this film was made by an escaped, political prisoner
he made it on the run from the law and won many awards... then died
Wasn't this movie forbidden in Turkey?
shareIt was until 1992. Was shown theatrically in 1999. I actually Guney's "Suru"/"The Herd" in Turkey that year. Now, if only Americans cared about Turkish, Iranian, and Arab filmmakers..........
A.F. "Tilly" Gokbudak
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It's brilliant film, but is it available on DVD? I have no vcr - though the video is rarer than a non-sentimental X-mas movie.
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It is not formally available on DVD in the USA. But, turkish web sites like tulumba.com offer it. I am NOT sure if these versions have English subtitles. It is available on video as is "The Wall," Guney's follow-up and final film, from Kino Video (I believe) but both are out of print. I must say that my own political views on Turkey are more conservative than those of Guney and other left-leaning Turkish filmmakers of the era (though I am by no means a conservative, let alone a right-wnger). I oppose some views expressed by Guney while sympathizing with others. You will find this true of many liberal people who are either Turkish or of Turkish heritage. Many of us also share the concern that Guney's films enhance distorted, negative views of Turkey some of which are inherently racist in nature. And, many of the things which Guney criticized in the '70s and '80s have been either addressed or remedied in Turkey. I think this is most true of The Wall, which I consdier to be his most extreme film.
A.F. "Tilly" Gokbudak
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A.F. "Tilly" Gokbudak
I partially sympathize and also disagree with the sentiments you expressed here. Turkey is a VERY complicated country. Turkey's geopoliitcs are as sensitive as its' platetectonics. Turkey has progressed in many ways, Guney's films are now widely available there, Kurdish newspapers can be found in Istanbul, and books in Kurdish can be found everywhere. None of this was true 20 years ago. But, there are problems. The Washington Post reported about a Kurdish beer controversy just this week. But, I hesitate to fully believe anything written about Turkey by a Western journalist. I also feel the same way about anything written by a Turkish or Kurdish journalist. And, I would even question anything I wrote (I am a former journalist myself) about Turkey. I wish there was a simple sentence I could write to fully explain this, but there isn't. Hence, I can not trust you more than half-way. I suppose you have at least, come closer than most but even if you go to Istanbul tommorow, there be things you learn but many more things will never, ever understand. I should know-I've been to Turkey 15 times!
But where can I get this film?
It was previously released on video in UK (which, yes, is EXTREMELY scarce now) by Tartan video. If we all wrote to them maybe they would release it on DVD? Would be worth a try.
Otherwise I think maybe you should have started another thread for the discussion of the political content :-)
I personally think whether you agree or not with the views, it is a really REALLY good film.
Or a new thread for the *where is it available' discussion to be fair.
Thanks Tuula. I think the point I was trying to make is that "Yol" is a film that I may have not had any political reservationists with if I were living in Turkey. But, when one is of Turkish descent and lives in another country- in my case Les Etats Unis (using the term USA seems a bit nationalist these days), a film like "Yol" can bring out one's conservative side (I am a liberal though I don't arbitrarily agree with everyone else on my side) the same way that "Boyz on the Hood" might make me defensive as an American in Europe. Yol is a great film. I gave it a 10 after all! But, it is not a documentary and the situations presented in the film do not represent all aspects of Turkish society. The scene where there are a dozen children smoking cigarettes in the village is in my view the most over-the-top image in the whole film. But, what Guney said about sexual oppression and social hierachy in Turkey are very valid. I have also read how some western critics view Guney as a 'feminist.' I have seen about ten of his films, and I think that was a premature presumption. He has women characters that were fundamentally useless in several of his films, and he used sexual exploitation considerably (as did practically everyone else in Turkey during the 1970s) in some of his action films. "Yol" is hard to find in America. I saw it on a video that was available in a university library. Ironically, this film which was banned for over a decade in Turkey, is now widely available on DVD in Turkey and you could find it in five minutes if you go to Istanbul. The Turkish company www.tulumba.com out of NY has it on DVD here in American as well. I would expect the region formats have been transfered (well, you are in the UK...), but I am not sure if it has English subtitles. Of course, having said all this, I realize you could be of Turkish or Kurdish heritage yourself....! In that case 'iyi gunler'- have a pleasant day.
A.F. "Tilly" Gokbudak
The copy I saw in the USA was a DVD copy of a VHS videotape, but nevertheless it is good to hear about the version available from tulumba.com.
Turkey is a VERY complicated country.Name me a country that isn't ... No one person can ever represent the full, complex picture of a country. Every person whether resident or emigre has their own, partial view. But some views will be more significant than others. I think this film's view is highly significant. It resonates because most (if not all countries) of the world know something about government oppression and endemic discrimination/racism towards people perceived as 'other' in their societies. What this film achieved was a voice for Turkish Kurds that found its way outside Turkey and spoke to the international community. It's brilliant and will carry on being meaningful for years to come because it resonates beyond Turkey and Turkish/Kurdish relations.
A bird sings and the mountain's silence deepens.share
"You will find this true of many liberal people who are either Turkish or of Turkish heritage."
Actually, what I find to be the norm of most Turks who live in Turkey is a lack of critical thought about their own country, and an inability to re-examine standard Turkish views of Kurds, Greeks, and Armenians. That's just the impressions I've had reinforced over the years, and I am not claiming to be any kind of expert on Turkish culture by any stretch of the imagination.
What a bizarre non sequitir you've added with your last sentence. Actually, Iranian films are very popular in the United States. There are a few Turkish films that have gotten attention in the U.S. and elsewhere, but most Turkish films just aren't considered good outside of Turkey.