmer decides to divert the village’s only water source, condemning his neighbours to ruin. As tensions rise under the relentless sun, desire and desperation collide with devastating consequences. Despite being made over 60 years ago, this film truly stands as an incredibly current representation of human greed and environmental degradation. Come and enjoy this version restored by the World Cinema Foundation in collaboration with Ulvi Doğan and Fatih Akın, allowing us to give the film its true glory.
Zondag 11 mei, 16:30
CLASSIC
The Angel of Vengeance: The Female Hamlet
(İntikam Meleği: Kadın Hamlet)
Metin Erksan | 1976 | Turkije | 86’ | EN subtitles
EN The day continues with The Angel of Vengeance: The Female Hamlet, a bold reimagining of Shakespeare's masterpiece. Here the Prince of Denmark is transformed into a woman seeking vengeance for her father’s murder. Hamlet, who is masterfully portrayed by Turkish diva Fatma Girik, becomes like this a fierce and merciless force, ready to give up everything, including her sanity, to get to the truth. Also recently restored by Zurich Sigorta & Istanbul Film Festival, this film throws us in the 70s thanks to its colourful and outlandish costumes and set designs, setting out as one of the most visually striking examples of world cinema we have shown here in Cavia.
Zondag 11 mei, 19:00
CLASSIC
Time to Love (Sevmek Zamanı)
Metin Erksan | 1965 | Turkije | 89’ | EN subtitles
EN Finally, we close off the evening with Time to Love. Considered by many to be Erksan’s masterpiece, this film tells the story of Halil, who falls deeply and desperately in love with the portrait of a woman named Meral. As the two meet and get closer, Halil struggles with the meaning of his love, torn between reality and representation. This film seems thought for the age of social media, once again showing a truly magical ability of Metin Erksan in being an auteur whose stories adapt perfectly across time and space. This unsung masterpiece was MUBI’s first-ever restoration project, achieved thanks to Ahmet Hızarcı and Zeynep Özlem Havuzlu’s contributions and will conclude this amazing event with its beautiful, idealized images of the Istanbul’s region.