''Propaganda'' is a 1999 Turkish

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written, directed and produced

Sinan Çetin Sinan Çetin (born March 1, 1953) is a Turkish film director, actor, and producer. He won the best director award at the 12th Dhaka International Film Festival. Çetin was born as one of the eight children of a customs officer. He is of matern ...

. The film, which is a darkly surreal comedy set in a sleepy village in the southeast Turkey in 1948, starred popular comedy actor

Kemal Sunal Ali Kemal Sunal (11 November 1944 – 3 July 2000) was a Turkish actor and comedian. With ''Hababam Sınıfı'', ''Kapıcılar Kralı'' and '' Davaro'', Sunal gained large popularity amongst Turkish cinema goers and was famed for his charac ...

, who died a year later in 2000. It was shown in competition at the 18th

Istanbul International Film Festival The Istanbul Film Festival ( tr, İstanbul Film Festivali) is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Tu ...

and the

4th Shanghai International Film Festival The 4th Shanghai International Film Festival was held between October 22 and October 31, 1999. Like the previous year, the Film Festival was divided into four activities: *Golden Cup International Film Competition *International Film Panorama *Inter ...

, where it won the Golden Goblet, and went on general release across Turkey on .

Production

The film was shot on location in

Hatay Hatay Province ( tr, Hatay ili, ) is the southernmost province of Turkey. It is situated almost entirely outside Anatolia, along the eastern coast of the Levantine Sea. The province borders Syria to its south and east, the Turkish province of ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Synopsis

Based on a true story set in 1948, customs officer Mehti is faced with the duty of formally setting up the border between Turkey and Syria, dividing his hometown. He is unaware of the pain that will imminently unfold, as families, languages, cultures and lovers are both ripped apart and clash head on in a village once united.

Cast

as Mehdi *

Metin Akpınar Metin Akpınar (born 2 November 1941) is a Turkish actor. He has been one of the most successful comedians in Turkey. Biography He was born in Aksaray, Istanbul, and he graduated from Pertevniyal High School. He pursued his university career in ...

as Rahim *

Meltem Cumbul Meltem Cumbul (born 5 November 1969) is a Turkish actress and TV personality. Biography Meltem Cumbul's career encompasses 16 feature films including Berlinale Golden Bear winner '' Head-On'' movie, 6 TV serials including ''Yılan Hikayesi ...

as Filiz *

Rafet El Roman Rafet Yaşdut (born 25 August 1968), better known by his stage name Rafet El Roman, is a Turkish pop singer of Romani heritage. He holds German citizenship. Biography When El Roman's parents moved to Germany in 1970, he lived with his grandmoth ...

as Âdem *

Meral Orhonsay Meral is a common Turkish given name and Altai name. It is a variant of Maral. In Altai, Turkish and Mongolian "Maral" means "female deer". Meral has the same meaning as "Maral". It is also used as a surname. People Given name * Meral Akşener ( ...

as Şahane * Ali Sunal as Mahmut *

Nazmiye Oral Nazmiye Oral (born 1969) is a Dutch actress and writer. She has won a Golden Calf for Best Acting in a Television Drama. Career Nazmiye Oral began her career working for Dutch Muslim Broadcasting and interviewing figures such as Theo van Gog ...

as Azamet * Müge Oruçkaptan as Nazmiye * Berfi Dicle as Melek * Kenan Baydemir as Hamdi * Nail Kırmızıgül as Kopuk Yaşar * Turgay Aydın as Cemil * Cem Safran as Abuzer * Zaven Çiğdemoğlu as Deli Selami * Baycan Baybur as Komiser Muavini * Ayşegül Yurdakul as Köylü Kadın * Cengiz Deveci as Belediye Başkanı * Özcan Pehlivan as Asker * Bahar Uçan as Şadiye * Sultan Yılmaz as Rahim'in Annesi * Ahmet Tok as Genç Köylü * Üzeyir Tok as Selcuk * Turgut Giray as Cemil *

as Sheakespeare

Release

Festival screenings

(October 22–31, 1999) * 18th

Reception

Awards

* Won:

Golden Goblet * Won:

Bogey Award The Bogey Award (officially Box Office Germany Award) is a Germany, German film List of film awards, award. It's based on the number of people seeing a film within a given time frame. The prize has been awarded by the Cinema of Germany, industry's ...

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1999 films 1999 comedy-drama films 1990s Turkish-language films Films set in 1948 Films set in Turkey Comedy-drama films based on actual events Films shot in Turkey Turkish comedy-drama films