Memorable Projects and Collaborations with Masters in Turkish Cinema
Aysun Akyüz, who has made significant contributions to Turkish cinema with her directing experience and established a solid position in the industry, shares valuable thoughts on the role of women in the world of cinema. By sharing pivotal moments in her career, projects, and experiences in the industry, she sheds light on the power of women in cinema and the challenges they face.
- HELLO, WELCOME.
AYSUN AKYÜZ: Thank you, hello.
- HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A DIRECTOR?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: It's a wonderful feeling. Very exciting, very enjoyable. When you're in a position you love, doing work you love, and have all the freedom you desire, it's the most magnificent feeling because you're creating a whole world.
- IS IT DIFFICULT TO BE A WOMAN IN THIS INDUSTRY?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: Being a woman or a man doesn't really matter; being in this industry seems tough regardless. I believe one needs to be genderless in this industry. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman; you need to be strong enough to work in the mountains, in the cold, at nights, until the early morning hours. You need to be healthy, but sometimes you also need to embrace a woman's delicacy and use that sensitivity and romanticism. That's why I consider it genderless.
- WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF DIRECTING?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: When you want to create a world as a director, you have expectations for that world. You can't accomplish everything alone. If you're not making an auteur film, if you're not the producer, if you didn't write the script, and you've been given a script to realize, there are many factors involved in realizing your vision. You have to compromise somewhere because when something doesn't happen as promised, when something can't be done, you become the one who comes up with solutions. That's been my experience most of the time.
- CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT PROJECT?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: Our current project is inspired by a real-life woman's story. That aspect draws me in even more. It's a special story, with some fictional elements. But questioning the fact that despite changing technology, the unpleasant events of 50 years ago haven't changed, questioning the system, pushing for the decisions justice should make excites me a lot. That's why I consider myself to have a very important mission. I think this is currently the project I enjoy the most; I'm very excited about it.
- WAS YOUR FIRST DIRECTORIAL WORK "YER GÖK AŞK"? CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
THIS SERIES?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: "Yer Gök Aşk" is very precious to me. I thank our dear producer, Şükrü Avşar. There were two directors in "Yer Gök Aşk". Ulaş İnanç, Atıl İnanç, I love them dearly, greetings to them too. We started with them, then they left halfway through. We joined the production team of another series by the same company, "Lale Devri". In fact, a first was made in Turkey; two series intertwined in one story. It was very enjoyable. Then we found out that I was going to be given the second season. Directing, I must say, was a huge pride for me. Especially the place where we shot, I really liked Cappadocia; everywhere you turn is picturesque. But because the locals were already accustomed to me, they welcomed me with posters, I felt like a chosen Mayor, District Governor, or something like that. Then I said to myself, I shouldn't be overwhelmed under this poster, I should do justice to it and give my best. I shot the first episode in a cinematic style. I can't describe the moment we watched the first episode as a team. Then the moment the producer called me to congratulate me, I thought, maybe you're doing it, Aysun. "Yer Gök Aşk" is very precious. There's also this: When you're sent as an assistant director to a set one year and as a director the next year, there might be this thought: Are we going to listen to last year's Assistant Director? No, our veteran actors were so respectful and trusting that they even liked the idea of changing something.
- I'M CURIOUS, DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO INTERFERE IN EVERYTHING IN YOUR PRIVATE LIFE?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: Absolutely. It's like a programmed mindset; you know the next setup of everything, what you're going to set up next is determined. Because this programmed mindset, that mathematics, has always been a part of our lives, for example, when making plans with friends, I don't want anyone else to plan for me. I prefer to make the plans myself. We're looking at things from there, it's a bit exhausting, life is actually tiring, I confess.
- YOU WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN A PROJECT CALLED "KÖPRÜ" BEFORE, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS PROJECT?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: It was the first project done in Eskişehir. It was actually the first time the city opened itself up to a series. You know, in out-of-town jobs, accommodation is needed for the crew. There were many difficult situations in terms of production back then. There weren't cell phones or radios that could catch signals well like today, we couldn't reach each other from village to village. A local casting agency was even established to use local casts. It was a creative process full of tricks. It was a tough job, but I wasn't the director of that project, I was the assistant director. Still, we did our best.
- YOU WERE ALSO AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN THE SERIES "HACI".
AYSUN AKYÜZ: Yes, we were in the directing team, assistant directors. When we see that it's a production company we trust, a team is formed, and we get involved. We see that the project is beautiful and of very high quality.
- YOU WORKED WITH TWO MASTERFUL ACTORS IN THESE TWO PROJECTS, ERDAL BEŞİKÇİOĞLU AND TUNCEL KURTİZ. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THESE TWO ACTORS?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: They're both wonderful actors; my respects and love to all of them. Tuncel Abi wasn't a Hacı in real life, but he created an amazing Hacı. He was one of those actors whose love for his work was evident on set, you can see the difference with the older ones. There are many formulas that the newcomers can learn from them. About acting, about their presence on set, about set ethics, about how disciplined they are in their work and what they add to it. Both of them are such professionals. If I were them, I would just sit and watch the new actors. How do they stand on set? How do they prepare for the scene? How do they take direction from the director? Or how do they know what the director expects? How do they set up their performances? How do they interact with their co-stars? I could observe all of these behind the camera. New actors should be observing the same things. They shouldn't leave the monitor or the camera on set. The best experience comes from the best observation. Even though I was behind the camera, I learned a lot from them. Because what I learned from them told me what to expect from an actor in my directing.
- YOUR LATEST PROJECT WAS "VERDA", DON'T EVEN ASK ME ABOUT VERDA, IT'S A SHAME. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?
AYSUN AKYÜZ: We worked on Verda for about 9 months, and I still don't understand why that project couldn't be done. Because sometimes it happens; there might be other calculations going on. Verda was very good. Even if it were aired now, it would be a top-notch hit and have a guaranteed success for 2 years. But sometimes I believe that the right stories end up in the wrong hands. I leave its fate up to that. That's why I don't really want to talk about it.
- THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW, AYSUN HANIM.
AYSUN AKYÜZ: Thank you, it was very enjoyable for me, I hope what I shared is sufficient and useful for everyone. I wish to meet again in many more beautiful projects in the future. Have a good day.
In this delightful interview with director Aysun Akyüz, we had the opportunity to get to know one of the important figures in Turkish cinema more closely. Akyüz's profound philosophy on the world of cinema and her experiences in the industry seem to continue to serve as a source of inspiration for future projects. We thank her and wish her success in her upcoming endeavors.
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