Director Çağatay Tosun takes his governor
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Emrah Güler
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 17, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Director Çağatay Tosun takes his governor Faruk Yazıcı from his popular TV series onto the big screen in ’Vali’ (The Governor). Tosun’s debut feature chronicles the events leading to the suspicious death of the fictional governor, openly inspired by the late Recep Yazıcıoğlu
Director Çağatay Tosun’s recent political thriller "Vali" (The Governor) is significant on so many levels, how it fares as a movie doesn’t take any precedence over what it says about Turkey’s pop culture.
One, the movie works as a sequel and even as a finale to the popular TV series "Köprü" (The Bridge) that ended after 65 episodes. Two, the series and hence the movie offer a fictionalized portrait of a fallen bureaucrat, Recep Yazıcıoğlu, who became a legend over two decades of service in the government. Three, the film bravely (or irresponsibly to some) connects the dots to a set of events that finalized with the tragic death of the governor in 2003, and offers specific answers to highly controversial questions. And finally, the film coincides perfectly with Turkey’s recent agenda, focusing on two major topics, allegations of the "deep state" fuelled by the Ergenekon investigation, and the impending energy crisis.
Since his appointment to the governor’s office in the Black Sea city of Tokat, Recep Yazıcıoğlu’s name has turned into one of a folk hero. The urban myths around his name informed us through the media that he was a people’s leader, integrated the citizens into decision making mechanisms through his unique methods, was an advocate of nature sports, turning Erzincan, one of the cities he governed, into a haven of nature sports, and finally accomplished building the much-needed bridge over Karasu near Erzincan after three decades of slow bureaucracy. He was killed in a car accident in 2003, which opened the way for speculations, linking his death to other suspicious deaths at the time in Denizli, where he was governor until his demise.
Building the bridge on TV
The TV series "Köprü" was adapted from the best-selling writer Ayşe Kulin’s novel of the same name, focusing on the fictional governor’s quest to build the bridge that had turned into a symbol of the distance between a centralized public administration and the people. The governor’s name was changed to Faruk Yazıcı, and played to an impressed audience by Erdal Beşikçioğlu. As the series became popular among viewers, the new episodes went beyond the original novel, eventually coming to an end after 65 episodes last year.
Çağatay Tosun became the director of the series after its successful first season. Delving into the late governor’s life and death, Tosun must have thought he had the ideal material for a political thriller in his hands. "Vali" is Tosun’s debut feature, with Beşikçioğlu and Ayeşegül Ünsal as the governor’s wife reprising their roles in the series. The movie centers on the conspiracies surrounding the discovery of uranium while mining in Denizli. Uranium, we find out, has appealing nuclear properties, especially for giant American companies. Şebnem Dönmez plays Ceyda Aydın, a beautiful, cunning and spineless high-ranking government official who would play very well in "24." Ceyda and other government officials do not refrain from getting blood on their hands, two engineers to be more specific, for higher goals, "selling the country to imperialist Americans."
The film establishes its protagonist, the doomed engineers and their close ones with sympathy and makes them likeable enough for the audience to side with them. The government officials, the femme fatale bureaucrat, and especially the soulless American powerhouse, on the other hand, stay as the cardboard villains. The governor’s office, the streets of Denizli, and the mine are all recreated to the greatest effect.
For those who haven’t heard of the real governor Yazıcıoğlu, the film fares very well as a political thriller. But for most of the audience who are familiar with the governor’s name, his legacy and his tragic death, the film weaves into a cautionary tale with speculations transforming into downright allegations. Director and writer Tosun, and co-writer Batur Emin Akyel, walk into gray areas with quite strong conviction that they are black or white and the movie eventually begins walking on dangerous ground. It’s best to watch the movie as an adrenaline-pumping political thriller rather than a political cautionary tale.
One, the movie works as a sequel and even as a finale to the popular TV series "Köprü" (The Bridge) that ended after 65 episodes. Two, the series and hence the movie offer a fictionalized portrait of a fallen bureaucrat, Recep Yazıcıoğlu, who became a legend over two decades of service in the government. Three, the film bravely (or irresponsibly to some) connects the dots to a set of events that finalized with the tragic death of the governor in 2003, and offers specific answers to highly controversial questions. And finally, the film coincides perfectly with Turkey’s recent agenda, focusing on two major topics, allegations of the "deep state" fuelled by the Ergenekon investigation, and the impending energy crisis.
Since his appointment to the governor’s office in the Black Sea city of Tokat, Recep Yazıcıoğlu’s name has turned into one of a folk hero. The urban myths around his name informed us through the media that he was a people’s leader, integrated the citizens into decision making mechanisms through his unique methods, was an advocate of nature sports, turning Erzincan, one of the cities he governed, into a haven of nature sports, and finally accomplished building the much-needed bridge over Karasu near Erzincan after three decades of slow bureaucracy. He was killed in a car accident in 2003, which opened the way for speculations, linking his death to other suspicious deaths at the time in Denizli, where he was governor until his demise.
Building the bridge on TV
The TV series "Köprü" was adapted from the best-selling writer Ayşe Kulin’s novel of the same name, focusing on the fictional governor’s quest to build the bridge that had turned into a symbol of the distance between a centralized public administration and the people. The governor’s name was changed to Faruk Yazıcı, and played to an impressed audience by Erdal Beşikçioğlu. As the series became popular among viewers, the new episodes went beyond the original novel, eventually coming to an end after 65 episodes last year.
Çağatay Tosun became the director of the series after its successful first season. Delving into the late governor’s life and death, Tosun must have thought he had the ideal material for a political thriller in his hands. "Vali" is Tosun’s debut feature, with Beşikçioğlu and Ayeşegül Ünsal as the governor’s wife reprising their roles in the series. The movie centers on the conspiracies surrounding the discovery of uranium while mining in Denizli. Uranium, we find out, has appealing nuclear properties, especially for giant American companies. Şebnem Dönmez plays Ceyda Aydın, a beautiful, cunning and spineless high-ranking government official who would play very well in "24." Ceyda and other government officials do not refrain from getting blood on their hands, two engineers to be more specific, for higher goals, "selling the country to imperialist Americans."
The film establishes its protagonist, the doomed engineers and their close ones with sympathy and makes them likeable enough for the audience to side with them. The government officials, the femme fatale bureaucrat, and especially the soulless American powerhouse, on the other hand, stay as the cardboard villains. The governor’s office, the streets of Denizli, and the mine are all recreated to the greatest effect.
For those who haven’t heard of the real governor Yazıcıoğlu, the film fares very well as a political thriller. But for most of the audience who are familiar with the governor’s name, his legacy and his tragic death, the film weaves into a cautionary tale with speculations transforming into downright allegations. Director and writer Tosun, and co-writer Batur Emin Akyel, walk into gray areas with quite strong conviction that they are black or white and the movie eventually begins walking on dangerous ground. It’s best to watch the movie as an adrenaline-pumping political thriller rather than a political cautionary tale.