Born Atıf Yılmaz Batıbeki
9 December 1925
Mersin,
Died 5 May 2006 (aged 80)
Istanbul,
Nationality Kurd
Occupation Film director, screenwriter
Years active 1951–2006
Atıf Yılmaz Batıbeki (December 9, 1925 – May 5, 2006) was a renowned Turkish film director, screenwriter and film producer. He was almost a legend in the film industry of Turkey with 119 movies directed. He also wrote 53 screenplays and produced 28 movies since 1951. He was active in almost every period of the Turkish film industry. Despite the numerous movies he directed, majority of those were qualified, and had a message to get through.
Early life
Atıf Yılmaz was born on December 25, 1925 in Mersin, Turkey to a Kurdish family originally from Palu.[1] After finishing the high school in Mersin, he attended the Law School of Istanbul University. Because of his interest in arts, he dropped out the Law School and entered the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul. After graduating from the Academy, he did some painting works in workshops. His education of painting helped him directing his movies as he remarked lately.
In his private life, he got married three times. His first wife was actress Nurhan Nur. After divorcing his second wife, the playwright Ayşe Şasa, he made his last marriage with Deniz Türkali, daughter of Vedat Türkali, a Turkish novelist, film script writer and film director. Atıf Yılmaz has a daughter, Kezban Arca (Batıbeki) from his first marriage.
Film career
In the beginnings, he worked as a film critic, made some paintings and wrote film scripts to earn a living. After co-directing two movies as an assistant director to Semih Evin in 1950, his directing career began with the film Kanlı Feryat (The Bloody Cry). In 1960, he established his film company "Yerli Film" with the actor Orhan Günşıray.
e most important movies in his filmography were: Hıçkırık (The Sob), Alageyik (The Fallow Deer), Suçlu (The Guilty One), Seni Kaybedersem (If I Lose You), Yaban Gülü (The Wild Rose), Keşanlı Ali Destanı (Kesanli Ali's Epic), Taçsız Kral (The Crownless King),Toprağın Kanı (Blood of the Earth), Ölüm Tarlası (Death Field), Utanç (The Shame), Zavallılar (The Poor People), Selvi Boylum, Al Yazmalım (My Girl with the Red Scarf), Baskin (The Raid), Adak (The Sacrifice), Bir Yudum Sevgi (A Sip of Love), Adı Vasfiye (Her Name is Vasfiye), Berdel, Düş Gezginleri (Walking After Midnight), Eylül Fırtınası (After the Fall) and Mine.
He made movies both fluent and the ones with mainly social messages. Most of the theme of his movies were taboo in the days they have been taken. Particularly "Mine" and "Her Name is Vasfiye" were revolutions that time with their issue on the sexuality and the reaction of the society.
He never gave up making movies throughout his life, and even in the time when the industry stopped filmmaking due to economic reasons.
Atıf Yılmaz played an important role in the professional career of notable Turkish film directors like Halit Refiğ, Yılmaz Güney, Şerif Gören, Zeki Ökten.
During the Antalya Film Festival in September 2005, he was hospitaized due to gastro-intestinal complaints. He died on May 5, 2006 in İstanbul.
Filmography
Director
Kanlı Feryad (The Bloody Cry) - 1951
Mezarımı Taştan Oyun - 1951
İki Kafadar Deliler Pansiyonunda - 1952
Aşk Izdırabtır - 1953
Hıçkırık (The Sob) - 1953
Şimal Yıldızı (The North Star) - 1954
Kadın Severse (If a Woman Loves) - 1955
Dağları Bekleyen Kız (The Girl Who Watched the Mountains) - 1955
İlk Ve Son (The First and the Last) - 1955
Beş Hasta Var (There Are Five Patients) - 1956
Gelinin Muradı - 1957
Bir Şoförün Gizli Defteri - 1958
Yaşamak Hakkımdır - 1958
Kumpanya - 1958
Karacaoğlan'ın Kara Sevdası - 1959
Bu Vatanın Çocukları (This Land's Children) - 1959
Ala Geyik (The Fallow Deer) - 1959
Ayşecik Şeytan Çekici (Aysecik: Bright Kid) - 1960
Suçlu (The Guilty One) - 1960
Dolandırıcılar Şahı (The King of Swindlers) - 1960
Ölüm Perdesi (The Death Curtain) - 1960
Seni Kaybedersem (If I Lose You) - 1961
Tatlı Bela (The Sweet Calamity) - 1961
Kızıl Vazo (The Red Vase) - 1961
Allah Cezanı Versin Osman Bey - 1961
Battı Balık - 1962
Beş Kardeştiler - 1962
Bir Gecelik Gelin - 1962
Cengiz Han'ın Hazineleri (Treasures of Genghis Khan) - 1962
İki Gemi Yanyana (Two Ships, Side by Side) - 1963
Azrailin Habercisi (The Messenger of Death) - 1963
Yarın Bizimdir - 1963
Kalbe Vuran Düşman - 1964
Keşanlı Ali Destanı (Kesanli Ali's Epic) - 1964
Erkek Ali - 1964
Sayılı Dakikalar - 1965
Hep O Şarkı - 1965
Taçsız Kral (The Crownless King) - 1965
Murat'ın Türküsü - 1965
Sevgilim Bir Artistti - 1966
Toprağın Kanı (The Blood of the Earth) - 1966
Ah Güzel İstanbul (Oh Beautiful Istanbul) - 1966
Ölüm Tarlası (The Death Field) - 1966]
Pembe Kadın - 1966
Harun Reşid'ın Gözdesi - 1967
Balatlı Arif - 1967
Kozanoğlu - 1967
Yasemin'ın Tatlı Aşkı - 1968
Cemile - 1968
Köroğlu - 1968
Kızıl Vazo - 1969
Kölen Olayım - 1969
Menekşe Gözler - 1969
Aşktan da Üstün - 1970
Zeyno - 1970
Kara Gözlüm - 1970
Darıldın Mı Cicim Bana - 1970
Battal Gazi Destanı - 1971
Ateş Parçası - 1971
Güllü - 1971
Unutulan Kadın - 1971
Yedi Kocalı Hürmüz - 1971
Cemo - 1972
Utanç (Shame) - 1972
Köle - 1972
Zulüm - 1972
Gelinlik Kızlar - 1972
Günahsızlar - 1972
Kambur - 973
Güllü Geliyor Güllü - 1973
Mevlana - 1973
Zavallılar (The Poor People orThe Suffering Ones) - 1974
Kuma - 1974
Salako - 1974
İşte Hayat - 1975
Çapkın Hırsız - 1975
Deli Yusuf - 1975
Hasip İle Nasip - 1976
Baş Belası - 1976
Tuzak - 1976
Mağlup Edilemeyenler - 1976
Baskın (The Raid) - 1977
Yangın - 1977
Selvi Boylum, Al Yazmalım (My Girl with the Red Scarf) - 1977
Acı Hatıralar - 1977
Güllüşah İle İbo - 1977
Seyahatname - 1977
Kibar Feyzo - 1978]
Minik Serçe (The Little Sparrow) - 1978
Köşeyi Dönen Adam - 1978
İnsan Avcısı (Heart of a Father) - 1979
Adak (The Sacrifice) - 1979
N'Olacak Şimdi - 1979
Talihli Amele - 1980
Deli Kan - 1981
Dolap Beygiri - 1982
Mine - 1982
Seni Seviyorum - 1983
Şekerpare - 1983
Bir Yudum Sevgi (A Sip of Love) - 1984
Dağınık Yatak - 1984
Adı Vasfiye (Her Name is Vasfiye) - 1985
Dul Bir Kadın - 1985
Asiye Nasıl Kurtulur - 1986
(The Windmill) - 1986
Aaahh Belinda - 1986
Kadının Adı Yok - 1987
Hayallerim, Aşkım Ve Sen - 1987
Arkadaşım Şeytan (Devil, My Friend) - 1988
Ölü Bir Deniz - 1989
Berdel - 1990
Bekle Dedim Gölgeye - 1990
Safiyedir Kızın Adı - 1991
Düş Gezginleri (Walking After Midnight) - 1992
Tatlı Betüş - 1993
Gece, Melek Ve Bizim Çocuklar - 1993
Yer Çekimli Aşklar - 1995
Nihavend Mucize - 1997
Eylül Fırtınası (After the Fall) - 1999
Eğreti Gelin - 2004
Producer
Dolandırıcılar Şahı (The King of Swindlers) - 1960
Seni Kaybedersem (If I Lose You) - 1961
Allah Cezanı Versin Osman Bey - 1961
Cengiz Han'ın Hazineleri (Treasures of Genghis Khan) - 1962
Azrailin Habercisi (The Messenger of Death) - 1963]
Yarın Bizimdir - 1963
Toprağın Kanı (The Blood of the Earth) - 1966
Maden - 1978
Minik Serçe - 1978
Adak - 1979
Talihli Amele - 1980
Deli Kan - 1981
Göl - 1982
Mine - 1982
Seni Seviyorum - 1983
Bir Yudum Sevgi - 1984
Asiye Nasıl Kurtulur - 1986
Ölü Bir Deniz - 1989
İçimizden Biri: Yunus Emre (TV) - 1989
Safiyedir Kızın Adı - 1991
Düş Gezginleri - 1992
Mozaik - 1992
Gece, Melek Ve Bizim Çocuklar - 1993
Nihavend Mucize - 1997
Eylül Fırtınası (After the Fall) - 1999
Sıdıka - 2000
Şıh Senem - 2003
Screenwriter
Kanlı Feryad - 1951
İki Kafadar Deliler Pansiyonunda - 1952
Aşk Izdırabtır - 1953
Hıçkırık - 1953
Dağları Bekleyen Kız - 1955
İlk Ve Son - 1955
Kadın Severse - 1955
Beş Hasta Var - 1956
Gelinin Muradı - 1957
Bir Şoförün Gizli Defteri - 1958
Çoban Kızı - 1958
Kumpanya - 1958
Yaşamak Hakkımdır - 1958
Üç Arkadaş - 1958
Bu Vatanın Çocukları - 1959]
Ala Geyik - 1959
Karacaoğlan'ın Kara Sevdası - 1959
Şoför Nebahat - 1960
Ateşten Damla - 1960]
Suçlu - 1960
Seni Kaybedersem - 1961
Yaban Gülü - 1961
İki Gemi Yanyana - 1963
Öp Annemin Elini - 1964
Keşanlı Ali Destanı - 1964
Murat'ın Türküsü - 1965
Yasemin'ın Tatlı Aşkı - 1968
Kızıl Vazo - 1969
Ateş Parçası - 1971
Battal Gazi Destanı - 1971
Zavallılar - 1974
Kuma - 1974
Deli Yusuf - 1975
Mağlup Edilemeyenler - 1976
Güllüşah İle İbo - 1977
Minik Serçe - 1978
N'Olacak Şimdi - 1979
Zübük - 1980
Deli Kan - 1981
Mine - 1982
Dolap Beygiri - 1982
Bir Yudum Sevgi - 1984
Dul Bir Kadın - 1985
Asiye Nasıl Kurtulur - 1986
Kadının Adı Yok - 1987
Arkadaşım Şeytan - 1988
Ölü Bir Deniz - 1989
Berdel - 1990
Safiyedir Kızın Adı - 1991
Düş Gezginleri - 1992
Tatlı Betüş - 1993
Eğreti Gelin - 2004
Borrowed Bride- 2005
Cinematographer
1979 Ne Olacak Simdi
Hide Hide Self
1998 Bir yudum insan-Ayhan Isik (TV Movie documentary)
Himself
1995 Yilmaz Güney: Adana-Paris (Video documentary)
Himself
1992-1994 Laf lafi açiyor (TV Series)
- Episode #2.27 (1994) ... Himself
- Episode #1.22 (1992) ... Himself
Short film
1996: Kazandibi Tavukgöksü (epidodio in the film Yerçekimli Asklar; Co-Director).
A number of Awards
Prizes
- Society of Journalists Turkish Film Festival, 1959, This Land's Children, Best Director
- 2nd Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1965, Kesanli Ali's Epic, Best Director
- 2nd Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1965, Kesanli Ali's Epic, Runner-Up Film
- 9th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1972, Zulüm, Best Director
- 13th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1976, Deli Yusuf, Best Director
- 15th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1978, My Girl with the Red Scarf, Best Director
- 21st Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1984, A Sip of Love, Best Director
- Istanbul International Film Festival, 1985, A Sip of Love, Best Turkish Film of the Year
- Istanbul International Film Festival, 1986, Her Name is Vasfiye, Best Turkish Film of the Year
- 23rd Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1986, Ah! Belinda, Best Director
- 10th Istanbul International Film Festival, 1991, Honorary Award
- Valencia Film Festival, 1991, Berdel, Best Film Golden Palm
- 6th Adana Altın Koza Film Festival, 1992, Berdel, Runner-Up Film
- 33rd Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 1996, Honour of Lifetime Award
- 14th Moscow International Film Festival, 1985, Golden Prize nomination (Mine)
Honorary doctorate
some of books
- Hayallerim, Aşkım ve Ben, Simavi Yayınları, 1991 ("Söylemek Güzeldir" adıyla genişletilmiş 2'nci baskısı, Afa Yayınları, 1995)[8]
- Bir Sinemacının Anıları, Doğan Kitap, 2002[9]
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Atif Yilmaz Kisa Film FestivaliDuring the Antalya Film Festival in September 2005, he was hospitalized due to intestinal complaints
PURPOSE
atifyilmaz-silhouetteAtif Yilmaz Short Film Festival is organized in parallel with purposes that are
mentioned below.
To Commemorate Atif Yilmaz Batibeki, who was one of master directors of Turkish cinema, at 10th
anniversary of his death with an art activity worthy of his name.
To incite and encourage those interesting in short film to create successful and efficient works.
To make positive and supportive contributions to future of the Turkish cinema.
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ACADEMIC RESEARCH PAPER
on topic "Posters of Atif Yilmaz Movies from 50s to 90s"
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
SciVerse ScienceDirect PfOCSCl ¡0
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 51 (2012) 144 - 147
ARTSEDU 2012
Posters of Atif Yilmaz movies from 50s to 90s
P.Ozturk Gocmena*
aResearch Assistant Dr., Gazi University Vocational Education Faculty Applied Arts Dept. Besevler, Ankara 06500, Turkey
Abstract
At if Yilmaz Batibeki (December 25, 1925 - May 5, 2006) was a renowned film director, screenwriter and film producer. He was almost a legend in the film industry of Turkey with 119 movies directed. In the beginnings of his career, he worked as a film critic, made some paintings and wrote film scripts to earn a living. He made movies both fluent and the ones with mainly soci al messages. Most of the themes of his movies were taboo in the days they have been taken. Particularly "Mine" and "Her Name is Vasfye" were revolutions that time with their issue on the sexuality and the reaction of the society. In this research, the posters of At if Yilmaz's films from 1950s to 1990s were analyzed. With this study, it is aimed to shed light on graphic designs of Turkish film industry of these forty years.
© 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Ay§e Qakir ilhan Keywords:Movie Posters, Atif Yilmaz Films, Cinema
1. Introduction
Globalization based on density of movement and speed of data to the extent to feel that we are in a global village, because when events occurred in a spot it speared in the next one, all what happen in a part influences another one (Beck, 1997; Teusch, 2004 and Eitzen, 2008).
The poster has a different place among various applications of graphic design and in other mass communication tools. This communication tool, we often face to face with in our daily lives with various kinds, tastes, thoughts and tendencies, is an important part to our social lives for this reason, among in its aesthetics and artistic qualities, at least more than over rate maybe more, it has function of delivering the message. Design uses experiences from the past to create things for the present that look forward to the future (Clark&Brody, 2009).
In this research, Atif Yilmaz's movies' posters were analyzed. All the materials of posters were found in the book "Ustasiz Usta Atif Yilmaz". Atif Yilmaz made 115 movies from 1950's to 1990's (Evren, 2006). From 50's to 90's Turkey and as a result Turkish cinema passed a complicated period. Accordingly, the posters of these movies have many differences from each other.
1877-0428 © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Ay§e Qakir ilhan doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.08.134
2. Analyzing Atif Yilmaz and His Movie Posters
In this research, nine posters were analyzed including Higkirik, Karacaoglan'in Kara Sevdasi, Kozanoglu, Battal Gazi Destani, Ate§ Pargasi, Zavallilar, i§te Hayat, Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim, Eylul Firtinasi.
2.1. First Movie Poster: Higkirik
Director and Scenario: Atif Yilmaz / Author: Kerime Nadir / Director of Cinematography: Mike Rafaelyan / Soundtrack: Faruk Yener, Sadi I§ilay / Art Director: Sohban Kologlu / Producer: Erman Karde§ler
Yilmaz made "Higkirik" in 1953. This movie was made from Kerime Nadir's one of the bestseller book with the same name. In this hand-made poster, yellow, orange, plum and blue tones were used. A man wearing a ultramarine suit holding a blonde wearing a light blue dress and a man with dressing gown looking at a sad child were painted. Sans-serif font was used for writing the names of the film, writer, director and the leading actors. Also the logo of the production company can be easily seen on this poster.
2.2. Second Movie Poster: Karacaoglan'in Kara Sevdasi
Director: Atif Yilmaz / Scenario: Atif Yilmaz, Ya§ar Kemal, Halit Refig, Yilmaz Guney / Director of Cinematography: Mike Rafaelyan / Soundtrack: Sabahattin Kalender / Folk Song: Ruhi Su / Art Director: Duygu Sagiroglu / Producer: Erman Karde§ler
Karacaoglan'in Kara Sevdasi was made in 1958. In this movie, the main items of the film "Ala Geyik" were used hypercritically. In this hand-made poster, a frame showing the man and woman with traditional wears and a horse was used. Used colors are dark brown in the background and red, yellow, green and white for the text. Sans-serif font was used for writing the names of the film, writer, director, producer and the leading actors.
2.3. Third Movie Poster: Kozanoglu
Director: Atif Yilmaz / Scenario: Ay§e §asa / Director of Cinematography: Gani Turanli / Soundtrack: Abdullah Nail Bay§u, Orhan Gencebay / Art Director: Dogan Aksel / Producer: Dada§ Film
Kozanoglu was made in 1967. In this hand made poster, pink, green and red tones were used. Green serif-font was used for writing the name of the film. On the other hand, sans-serif font was used for writing the names of the cameraman, director, production companies and the leading actors. The figures consist of six men and a woman with traditional wears.
2.4. Fourth Movie Poster: Battal Gazi Destani
Director: Atif Yilmaz / Scenario: Ay§e §asa, Atif Yilmaz / Director of Cinematography: Cetin Tunca / Art Director: Duygu Sagiroglu / Producer: ugur Film
Battal Gazi Destani was made in 1971. In this poster, a colored frame showing a conversation between two men and a woman was used. Used colors in the poster are dark green, red and white. Sans-serif font was used for writing the names of the film, writer, director and the leading actors.
2.5. Fifth Movie Poster: Ate§ Pargasi
Director: Atif Yilmaz / Scenario: Bulent Oran / Director of Cinematography: Cetin Tunca / Soundtrack: Metin Bukey / Songs: Belkis Ozener / Art Director: Secat Kirmaci / Producer: Akun Film
Ate§ Pargasi was made in 1971. Poster is in an elliptic form. Colors are black in the background, orange, white, yellow and red. Sans-serif font was used for writing the name of the film. Names of the writer, director, cameraman and the leading actors were written with serif-font. Also "colored" is written on the poster with orange.
2.6. Sixth Movie Poster: Zavallilar
Director and Scenario: Yilmaz Guney, Atif Yilmaz / Director of Cinematography: Kenan Ormanlar, Gani Turanli / Soundtrack: §anar Yurdatapan, Atilla Ozdemiroglu / Producer: Guney Film
Zavallilar was made in 1974. As the background, movie frame showing a poor man near a road was used. Names of the writer, director, cameraman and the leading actors were written with sans serif font with black. Name of the film was written using a different typography in red. Also "colored" is written on the poster with red.
2.7. Seventh Movie Poster: l§te Hayat
Director: Atif Yilmaz / Scenario: Umur Bugay / Director of Cinematography: Cetin Tunca / Producer: Gul§ah Film
i§te Hayat was made in 1975. In this poster, light yellow was used in the background. The frame used in poster shows a man with suit in front of the microphone. Names of the writer, film, cameraman and the leading actors were written with sans serif font with black, whit and red. Name of the director was written with a different typography in black. "Colored" is written on the poster with green.
2.8. Eight Movie Poster: Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim
Director: Atif Yilmaz / Writer: Cengiz Aytmatov / Scenario: Ali Ozgenturk, Atif Yilmaz / Director of Cinematography: Cetin Gurtop / Soundtrack: Cahit Berkay / Producer: Ye§ilgam Filmcilik
Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim was made in 1977. In this poster, white was used in the background. A frame showing man and woman in traditional wear was used. But it differs from the former poster designs because the frame was enframed with traditional ornamentations. Names of the writer, cameraman and musician were written with sans serif font with black. Name of the film and the leading actors was written with a different typography in blue.
2.9. Nineth Movie Poster: Eylul Firtinasi
Director: Atif Yilmaz / Writer: Habib Bekta§ / Scenario: Gaye Boralioglu / Director of Cinematography: Erdal Kahraman / Soundtrack: Tamer Ciray / Art Director: Cagla Ormanlar / Producer: Delta Film, Ulus Muzik
Eylul Firtinasi was made in 1999. In this poster, light yellow was used in the background. Ten frames from the film were used. And just the name of the film in English "Sturm in September" was written with sans serif font in white.
3. Conclusion
With this research, nine posters of Atif Yilmaz movies in a wide historical period were analyzed. Consequently, sans-serif fonts were used commonly. Also, white, orange and black colors are used frequently. All the posters analyzed were handmade. And in every poster, a frame from the film was used.
References
Beck, U. (1997). Was Ist Globalisierung?. Frankfurt: Suhrkamp Clark, H., Brody, D. (2009). Design Studies: A Reads. New York: Berg
Eitzen, D. S., Zinn, M. B. (2008). Globalization: The Transformation Of Social Worlds. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Evren, B. (2006). Ustasiz Usta Atif Yilmaz. Istanbul: 17. Uluslararasi Film Festivali Teuch, U. (2004). Was Ist Globalisierung?. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft
cyberleninka-
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Some like it popular
Farewell to Master of the Masters
Friday, May 12, 2006
His death was unexpected despite his fight with cancer for some years. His modesty matched his talent. And whenever he was under the spotlight, he spared not more than a few words, making sure that he mentioned he was fine. He was the director of probably the most powerful love story on Turkish cinema, 'Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım' (The Girl with the Red Scarf); he was the director who gave female characters their voice in the ’80s; he was the director who gave us more than 100 films; and he was the director who gave at least one favorite film to all of us in Turkey
E.GÜLER
ANKARA - TDN Guest Writer
Turkish cinema lost one of its masters last Friday. Its Master of the Masters actually, as he was referred to in Turkey for decades. It was Atıf Yılmaz, veteran director, producer and writer, aged 80 and a filmmaker for more than 50 years, whose unexpected death saddened many.
His death was unexpected despite his fight with cancer for some years. His modesty matched his talent. And whenever he was under the spotlight, he did spared not more than a few words, making sure that he mentioned he was fine. He was the director of probably the most powerful love story on Turkish cinema, “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım” (The Girl with the Red Scarf); he was the director who gave female characters their voice in the '80s; he was the director who gave us more than 100 films; and he was the director who gave at least one favorite film to all of us in Turkey.
Yılmaz's 50-year career was uninterrupted, as put by himself in an interview nearly a decade ago: “I'm not tired as I love what I'm doing and will continue doing it until the end.” That's what happened, as he was planning to work on his next movie “Ada” (The Island) this summer. The reason he was called the Master of the Masters was that he helped develop careers of many Turkish cinema masters such as Ali Özgentürk, Halit Refiğ, Nejat Saydam, Ömer Kavur, Şerif Gören, Yılmaz Güney and Zeki Ökten.
From canvas to screen:
Studying at five high schools in four cities, Yılmaz eventually found himself in Istanbul, ready to sell his very first script. His first foray into the world of cinema wasn't successful. His indecisiveness in finding a suitable university education and his more obvious talent in painting at the time led him to take lessons from one of the renowned Turkish painters, Nuri İyem.
With his paintings, he became part of the “Tavanarası Ressamları” (The Penthouse Painters) in his early twenties. He combined his talent in painting and interest in cinema and started doing film posters. Soon he was writing film reviews and scenarios. Having worked as an assistant director on two movies, he directed his first film, “Kanlı Feryat,” (Bloody Scream) in 1951.
That was the beginning of what could loosely be called the Atıf Yılmaz period, which was finalized with his 2004 film “Eğreti Gelin” (Borrowed Bride). Yılmaz was never an auteur. When we look back at his filmography, it seems as if he refrained from having a specific style. It's very difficult to pinpoint Yılmaz's films into a specific genre. He always toyed with the popular but never became populist for the sake of box office. He just had an eye for what would stick with the audience at any specific time.
His earlier work, like most of the Turkish filmmakers in the 1950s and 1960s, is mostly about life in rural Turkey. Social structure and relations in rural Anatolia set the scene for the first half of his career. “Keşanlı Ali Destanı” (1964) and “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım” (1977) are probably the two that immediately would come to the mind of the Turkish audience, with the latter being one of the most poetic and heartfelt movies on unrequited love.
“Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım” signifies something altogether different in Yılmaz' filmography. Filmed in the late 1970s, it stars the most handsome couple of the period, the “sultan” of Turkish cinema Türkan Şoray and the macho actor Kadir İnanır. Aside from its powerful story, the film foreshadows Yılmaz's most famous film persona, the storyteller of the strong, urban woman.
In the backdrop of the film lies one of the most important realities of modern Turkey, the rural-urban conflict. And the female character Asya (interestingly Asia) could arguably be the prototype of the headstrong women we became used to seeing in Yılmaz's films in the '80s.
The '80s were important for Turkish culture, as the decade began with a coup in 1980. The period following that brought a set of “Westernization” policies, increasing conflict between rural and urban Turkey, and migration to big cities. This was reflected in Turkish cinema, as the focus moved from villages to cities.
This cultural transformation was reflected in cinema by old and new filmmakers through stories on struggles with newfound identities, stressed individuality and a whole new voice for women.
Unbelievably, Yılmaz squeezed nine classics into a period of four years, all with rich, diverse female characters. Most of these films starred Müjde Ar. And towards the end of the '80s Ar's name became synonymous with Atıf Yılmaz. “Dağınık Yatak” (Rumpled Bed), “Adı Vasfiye” (Her Name Is Vasfiye), “Asiye Nasıl Kurtulur?” (How Can Asiye Be Saved?) and “Aaahh! Belinda” are the classic Yılmaz “women's films” with Ar as the leading actress.
The female characters in these films were not afraid to go against the system and were in control of their sexuality. Among the famous Yılmaz female characters was a woman trapped in an arranged marriage, a woman exploring her sexuality with younger men, a widowed woman and a woman who moves up from being a prostitute to being a madame. Eventually, these women's films opened the way for other diverse, rich female characters in Turkish cinema.
Yılmaz's final film, “Eğreti Gelin,” ironically is a return to this period, having Ar in a supporting role. The Master of the Masters will be remembered not only through these but with nearly 120 films, spread over a lifetime, ranging from love stories to political satire, from comedy to tragedy.
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