The 59th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, hosted by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, ended with an award ceremony at the Antalya Indoor Sports Hall. Although Emin Alper’s film “Dry Days” was marked by nine awards at the ceremony, Özcan Alper’s “Dark Night” won the Best Film Award. Özcan Alper also received the Best Screenplay Award.
Golden Orange is a bit of an event every year. Not only because of the political discourse of the artists during the award speeches at the ceremony, but also because of the shocking jury decisions and various gossip, the festival is talked about in the days that followed. At the award ceremony of this year’s festival, harsh political statements were made. Everyone who received the award reacted to the oppressive climate and injustice in the country, demanding freedom for the filmmaker Çiğdem Mater, who was imprisoned for a film she did not shoot, and greetings were also sent to other Gezi prisoners.
BEST MOVIE SURPRISE
First of all, if we talk about the awards, the expectation of all movie writers and the audience was that “Arid Days” would sweep away the awards. The night started by giving the signal for this. After receiving the Best Music Award for the first time, almost all the technical awards went to Emin Alper’s film. When Emin Alper, who received the Best Director Award, stepped off the stage, everyone’s expectation was that he would take the stage again to receive the Best Film. However, it did not. As we learned later, the jury was divided among themselves and gave the grand prize to “Dark Night” with a decision that shocked everyone for a short time. According to allegations, Jury President Yeşim Ustaoğlu had a large share in this decision. As a result, there were two winners as an overnight movie instead of one.
Emin Alper didn’t seem very upset because he didn’t get the “Best Film” award, and he was one of the first to congratulate the “Dark Night” team on the stage as soon as the ceremony was over, and he hugged Özcan Alper. The two directors came together frequently at the closing party of the festival. However, we cannot say the same for the audience and film writers. The film, which won nine awards, including the Best Director Award, was criticized for not being the “best film”, some even went a little further and described it as a “scandal”, others approached it more moderately, it was said that “Things happen in festival dynamics”, “Dark Night” is about the film. As it was talked about, the number of people who were satisfied with the decision increased.
Another topic that was discussed at the closing party was that the plots of the two films were similar to each other. In both films, there were “sinkholes” directly in the “starring” and urban characters who went to the country later. However, both directors emphasized that this was a coincidence, and the fact that the films were shot and ended on very different dates confirms the coincidence. In fact, at the closing party, Emin Alper also voiced this issue and shared information about the similarities of the films for the first time: Emin Alper said that they called Özcan Alper when he learned about the film’s subject and that he had watched “Dark Night” beforehand. He said he was ready to make changes in his movie. The subject was closed with the interpretation that these coincidences are due to the pure state of the country.
A final note from the closing party is about the revolt of documentary filmmakers. The documentary film directors, who argued that they remained in the background too much, expressed their demand for planning to meet with more audience and press at the festivals.
TRAVEL, RESISTANCE AND HOPE
As for the speeches that marked the award ceremony and could be called historical… The opposite was not expected anyway. Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and Festival President Muhittin Insect ignited the fuse in his opening speech. Reminding that the National Competition was abolished during the AKP period, President Muhittin Insect emphasized that this is against the spirit of the festival, which has been over half a century. He talked about the hopefulness of art, bringing people together, and said that now the bans on music and festivals must end.
The festival was also the scene of political speeches last year. However, this dose was very high at this year’s awards ceremony. The fact that producer Çiğdem Mater was imprisoned because of the Gezi Resistance had a great impact on this. Another factor is that many names, including Emin Alper, pass through Boğaziçi University Mithat Alam Film Center…
Ceylan Özgün Özçelik, one of the jury members of the National Documentary Film Competition, said on stage, “The two directors of Mithat Alam Film Center operating within Boğaziçi University, Zeynep Ünal and Elif Ergezen, were dismissed from their posts and were not allowed into the campus. Our struggle for the film center will continue,” he said.
Emin Alper also touched upon the subject in his award speech and said the following harsh words: “Bogazici University has a great contribution to my being my director. His country’s most outstanding educational institution is under attack by a tyrannical mentality that sees it as a fortress to be seized. I am embarrassed. I am truly ashamed of the attack on this precious institution of this country. But Boğaziçi University is resisting. He will win. Everyone who resists bullying will win, not just Boğaziçi University. Gezi resistance will win… Women who resist cruel mullahs will win. All these resisters say to tyrants and tyrants: You will not win. History is not on your side. Years later, you will not find anyone to bow before your memory.”
MATER: YOUR ROAD IS OUR WAY!
Zümrüt Burul received the award on behalf of Çiğdem Mater, who won the Cahide Sonku Award. Burul also read Mater’s message from the stage: “Dear Cahide Sonku! Thank you so much! Because you refused to go to the president by saying that you are memorizing a role, because you resented the deputies who called you to your feet, saying, “I am Cahide Sonku”, because you have no thanks to anyone. Your way is our way!”
HELLO TO MÜCELLA YAPICI!
Erol Babaoğlu, who received the Best Supporting Actor Award, also made the following speech, which was highly applauded: “Our film is a film that turns its camera to the male-dominated world of our geography, the representative of justice sitting at the table of jackals and beyond. With his story, he shows us the mentality that we need to get rid of and heal. That’s why I want to share this award with everyone who struggles against this mentality… Especially with women; With the women who filled the streets with their cries for freedom, put their lives on the line, and made history in Iran. And lastly, I share it with Mücella Yapıcı, who has always been at the forefront in the struggles for the city, culture and ecology, and who is as clean as bread and intellectual like water, and with all Gezi prisoners. Keep fighting for freedom!” said.
A GIFT TO SATURDAY MOTHERS
The speeches of Murat Uyurkulak and Özcan Alper, the screenwriters of the movie “Dark Night”, also drew attention in the night. Uyurkulak, who received the award, said, “I dedicate this award to the Saturday Mothers who are looking for a grave for their children, lost by the state for decades.” Özcan Alper, on the other hand, said, “Equal citizenship for everyone, not for some.”
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