İsmail Metin Erksan (1 January 1929 – 4 August 2012) was a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

Biography

Erksan was born in Çanakkale. Following his graduation from

Pertevniyal High School Pertevniyal High School of Istanbul was founded in 1872 by Pertevniyal Sultan, the mother of Sultan Abdulaziz. It cost 3520 gold coins to build the school. The school was forced to relocate after the fire of 1911, which destroyed much of downtown ...

in Istanbul, he studied art history at

Istanbul University , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...

. Starting in 1947, he wrote in various newspapers and magazines on cinema. In 1952, he debuted in directing with the films ''Karanlık Dünya'' and '' Aşık Veysel’in Hayatı'' written by Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu. He directed two documentary films in 1954 with the title ''Büyük Menderes Vadisi''. Metin Erksan gained success with films depicting the problems of people from the countryside he adopted from the literature. ''

Susuz Yaz ''Dry Summer'' (a.k.a. ''Reflections''; tr, Susuz Yaz) is a 1964 black-and-white Turkish drama film, co-produced, co-written and directed by Metin Erksan based on a novel by Necati Cumalı, featuring Erol Taş as a tobacco farmer, who dams a rive ...

'' won the Golden Bear Award in Berlin, Germany. ''

Yılanların Öcü ''Revenge of the Snakes'' or (Turkish language: ''Yılanların öcü'') is a 1962 Turkish realist drama film directed by Metin Erksan and based on a novel by Fakir Baykurt. The film covered issues of an unwanted pregnancy in a small farming vi ...

'' (1962) was awarded in 1966 at the

Carthage Film Festival The Carthage Film Festival (CFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis and founded in 1966. It is also called by its abbreviation JCC, from its French name, , or by its Arabic title, (''Cinema Days of Carthage''). Initially bienn ...

in Tunisia. He was named "Best Director" with his film ''Kuyu'' (1968) at the first edition of

International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival Adana Golden Boll Film Festival ( tr, Adana Altın Koza Film Festivali), known between 2016 and 2018 as International Adana Film Festival (), is a film festival in Adana, Turkey, that was held five times between 1969 and 1974 and every year since 2 ...

. Along with renowned film director

Halit Refiğ Halit Refiğ (5 March 1934 – 11 October 2009) was a Turkish film director, film producer, screenwriter and writer. He made around sixty films, including feature films, documentaries and TV serials. He is considered to be the pioneer of the N ...

, he was credited as the representative of the national cinema in Turkey. From 1970 on, he directed films aimed for commercial success. In 1974-1975, he filmed five Turkish stories (''Hanende Melek'' by Sabahattin Ali, ''Geçmiş Zaman Elbiseleri'' by

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar (23 June 1901 – 24 January 1962) was a Turkish poet, novelist, literary scholar and essayist, widely regarded as one of the most important representatives of modernism in Turkish literature. In addition to his literary and ...

, ''Bir İntihar'' by

Samet Ağaoğlu Samet Ağaoğlu (1909, Bakü - 6 Ağustos 1982, İstanbul) was a Turkish–Azerbaijani writer and politician. He was the son of the famous Azerbaijani and naturalized Turkish politician, publicist and journalist Ahmet Agaoğlu. Early life ...

, ''Müthiş Bir Tren'' by Sait Faik Abasıyanık and ''Sazlık'' by

Hulusi Koray The ''hulusi'' (traditional: 葫蘆絲; simplified: 葫芦丝; pinyin: húlúsī), also known as the cucurbit flute and the gourd flute is a free reed wind instrument from China, Vietnam and the Shan State and by the indigenous people of ...

) as short films for television. His 1977 film ''

The Angel of Vengeance – The Female Hamlet ''The Angel of Vengeance – The Female Hamlet'' ( tr, İntikam Meleği – Kadın Hamlet) is a 1977 Turkish drama film directed by Metin Erksan. It was entered into the 10th Moscow International Film Festival The 10th Moscow International Fi ...

'' was entered into the

10th Moscow International Film Festival The 10th Moscow International Film Festival was held 7-21 July 1977. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Hungarian film ''The Fifth Seal'' directed by Zoltán Fábri, the Spanish film '' El puente'' directed by Juan Antonio Bardem and the Sovi ...

. His 1974 horror movie ''

Şeytan ''Şeytan'' is a 1974 Turkish cult horror film that is loosely plagiarized off of William Friedkin’s ''The Exorcist'' (1973), directed by Metin Erksan. The film was apparently shot with a low budget, resulting in a grainy and poor image qual ...

'' is known as the "Turkish '' Exorcist''" due to the movies' similar plots. He directed 42 films, 2 of which he produced himself; and he wrote the scripts of 29 films. He also starred in the 1998 film ''Alim Hoca'' as the title character. He died on 4 August 2012 at the age of 83 in a hospital in Bakırköy, Istanbul, having been hospitalized ten days earlier with kidney failure.

Awards

* At the Competition of Turkish Films 1961 (Türk Filmleri Yarışması, 1961), he won the Best Script award for the film ''Gecelerin Ötesi'' (''Beyond Nights''). * In 1964 he won the Golden Bear award at the

14th Berlin International Film Festival The 14th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 26 June to 7 July 1964. The Swedish film '' 491'' by Vilgot Sjöman was rejected by festival director ''Alfred Bauer'' owing to its controversial nature. The Golden Bear was awarde ...

for the film ''

'' (''Dry Summer''), starring

Hülya Koçyiğit Hülya Koçyiğit (born 12 December 1947) is a Turkish actress. A prominent female lead in the Turkish cinema, she received numerous awards at international film festivals, including the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. Altogether, she has ...

and

Erol Taş Erol Taş (28 February 1928 – 8 November 1998) was a Turkish film actor. He appeared in 220 films between 1957 and 1998. He starred in the 1964 film '' Susuz Yaz'', which won the Golden Bear at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival. ...

, adapted from a short novel by

Necati Cumalı Necati Cumalı (13 January 1921 – 10 January 2001) was a Turkish writer of novels, short-stories, essays and poetry. He was born in Florina, Greece to a Turkish family and his family had settled in Urla near İzmir in the framework of the 1 ...

. * At the 1st İzmir International Fair Film Festival of 1965, he won the award for Best Directing for the film ''Suçlular Aramızda'' (''The guilty is among us''). * At the 1st Adana Golden Cocoon Film Festival in 1969, he won the award for Best Directing and the Best Film for the film ''Kuyu'' (''Well''). * At the 24th Antalya Film Festival in 1987, he received the Honor Award.

Filmography

*''

The Dark World ''The Dark World'' is a science fantasy novel credited to Henry Kuttner, although his wife C.L. Moore may have been an uncredited collaborator, or possibly even the author. The novel was first published in the July 1946 issue of ''Startling Sto ...

'' (1953) *''

The White Hell ''The White Hell'' ( tr, Beyaz Cehennem) is a 1954 Turkish crime adventure film directed by Metin Erksan, based on the novel by Peyami Safa. It stars Turan Seyfioglu, Avni Dilligil, and Neriman Köksal Neriman Köksal (born Hatice Kökçü; 17 M ...

'' (1954) *''

Murder in Yolpalas ''Murder in Yolpalas'' ( tr, Yolpalas Cinayeti) is a 1955 Turkish drama film directed by Metin Erksan, based on the novel by Halide Edib Adıvar. It stars Uğur Başaran Uğur is a common masculine Turkish and Azerbaijani given name. In both Tu ...

'' (1955) *''

Ölmüş Bir Kadının Evrakı Metrukesi ''Ölmüş Bir Kadının Evrakı Metrukesi'' (''Dead Letter of a Deceased Woman'') is a 1956 Turkish romantic drama film directed by Metin Erksan and Semih Evin, based on a novel by Güzide Sabri. It stars Sezer Sezin, Kenan Artun, and Altan Karı ...

'' (1956) *''

Dokuz Dağın Efesi ''Dokuz Dağın Efesi'', or ''Dokuz Dağın Efesi: Çakici Geliyor'' is a 1958 Turkish drama film directed by Metin Erksan. It stars Fikret Hakan Fikret Hakan (born Bumin Gaffar Çitanak; 23 April 1934 – 11 July 2017) was a prolific Turkish fil ...

'' (1958) *'' The Wound of Separation'' (1959) *'' Nebahat, the Driver'' (1960) *'' Beyond the Nights'' (1960) *'' The Quarter Friends'' (1961) *'' Oy Farfara Farfara'' (1961) *''

Revenge of the Snakes ''Revenge of the Snakes'' or (Turkish language: ''Yılanların öcü'') is a 1962 Turkish realist drama film directed by Metin Erksan and based on a novel by Fakir Baykurt. The film covered issues of an unwanted pregnancy in a small farming vi ...

'' (1962) *'' The False Marriage'' (1962) *'' Çifte Kumrular'' (1962) *'' Bitter Life'' (1962) *''

Dry Summer ''Dry Summer'' (a.k.a. ''Reflections''; tr, Susuz Yaz) is a 1964 black-and-white Turkish drama film, co-produced, co-written and directed by Metin Erksan based on a novel by Necati Cumalı, featuring Erol Taş as a tobacco farmer, who dams a rive ...

'' (1964) *'' Pavements of Istanbul'' (1964) *'' Suçlular Aramızda'' (1964) * '' Time to Love'' (1965) *'' Immortal Love'' (1966) *'' Kuyu'' (1968) *'' Reyhan'' (1969) *'' Ateşli Çingene'' (1969) *'' Sevenler Ölmez'' (1970) *'' Eyvah'' (1970) *'' Makber'' (1971) *'' Hicran'' (1971) *''

Feride Feride () is a Turkish and Albanian feminine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Feride Acar (born 1948), Turkish international expert on women and gender * Feride Akgün (born 1973), Turkish former footballer * Feride Hilal Akın ...

'' (1971) *'' Keloglan ile Cankiz'' (1972) *'' Süreyya'' (1972) *'' Dağdan İnme'' (1973) *''

'' (1974) *'' Hanende Melek'' (1975) (TV Movie) *'' A Horrible Train'' (1975) (TV Movie) *''

The Marsh The Marsh Theater is an American theater company that specializes in developing new performance, founded in 1989. It has two venue locations, at 1062 Valencia Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, California; and 2120 Allston Way in Ber ...

'' (1975) (TV Movie) *'' Geçmiş Zaman Elbiseleri'' (1975) (TV Movie) *'' A Suicide'' (1975) (TV Movie) *''

'' (1977) *'' I Cannot Live Without You'' (1977) *'' Preveze Öncesi'' (1977) (TV Mini-Series)

References

Notes

* Biyografi.net
''Biography of Metin Erksan''

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Erksan, Metin 1929 births 2012 deaths Best Director Golden Boll Award winners Golden Orange Honorary Award winners Directors of Golden Bear winners People from Çanakkale Turkish film directors Istanbul University alumni Deaths from kidney failure Pertevniyal High School alumni