Famous Turkish director Semih Kaplanoğlu, who was in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, for the screening of his new movie "Buğday" ("Grain") at the 16th Cinedays European Film Festival, said Turkish history without the Balkans was unimaginable.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Kaplanoğlu, who attended the festival, organized this year with the contribution of the Skopje Yunus Emre Foundation (YEE), noted that this was not the first time he had been to the Balkans. He pointed out that he was the producer of the movie "Children" in Turkey, directed by Bosnian producer Aida Begic with the contribution of Turkish state TV TRT. The renowned director said he has always been interested in the Balkans, such as Skopje, Prizren, Pristine and Sarajevo, as part of his family emigrated from the province of Ohrid in Macedonia.
"This is proof that we sustain an alive culture both in Turkey and here. There are many individuals, youngsters, and students who are from the Balkans in Turkey and vice versa. Therefore, these bonds should be revealed and the story of such cultural relations should be told through movies, books, and novels," said Kaplanoğlu. He also touched on the culture and tradition of mysticism in the region and highlighted the importance of the spiritual heritage, which needs to be revived through new bridges built.
According to the director, the language and cultural heritage of each country has its own unique texture, language, scent and color, which all needs to be preserved for all individuals belonging to that culture to feel safe and express themselves in peace.
Kaplanoğlu also underlined that to avoid pain and suffering in the region, each of these cultures should continue to be represented and the tolerance and feeling of harmony and unity during the Ottoman Times should be revived. Instead of focusing on a specific region or locality, the director usually tries to depict the whole atmosphere and the mysticism of the saints and sages from the Balkans, Anatolia and Central Asia.
"In my movies, I try to capture the breath, the soul of the region, and the essence of the thought that built these areas that created this civilization. In fact, making a movie means relying and feeding from local treasures, so I believe filmmaking not only should be local and authentic, but also encompassing," said Kaplanoğlu.
Kaplanoğlu also mentioned the valuable contributions of the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) to the promotion and introduction of Turkish culture and said he believes there will be new programs implemented to reach more regions both in terms of cinema and literature. He invited young filmmakers to create their works with the support and contribution of YEE's to produce short movies and projects. "I believe interaction is of the utmost importance. Therefore, the Yunus Emre Institute's efforts are priceless for Turkey, Turkish culture and language and to everyone who resides where they are," said Kaplanoğlu.
Noting that Turkish TV series come second on the list of global TV series, Kaplanoğlu also emphasized how far Turkish cinema has come, citing the names of his contemporaries, including Zeki Demirkubuz, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Derviş Zaim. "We represent Turkish cinema at various world festivals and in countries where our movies are screened. Turkish cinema has made a leap in the last decade with intensive support from the Ministry of Culture and also TRT. Therefore, I believe the future is looking bright as long as we continue working hard and produce," added Kaplanoğlu.
Starring Jean-Marc Barr, Ermin Bravo, Grigory Dobrygin and Cristina Fluture, "Grain," written and directed by Kaplanoğlu, airs today in Turkey.