Altın Portakal award winners dedicate awards to Gezi, Saturday Mothers, women in Iran

Photos: AA

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The 59th Altın Portakal Film Festival awards ceremony was held on Friday evening (October 8) in Antalya, southern Türkiye. Speeches by award winners were widely posted and quickly entered the trending topics on social media following the ceremony.

'Karanlık Gece' (The Dark Night) by Özcan Alper won the Best Film award and 'Kurak Günler' (Draughty Days) by Emin Alper received eight awards.

Some awards were dedicated to Çiğdem Mater and Mine Özerden, both convicted at the 'Gezi Trial' while some other awards were dedicated to Saturday Mothers/People, to the Boğaziçi University struggle/Boğaziçi University Cinema Club and to the struggling Iranian women.

"You cannot win. History is not on your side!"

Emin Alper who received the Best Director award made the following speech:

"I did not study filmmaking at university. Bosporus University contributed greatly to me becoming a director. The most precious educational institution of the country is under attack by a despotic mindset that sees it as a castle to be conquered. I feel ashamed about this. I am really ashamed of this assault on this precious institution of this country. However, Boğaziçi University is resisting. And they will win.

"Not only Boğaziçi University, but everybody who is resisting despotism will win. Gezi protesters will win. The Ukrainian people who are resisting a dictator just next to us, they will win. The Iranian women who resist the despotic mullahs will win. All these people who are resisting are telling the despots: You cannot win. History is not on your side. Years later, you will not be able to find anyone to respect your memory."

"Gezi verdicts, clean as bread and bright as water"

Erol Babaoğlu received the best supporting actor award. He said, "I am sharing this award with Mücella Yapıcı and the other Gezi verdicts who are clean as bread and bright as water. 'Draught Days' demonstrates the mentality that we have to free ourselves from.

"I want to share this award with everyone who is struggling against this mentality. I want to share this award with all those who wage a struggle, who produce, who make their case so that we can free ourselves from those who try to suppress their masculinity complex through physical power, through domination, those who are warmongering, so that we can set free from this dog-eat-dog world, so we can wake up from deep sleeps, so that we can establish a just world with our differences."

To Saturday Mothers/People

Murat Uyurkulak shared the Best Scenario Award with Özcan Alper. He said, "Today is Saturday. I dedicate this award to Saturday Mothers who are searching for decades for a grave for their children lost by state forces."

Özcan Alper, who received the Best Scenario award with his film 'The Dark Night,' remarked, "I want to thank Murat Uyurkulak who worked with me on this difficult scenario. I wish for a country where we will be able to write more optimistic scenarios, where there is equal citizenship not only for some but for all and where no one has to speak up for the right to mother's tongue anymore."

Çiğdem Mater's message

Film producer Çiğdem Mater who received the 'Cahide Sonku Award' as the co-producer of 'Drought Days' sent a message to the ceremony from the Bakırköy Prison since she is one of the verdicts in the Gezi trial.

Çiğdem Mater said that she wished all women who participated in the making of the film should take the award together. She named and sent tribute to many women who contributed to filmmaking in Türkiye from the very beginning and said "Thanks that we can make films together, and sometimes we can't." And Mater said for Cahide Sonku, who was an actress and the first film director in Türkiye: "Dear Cahide Sonku. Thank you very much. For rejecting the invitation by the President for a visit saying you are studying your role, for ragging on the MP's who call you into their presence saying "I am Cahide Sonku," for standing tall in front of everyone, your path is our path."

Çiğdem Mater's message sent from the prison received a standing ovation. Zümrüt Burul took the award on her behalf. (TY/EP/VK)