Heroic movie to let youth believe
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Sevim Songün
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 19, 2009 09:39
ISTANBUL - The movie titled ’Devrim Arabaları’ (Revolution cars) tells the story of 23 engineers who manufactured the first local car in Turkey 47 years ago and is an inspiration to young movie-goers. Director Tolga Örnek says the film’s characters offer unusual role models
"There is no success that is not punished in Turkey," says one of the characters in the movie "Devrim Arabaları," Revolution Cars, which tells the true, but forgotten story about the engineers who manufactured the first Turkish-made car in 1961.The director and co-writer of the script, Tolga Örnek, however, believes the story may inspire young people through telling them, "They can achieve anything, if they believe."
The movie is about the first Turkish automobile, called the "Devrim" (Revolution), which was manufactured on an order from President Cemal Gürsel in 1961 in the Eskişehir Railway Plant by 23 engineers. The team manages to manufacture two cars in 130 days before the October 29 celebrations, the day when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk announced the Republic.
As today is May 19, the day of the "National Sovereignty, Youth and Sports Festival," which is dedicated by Atatürk to the Turkish youth, the movie is inspiring for the youth of today. It takes audiences 47 years back to observe passionate engineers who make a dream come true and show that there is no "can’t" if one really believes. "This is the story of unsung heroes, who are ordinary people, working hard as a team and who are exemplary with their moral values," said Örnek. "The movie offers youth an unusual example that they can look up to."
The engineers worked against the odds in a period of scarce material resources, difficult transportation means and difficult communication. Their story, however, is recalled as "The car that did not work because it lacked gasoline" in the papers at the time because one of the cars did stop during the celebrations because it ran out of gas. "Believing and dreaming, this is what is lacking in today’s youth," said Örnek.
A success story remembered as failure
"In those years people showed their loyalty to their country by working hard and serving their country. Today, people forget these values," said Örnek, adding that he hoped the movie would remind everyone of the importance of producing something. Örnek is optimistic about it because he said he observes especially young spectators getting excited about the movie. He said an 8th grade student told him she wanted to be a better student and better person after watching the movie.
Revolution Cars depicts the engineers as heroes, with their ambition and hard work done for the sake of the country. They even refuse to be paid for extra hours they worked on the manufacturing of the cars. They do not sleep well, and even cannot see their wives. However, their success is remembered as a failure. The project has stopped after four cars are manufactured.
Gürsel, a soldier who came to power after a military coup, however, is depicted in the story in a romantic way. One asks why he ever stopped and did not believe in the project after he started it. For the director, Gürsel was not the only one to blame, but bureaucrats and the press at the time also discouraged the project and even we, who have forgotten this story, are responsible. The movie first went to the silver screen on Oct. 24, but did not get enough attention because of the amount of the other movies in the cinemas. Now it is coming to the silver screen once again and has been watched by 200,000 people so far.
The original Devrim car has been on display for about 10 years in a glass section in the garden at the Turkish Locomotive and Motor Industry, or TÜLOMSAŞ, in Eskişehir.
The movie is about the first Turkish automobile, called the "Devrim" (Revolution), which was manufactured on an order from President Cemal Gürsel in 1961 in the Eskişehir Railway Plant by 23 engineers. The team manages to manufacture two cars in 130 days before the October 29 celebrations, the day when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk announced the Republic.
As today is May 19, the day of the "National Sovereignty, Youth and Sports Festival," which is dedicated by Atatürk to the Turkish youth, the movie is inspiring for the youth of today. It takes audiences 47 years back to observe passionate engineers who make a dream come true and show that there is no "can’t" if one really believes. "This is the story of unsung heroes, who are ordinary people, working hard as a team and who are exemplary with their moral values," said Örnek. "The movie offers youth an unusual example that they can look up to."
The engineers worked against the odds in a period of scarce material resources, difficult transportation means and difficult communication. Their story, however, is recalled as "The car that did not work because it lacked gasoline" in the papers at the time because one of the cars did stop during the celebrations because it ran out of gas. "Believing and dreaming, this is what is lacking in today’s youth," said Örnek.
A success story remembered as failure
"In those years people showed their loyalty to their country by working hard and serving their country. Today, people forget these values," said Örnek, adding that he hoped the movie would remind everyone of the importance of producing something. Örnek is optimistic about it because he said he observes especially young spectators getting excited about the movie. He said an 8th grade student told him she wanted to be a better student and better person after watching the movie.
Revolution Cars depicts the engineers as heroes, with their ambition and hard work done for the sake of the country. They even refuse to be paid for extra hours they worked on the manufacturing of the cars. They do not sleep well, and even cannot see their wives. However, their success is remembered as a failure. The project has stopped after four cars are manufactured.
Gürsel, a soldier who came to power after a military coup, however, is depicted in the story in a romantic way. One asks why he ever stopped and did not believe in the project after he started it. For the director, Gürsel was not the only one to blame, but bureaucrats and the press at the time also discouraged the project and even we, who have forgotten this story, are responsible. The movie first went to the silver screen on Oct. 24, but did not get enough attention because of the amount of the other movies in the cinemas. Now it is coming to the silver screen once again and has been watched by 200,000 people so far.
The original Devrim car has been on display for about 10 years in a glass section in the garden at the Turkish Locomotive and Motor Industry, or TÜLOMSAŞ, in Eskişehir.