Hokkabaz / The Magician   October 27 6:30 PM	Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?/Who Killed the Shadows? October 27- 9:15 PM
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Hokkabaz / The Magician

2006, 122 minutes, 35 mm, color
Turkish with English subtitles

Directed by Ali Taner Baltaci and Cem Yilmaz
Screenplay by Cem Yilmaz
Cinematography by Ugur Içbak
Editing by Engin Öztürk
Art Direction by Yasar Kartoglu
Music by Ozan Çolakoglu
Produced by Necati Akpinar, BKM Film
Starring Cem Yilmaz, Mazhar Alanson, Özlem Tekin, Tuna Orhan, Tuncer Salman, Kemal Inci, Gürgen Öz, Caner Alkaya, Ayça Abana, Bahtiyar Engin, Selim Erdogan and Sennur Kaya

The box-office hit of the 2006-2007 season in Turkey, Hokkabaz (The Magician) is a funny, warm and touching road movie. Iskender is a clumsy magician in whom no one believes. Everyone considers him to be a simple juggler except for his childhood buddy, Maradona. As an attempt to escape troublesome Istanbul and make some money, Iskender and Maradona take off for a stage tour in Anatolia. The trip turns upside down when Iskender’s crazy and unappreciative dad, Sait, joins them. Thanks to Iskender’s messed-up performance of a disappearing trick at a wedding party, they end up having an unexpected companion, Fatma. Throughout the journey moments of bonding and falling out await the four travelers, especially the father and son who had been estranged for years.

Festivals and Awards

2007 The Washington D.C. International Film Festival (U.S.A.)
2007 Ankara International Film Festival (Turkey): Most Promising Actor (Tuna Orhan)
2007 International Istanbul Film Festival (Turkey)

Cem Yilmaz

Born in Istanbul in 1973, Cem Yilmaz studied tourism management at Bosphorus University. During his college years, Yilmaz drew caricatures for a well-known comics magazine, Leman. He started performing as a stand-up comedian at Leman Kültür in 1995. Although he did not consider stand-up comedy as a career goal, he soon became one of the most popular comedians in Turkey and still holds the record of having 2,500 live performances in eleven years. Starting from the late 1990s, he starred in several box office hits such as Her Sey Çok Güzel Olacak (Everything’s Gonna Be Great), Vizontele, G.O.R.A., and Organize Isler (Magic Carpet Ride). Hokkabaz (The Magician) is Cem Yilmaz’s directorial debut.

Filmography

Hokkabaz / The Magician (with Ali Taner Baltaci)
Hokkabaz (2006) .... Iskender Tünaydin
Organize isler (2005) .... Müslüm Duralmaz
Magic Carpet Ride (USA)
Ramon (2005) .... Çngene Ramon
G.O.R.A. (2004) .... Arif/Commander Logar
Vizontele (2001) .... Fikri
Bir tat bir doku (2001) (V) .... Performer
Her sey çok güzel olacak (1998) .... Altan
... aka Everything's Gonna Be Great (Australia: literal English title)


Ali Taner Baltaci

Born in 1977 in Bafra, Ali Taner Baltaci studied communications at Ankara University. During his undergraduate years, he received national and international awards for his work including the first place award at the Ankara International Film Festival for his documentary. His professional career started with music videos and commercials. Before directing, he gained experience as production manager of Magic Carpet Ride, as assistant director in Vizontele and first assistant director in Vizontele TUUBA. He also wrote the script for a TV series, Ölümsüz Ask. In 2006 he co-directed The Magician, which was simultaneously released in Turkey, Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Filmography

2006 Hokkabaz / The Magician (with Cem Yilmaz)

Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?/Who Killed the Shadows?

2006, 134 minutes, 35 mm, color
Turkish with English subtitles

Directed by Ezel Akay
Screenplay by Levent Kazak and Ezel Akay
Editing by Mustafa Preseva
Cinematography by Hayk Kirakosyan
Art Direction by Naz Erayda and Hakan Yarkin
Music by Ender Akay
Computer animations by Anima
Produced by Bahadir Atay, Serkan Cakarer, Ufuk Ahiska, Ezel Akay and Ercan Avci; IFR
Starring Beyazit Öztürk, Haluk Bilginer, Sebnem Dönmez, Güven Kiraç, Levent Kazak, Ayse Tolga, Aysen Gruda, Altay Özbek and Ragip Savas

Karagöz and Hacivat lived and died during the first clashes of the decaying Eastern Roman Empire and the early Ottomans of the 14th century Anatolia. Their stories and characters have been adapted for the traditional shadow theatre of the later Ottoman Empire, in modern Turkey and all over the Middle East, Greece and western Asia. Their legend and the truth about their tragic deaths are twisted and distorted, but their caustic humor still lives on. Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü? (Who Killed the Shadows?) opens in 14th century Bursa, a lovely city on the border of the Byzantine Empire. Bursa hosts a multicultural life under the rule of the Ottomans, an emerging small Turkish tribe of that time. People who are exhausted from the tax hungry Mongolian attacks immigrate for a new life to this liberal city, which is also a shelter for the ruling class from various crumbling states and governments. Among those seeking refuge, is an illiterate but highly intelligent and sensitive Turkoman nomad, Karagöz, and a sharp, garrulous messenger, Hacivat. From the moment they meet, their conversations entertain those around them and eventually, they start to present stand-up shows where they humorously criticize the religious and civil authorities, and quickly accumulate a long list of enemies.

Festivals and Awards

2006 International Istanbul Film Festival (Turkey)
2006 Adana Golden Boll International Film Festival (Turkey): Best Director, Best Screenplay,
Best Art Direction
2006 Ankara International Film Festival (Turkey): Best Actor (Haluk Bilginer), Best Art
Direction, Best Music
2006 Nürnberg Turkey/Germany Film Festival

Ezel Akay

Born in 1961 in Kastamonu, Ezel Akay graduated from Bosphorus University Department of Engineering and studied theatrical arts at Villanova University in the United States. Before entering the film production sector as the founding partner of IFR film production company, he worked as a copy writer for commercials, stage director, actor, production assistant and production supervisor. He produced Tabutta Rövasata (Somersault in a Coffin), directed by Dervis Zaim in 1996, and Günese Yolculuk (Journey to the Sun), directed by Yesim Ustaoglu in 1999. Both films won numerous awards at international film festivals. Akay also produced Sellale (The Waterfall), directed by Semir Aslanyürek in 2001, and the internationally acclaimed Karpuz Kabugundan Gemiler Yapmak (Boats out of Watermelon Rinds), directed by Ahmet Uluçay in 2004. Following his directorial debut with Neredesin Firuze? (Where’s Firuze?), Akay comes forward as a writer, director, producer and actor in Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü? (Who Killed the Shadows?). In 2007, he co-produced and acted in Adem’in Trenleri (Adam and the Devil), directed by Baris Pirhasan.

Filmography

2004 Neredesin Firuze? / Where’s Firuze?
2006 Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü? / Who Killed the Shadows?

 

October 27, 2007 6:30PM - 9:15 PM MOHAI (Museum of History & Industry) 2700 24th Ave. E Seattle, WA 98112 Tickets are $9 for each movie, and $6 for TACAWA members. If you are a TACAWA member, on the evening of the event please stop by the TACA table with your member card and your ticket to get your $3 refund.

This event has been made possible by a generous grant from the Turkish Cultural Foundation.

Fedex Express is proud to support Turkfest's movie event.

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