THERE WAS A GUEST FROM CYPRUS AT THE GOLDEN ORANGE AWARDS

There was a guest from Cyprus at the Golden Orange's Tuesday galas. While “Tuvaldeki Sır” was being screened, festivalgoers learned things they didn't know about the Cypriot cinema industry thanks to the film crew, who participated in the post-screening discussion.

The 62nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival opens doors to new worlds for its audience not only through films but also through discussions. The team behind “Tuvaldeki Sır,” one of the films screened in the Special Screening program on Tuesday, provided a perfect example of this.

Following the screening at the Perge Hall of the Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM), director Ömer Evre, producer-director Biket İlhan, and actors Cemal Hünal, Devrim Nas, and Hatice Tezcan answered questions from the audience. It lifted the curtain on a world that seems familiar yet remains unknown.

The director of “Tuvaldeki Sır” Ömer Evre, who explores the relationship between Cyprus and Turkey through the traces of a forbidden love discovered by a screenwriter visiting the island from Turkey, said, “I tried to tell Turkey about Cyprus.” Emphasising that the film is also a “Cyprus” film, Evre noted, “Our Greek Cypriot friends are also in the film. This is not just a Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic film, it is a Cyprus film.”

Evre stated that the film's story came to mind while visiting an art exhibition titled Queens of Cyprus. He mentioned that they worked with Biket İlhan during the production phase and recounted the story of this collaboration as follows: "I met Biket Hoca over 10 years ago. She has been by my side for 10 years, supporting me. Because we are also trying to develop the Cypriot film industry, Biket İlhan's contribution is enormous. We are still experiencing the development that you experienced in the 90s."

Biket İlhan described meeting the director and the filmmaking process with these words: "While watching the film, I remembered the day we met Ömer. He told me about the film, and he was very excited. At that moment, I didn't know the film's subject or where it would be shot; I knew nothing. But I said I wanted to be part of this project. The fact that it was in Cyprus was particularly exciting. Especially Lefke, seeing that place was incredibly exciting for me. I spent a day chatting with the owners of the house in the film until morning, and many stories accumulated. Then I wandered around Lefke alone. I talked to people I didn't know, and with each person I talked to, I learned new secrets."

Actor Cemal Hünal, speaking about the stages of preparing for a role, said, “For me, it's a very internal process; it's just between me and the character I'm playing. I don't believe there can be any preparation for it.” Hatice Tezcan, a Cypriot actress, shared her experiences and observations: "As someone who grew up in the 90s, I grew up in a period when even dreaming about leaving Cyprus was impossible. Going to the South was impossible; the only place we could go was Turkey; Europe was a dream. This film may have its flaws, but I really hope it serves as an example for our colleagues in Cyprus and as a touchstone for dreaming. Because there are very talented people, but we can't dream; we can't dream of where we might fly."

The other Special Screening of the day was “Cam Sehpa” at the AKM Aspendos Hall. Director Can Evrenol, director of photography Hakan Dinçkuyucu, assistant director Ladin Esen, and executive producer Batu Erol, along with actors Alper Kul, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Ece Su Uçkan, and Elif Sevinç, participated in the post-screening discussion.

Director Can Evrenol, whose film “Cam Sehpa” presents a dark comedy example from contemporary Turkey through the dark events that engulf a couple who have just had a baby, explained the origin of the film, which stands apart from his previous filmography, as follows:

"The film came to me as an adapted screenplay. I said, 'What's the point? Who would want to make a Turkish version of a Spanish film from two years ago! The person who made the offer insisted. I was also surprised because my short films have always featured elements of babies, family, dining, and social claustrophobia. And I felt that with a cast I could reach and some local touches, it would be much more interesting. I thought that if we took a very unconventional, very talented, very successful comedy actor and wrote the script from a place he also loved, then it would make sense. Like Adam Sandler starring in “Uncut Gems” or Doğu Demirkol starring in “Ahlat Ağacı.”

“When the role came along, it was like a bomb went off inside me.”

Alper Kul commented on the film, saying, “I think this is a director's film; I just tried to do my job.” Kul continued, "When an actor gets a role like this, they have to question their entire past; either I'll play it or I won't. I’m a father of two children, and I’ve done a lot of anatomical work. When this role came along, it was like a bomb went off inside me. There was no way I could refuse it, but the process was very difficult. The most difficult scene for me was seeing the baby in the bag for the first time. It really kept me awake at night because I had to believe it and make others believe it. Also, when an actor encounters a script, they look back at their own experiences and ask, ‘What have I experienced in life, and what can I draw from that for this role?’ But you see, the bag is empty. That's why this part was very difficult for me."

While viewers commented that they couldn't decide whether the film was a comedy or a drama, actress Elif Sevinç shared her perspective: “We didn't make this film to be funny, but I found it funny when I watched it. Because every character had their own world and their own reality. The reason it was funny, in my opinion, was that all the characters' realities were intertwined.”