Cheerful Young People in the TRNC
Considering the TRNC’s natural conditions and the opportunities it offers, as many directors I have had the chance to speak with before have said time and again: our country is a “natural film set” for cinema. With its natural beauty, the light it offers, its historic sites, and so on, our country may be overlooked as a location for filming, but it is in fact a rare find. I spoke with producer and director İlhan Kızılkaya, who has not overlooked any of this and is working to make use of the opportunities our country offers—in fact, he has completed all the preparations for his film—about “Cheerful Youth,” which he will begin shooting here in the coming days.
Cem KAR: What kind of film will “Cheerful Youth” be? Could you tell us a little about the story, even briefly?
İlhan Kızılkaya: We will bring to the screen the experiences of a cast of hilarious characters caught up in a complicated series of events. “Cheerful Youth” will be a youth comedy! As for the plot: a beauty pageant is to be held at one of the TRNC’s large hotels. Someone staying at the same hotel dies in a comical way. A detective from Turkey is assigned to investigate the case and begins working with a Cypriot inspector. Meanwhile, a student studying in Cyprus has chosen the beauty pageant at the hotel as the subject of their thesis. Events involving all these different characters unfold one after another, resulting in a funny story.
C.K: As the owner of Ark Production, you generally produce films. But this will be your first time directing. Why did you decide to shoot your first film in Cyprus?
İ.K: At Ark Production, we generally work with foreign companies. We played a major role in films shot in Istanbul by Bollywood (the Indian film industry). Given Cyprus’s beauty, deciding to shoot my first film there was not difficult for me. But after I made the decision, when I told friends in Istanbul who are also in the film industry, “I’m shooting a film in Cyprus,” they would say, pointedly, “Good luck with that.” That could be discouraging, but for me it has had the opposite effect and spurred me on. The TRNC’s natural beauty makes an incredible backdrop for cinema. On the other hand, I can’t recall any film project that has truly showcased all this beauty.
C.K: Mr. Kızılkaya, although film and TV series shoots take place in our country from time to time, they are not very frequent. But we don’t see any Cypriot actors in these productions. Will your film feature talent from our country? And who is in the cast?
İ.K: We’ve done a good job casting the film! One of the lead actors will be Cypriot. I’m not giving the name, specifically to keep it a surprise. Alongside the lead, we’ll also work with Cypriot talent in roles of varying sizes, in keeping with our script. By the way, our film’s premiere will be in the TRNC. To name a few of the actors coming from Turkey: Murat Serezli, who has appeared in many commercials lately and is now much in demand; Elif Ece Uzun, who plans to continue her career in cinema; and Okan Karacan, a familiar face in youth films.
C.K: The film Maskeli Beşler Kıbrıs was shot in the TRNC recently. It took place entirely in a hotel, so it was a disappointment! Where will your film be set, and can you tell us more about it?
İ.K: It won’t be a film confined to a hotel. As I mentioned earlier, “Cheerful Youth” will not only be a comedy, but will also showcase all the beauty of the TRNC. Our film, with a budget of 1.2 million dollars, will shoot in exactly 71 different locations across the TRNC, with 128 crew members, over 45 days. We’ll use 45 vehicles of various sizes, a helicopter, and a yacht for our 110-minute film.
C.K: Please excuse me, but I have to say this: You must have heard that there have been announcements and press conferences before about films being shot in the TRNC. Unfortunately, those projects never came to fruition.
İ.K: Yes, I know; I was following the projects too. All our preparations are now in their final stages, and we’ll start shooting in June. This is not Ark Production’s first experience making a feature film, and it won’t be the last. Based on our previous work, I can say with confidence that if Ark Production takes on a project, it definitely gets completed. Also, immediately after this film, we’ll go to Serbia and start a film there about the “Ottomans”; all the preparations for that film are ready. We’ve also worked very closely with Bollywood. We’ll bring them to the TRNC soon, and we’ll collaborate here.
C.K: Mr. Kızılkaya, I should say that I’m already eagerly looking forward to your film. I hope everything goes as planned. I’d like to thank you in advance both for making time for me and for your film, which I believe is a very important project for tourism in the TRNC.
İ.K: In addition to all its beauty and historic sites, the TRNC holds a very important place in history. The easiest way to tell people about and promote these things is through the visual arts; cinema is undoubtedly the most effective of them. I’ll enjoy working here, too. I’d also like to thank you for your interest.