ISTANBUL—German Turkish filmmaker Fatih Akin’s movie “The Cut” premiered in Turkey on Thursday amid high security and high praise. The Radikal newspaper reported that Akin was accompanied by seven bodyguards at the premiere of the movie and the following evening. The premiere of the movie with a total budget of $20 million was attended by a number of celebrities. Prominent Armenian photographer from Istanbul Ara Güler was also present at the event.
Several Turkish actors and directors shared their opinions of the film in interviews with Agos Weekly following the preview in Turkey. The actors and directors have praised the film devoted to the Armenian Genocide.
“The film presents the historic events that have been completely overlooked. It’s safe to say that it was a very daring film. It’s very hard to make a film that presents a tragedy,” Turkish actress Serra Yılmaz said.
The story offers a window onto the Armenian Genocide which started in 1915 and led to the death of 1.5 Million Armenians and consequently their displacement across the world.
The story follows Nazaret Manoogian, an Armenian blacksmith played by Tahar Rahim, who is separated from his family when he is forced into labor for the Ottoman Empire. He survives the mass killings but loses his ability to speak and begins to search for his family members who he learns were on a death march. When he finds out that his daughters are alive, he resumes his journey searching for his daughters once again.
The film follows Akin’s previous films, Head On (2004) and Edge of Heaven (2007), as the third installment in a semi-connected series.
As we follow the journey, and witness the atrocities, we are speechless just like Nazaret who lost his ability to speak, as though he is also simply just watching like us as the tragedy unfolds.
May God Bless you for making this film and this is a turning point for the Turkish public to know , The Government has been hiding this from the Turkish public for years as i recall when i was in Germany during the Cold War and as we know there is a large Turkish community in Germany i would aproach Turkish people and start a conversation just to remind them them of the Armenian Genocide they knew my nationality but they where not informed about the Armenian Genocide specially the people in their 20s so i would tell them about it but they did not have any knowledge about the Armenian genocide , hope fully this film will open up their eyes and hearts of what happen to my people.
I hope that as a result of this film,more people will be aware of the dark pages of the history. There is a limit how much you can suppress the truth. I hope that “Turkish sensitivities”were not hurt in anyway….
Is there any plans to release the film in the US or be made available?
Im curious about the film and its story.
“The Radikal newspaper reported that Akin was accompanied by seven bodyguards at the premiere of the movie and the following evening.”
Nice country. Not..
But who says Akin is not in danger just because the film has already premiered in Turkish theatres? They can kill him anytime – in fact the closer to April 24, 2015 Turkish society comes, the more the fanatics will consider Akin’s making of this film an unforgiveable betrayal to their Turkish nation, and the more in danger he may become.
Truth will make you free.