Olkan Ozyurt. The Story of the Beautiful and the Ugly.
The story of the beautiful and the ugly
Director Zeki Demirkubuz completed shooting his new film ‘Kıskanmak / Envy.’
Demirkubuz probes ‘beauty’ from the point of view of an ugly woman in ‘Kiskanmak / Envy,’ which is based on Nahid Sirri Orik’s novel of the same title.
The audiences were in anticipation of the director’s most recent film after ‘Destiny,’ which told the story of a tragedy created by unrequited love, received the ‘Best Film’ award in Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. After looking into a few projects, Demirkubuz decided on Nahid Sirri Orik’s novel, titled ‘Kiskanmak / Envy.’ Demirkubuz is no stranger to adaptations from literature, as he previously made ‘Fate,’ which had been based on Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger.’ But ‘Envy’ presented a cross-section from the Turkey of 1930s and 1940s. Demirkubuz was going to shoot a period film, and this was a surprise. The film casts Serhat Tutumluer, Berrak Tuzunatac, Nergis Ozturk, Bora Cengiz, Hatice Aslan, and basically tells the story of a man stuck between his wife and his sister. And one of the most basic human emotions, envy, is being probed from Demirkubuz’ point of view.
The film was shot in Safranbolu, Zonguldak and Istanbul. The shooting was completed in November 2008. The ball scene, which opens the novel, was shot in a historical school building in Halkali, Istanbul. Demirkubuz, who received numerous awards with ‘Fate,’ ‘Destiny,’ ‘Innocence,’ ‘The Waiting Room,’ ‘Block-C,’ and ‘Confession,’ used a larger crew to shoot the film. Things seem to be going allright; everyone is smiling.
Demirkubuz read the book in the early 1990s, and wanted to work on it at that time. “It was meant for this day,” he says. He states that he looks at people who are in need of understanding more carefully and adds, “The protagonist of the novel, Seniha, is a person who needs to be understood more deeply, because she’s ugly, dried-up, has the same longings as more beautiful people, but lacks the conditions to experience these.
There is a tragedy here, and that interests me a lot.” He also says that he thinks it is important to question beauty from an ugly woman’s perspective. Nergis Ozturk, whom we know from the movie ‘Barda / At the Bar,’ is also on the set. She loses her elegant look when she enters the make-up room. Because she plays the ‘ugly and dried-up woman, Seniha, as Zeki Demirkubuz describes the part. Upon noticing the surprised look on our faces, she smiles and says, “I’m not that scary.” Ozturk, always behind the camera, goes over each and every detail. She says that every actor dreams about working with Demirkubuz and considers herself lucky. The “beautiful” woman of the film, Berrak Tuzunatac, arrives from the set of atv’s ‘Elveda Rumeli.’ “I wanted this part and to work with Zeki Demirkubuz. It’s a bit hard to go back and forth between two sets, but I’m happy.” Then she talks about her appreciation of the efforts of ‘Elveda Rumeli’’s crew, who show every effort to send her to ‘Envy’’s set on time.
Demirkubuz, who is known with his discipline on the set, looks more relaxed. He jokes with the actors and crew. Although the opening date is not set yet, the film is expected to meet with its audience next Fall. It most probably will have its premier in an important festival.
Olkan Ozyurt. Sabah. December 30, 2008.
Translated from Turkish.
