Turkish filmmaker wins best director prize at Cannes

"Three Monkeys," a tragedy revolving around jealousy, was his third appearance in the competition at Cannes, where the film was the critics' favorite among the 22 vying for the prestigious Palme d'Or award.

"I dedicate this award to my lonely and beautiful country which I love with passion," said Ceylan, delivering a speech after American actor Sean Penn announced his name as the "Best Director."

"The film is about life, about many things, about the inner world," he told AFP in an interview. "I don't make films on this or that as that is too didactic. And by the time I've ended a film the idea may have changed."

"Three Monkeys" centers on a father who takes the rap for his employers crime in exchange for financial support for his wife and son, only to have the scheme backfire amid bitter repercussions.

Ceylan, an art house favorite, and maker of "Uzak" and "Climates," is a master of psychological subtlety and intimacy, shooting meticulously beautiful images helped by his use of high-definition digital video.

The film was cast by Yavuz Bingol, Hatice Aslan, Ahmet Rifat Sungar, Ercan Kesal, Cafer Kose and Gurkan Aydin.

Born in 1959 in Istanbul, Ceylan graduated from Bogazici University with a BSc degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Later, he continued his education studying cinema for two years at Mimar Sinan University.

His first short film "Koza" was screened in the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. He received many awards for his debut feature "Kasaba." His third feature, "Uzak" received many awards including the Grand Jury Prize and the Best Actor Prize at Cannes, and was praised internationally.

His latest film "Iklimler" won the FIPRESCI Movie Critics' Award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and received international praise by critics and experts. The film won five awards at the 2006 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, where he was awarded the "Best Director" title.

Photo: Reuters