Yılmaz Güney's restored film ‘Umut' to make world premiere at Venice Film Festival

"Umut" (Hope), the debut film of late director and actor Yılmaz Güney, who brought the sufferings of ordinary and working class people on screen, has been transferred to the digital platform, the Minister of Culture Ömer Çelik has announced. The film was restored as part of a project on the protection and restoration of movies to meet international standards. "The ministry has started to transfer the films of Yılmaz Güney, Turkey's world-renowned value," Çelik said. The restoration process also includes his other films including "Aç Kurtlar" (The Hungry Wolves) "Ağıt" (Elegy) "Arkadaş" (Friend), "Düşman" (The Enemy), "Duvar" (The Wall), "Seyyit Han," "Sürü" (The Herd), "Yol" (The Trek of Life) and "Zavallılar" (The Miserable). "The ministry realised that many films were lost as they were not properly protected. We are responsible for these films that left a mark on Turkey's film history and that play an important part of its cultural heritage," Çelik further said, adding that an expert team now documents the films under suitable physical and technological conditions.

The project began after the ministry negotiated with the heirs of Güney's films. This year, the Kurdish director's movie "Umut" will make its world premiere at the 72th Venice Film Festival taking place from Sept. 2 to Sept. 12. Since 2012, the festival screens restored films under its "Venice Classics" section. Çelik said that the movie will be screened along with 19 others. "His film brought many important names of Turkish cinema together. Güney was a producer, scriptwriter, director and actor in the movie," he concluded. In 1982, Güney won the Palme D'or with his film "Yol," directed by Şerif Gönen. He was jailed on political charges from 1960 to 1962 and from 1972 to 1974. Again in 1974, he was convicted of the murder of a magistrate and sentenced to 19 years imprisonment. In 1981, Güney escaped from prison and fled to Greece. He settled in France and died there in 1984.