Tweet
The Malay Mail Online
July 31 2014
Turkish-German director chooses tricky Armenian subject matter
July 31, 2014
Photo: Director Fatih Akin said he could not find any actor to play
slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.-- Reuters pic
ISTANBUL, July 31 -- Prominent Turkish-German director Fatih Akin
revealed he dropped plans to make a film about murdered Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, killed in 2007 in a crime yet to be fully
resolved, because no Turkish actors wanted to play the lead role.
In an interview with Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Akin said instead
he chose to make a still potentially controversial film, "The Cut",
which deals with the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman
Empire during World War I which are widely seen as a genocide.
He said he had finished a script based on Dink's work for Agos, but he
had to drop the project after the Turkish actors he approached for the
role found it "too harsh".
"I couldn't persuade any Turkish actors to play Hrant's role. All of
them found the script too harsh. That's why I had to cancel the
project," he said, without naming the actors.
"I did not want any actor to get hurt. But it was important to make a
'Turkish film' about Hrant. An American or French actor could not play
Hrant. We have to deal with this issue ourselves.
"But obviously time is not yet ripe for it."
Dink, 52, was shot dead in broad daylight by a teenage
ultranationalist outside the offices of the Agos newspaper. Akin's
difficulties in making a film about his life underline the continued
sensitivity of the case.
He had campaigned for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians, but
incurred the wrath of Turkish nationalists for saying the 1915
massacre amounted to a genocide.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I
as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several
other countries but long disputed by Turkey.
Akin however said Turkey was now ready for a film like "The Cut",
which tells the story of an Armenian man who survives the 1915
killings and embarks on a journey across the world to find his
daughter.
"The Cut", starring French actor Tahar Rahim, will premiere at the
71st Venice International Film Festival in late August.
Dink's assassination sent shockwaves through Turkey and grew into a
wider scandal with accusations of a state conspiracy. A 17-year-old
dropout was found guilty of the murder but the Dink family have always
insisted that higher forces were involved.
Turkey's top court however ruled earlier this month that the
investigation into the killing of Dink had been flawed, paving the way
for potential further trials against new suspects. -- AFP
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/showbiz/article/turkish-german-director-chooses-tricky-armenian-subject-matter
July 31 2014
Turkish-German director chooses tricky Armenian subject matter
July 31, 2014
Photo: Director Fatih Akin said he could not find any actor to play
slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.-- Reuters pic
ISTANBUL, July 31 -- Prominent Turkish-German director Fatih Akin
revealed he dropped plans to make a film about murdered Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, killed in 2007 in a crime yet to be fully
resolved, because no Turkish actors wanted to play the lead role.
In an interview with Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Akin said instead
he chose to make a still potentially controversial film, "The Cut",
which deals with the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman
Empire during World War I which are widely seen as a genocide.
He said he had finished a script based on Dink's work for Agos, but he
had to drop the project after the Turkish actors he approached for the
role found it "too harsh".
"I couldn't persuade any Turkish actors to play Hrant's role. All of
them found the script too harsh. That's why I had to cancel the
project," he said, without naming the actors.
"I did not want any actor to get hurt. But it was important to make a
'Turkish film' about Hrant. An American or French actor could not play
Hrant. We have to deal with this issue ourselves.
"But obviously time is not yet ripe for it."
Dink, 52, was shot dead in broad daylight by a teenage
ultranationalist outside the offices of the Agos newspaper. Akin's
difficulties in making a film about his life underline the continued
sensitivity of the case.
He had campaigned for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians, but
incurred the wrath of Turkish nationalists for saying the 1915
massacre amounted to a genocide.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I
as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several
other countries but long disputed by Turkey.
Akin however said Turkey was now ready for a film like "The Cut",
which tells the story of an Armenian man who survives the 1915
killings and embarks on a journey across the world to find his
daughter.
"The Cut", starring French actor Tahar Rahim, will premiere at the
71st Venice International Film Festival in late August.
Dink's assassination sent shockwaves through Turkey and grew into a
wider scandal with accusations of a state conspiracy. A 17-year-old
dropout was found guilty of the murder but the Dink family have always
insisted that higher forces were involved.
Turkey's top court however ruled earlier this month that the
investigation into the killing of Dink had been flawed, paving the way
for potential further trials against new suspects. -- AFP
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/showbiz/article/turkish-german-director-chooses-tricky-armenian-subject-matter