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Istanbul 2010
Documenting a town Maria Eliades talks to two directors with two different takes on the creative capital of Istanbul
This month, two different documentary films that focus on the artists of Istanbul will come of age.
The Colours of Cultural Diversity
The first, directed by veteran filmmaker and Istanbul resident, Annie Geelmuyden-Pertan, looks at the multi-ethnic artists who live and work in the city. Geelmuyden-Pertan, also known as Annie G. Pertan, got her start as the Art Director of the original Aflk-› Memnu series in 1974. Since then, she has produced and directed many more films in various languages. The Colours of Cultural Diversity, funded by the Istanbul 2010 Capital of Culture and Ikon Films, is a 100-minute documentary featuring 16 artists from the Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Romanian, Levantine and Syriac communities who meld together like “marbling,” according to Geelmuyden-Pertan, with colours that move adjecent to one another in the water of the city without colliding. Featured artists include Ara Güler, Hayko Cepkin, Emilios Eden and Leonidas Asteris. Where did the idea to do this documentary come from? When they advertised for projects towards the end of 2007, my husband and I [proposed] two projects. One was a series of six documentaries on minorities living in Turkey, their background, history, very detailed of course, because one 28 Time Out ‹stanbul December 2010
I didn't make a film about just any artists. I made a film about artists from different communities living in Istanbul minority would have a 50-60 minute documentary, and actually that budget was too high. They liked the project but asked us if we could concentrate on one documentary, and so we came up with the project of artists born, living and creating in Istanbul. Then my husband died last year, so I carried on by myself. Actually, the film is interesting because it's not just about the artists. At the same time, you have this notion of protection of cultural heritage, what cultural heritage is, what it gives to people. At the same time, you have these artists who belong to different communities [whose] attitude [is either] toward continuing the traditions of the community or breaking away as free individuals. That's also another subject, this question of living with two cultures. They have
their own culture and at the same time they invite the culture of the city they're in. This comes out in the documentary. At the same time there are lots of strata, “realm de memoire,” realms of memory. This is a term coined by Philip Nora in the nineties about French memories. And so, these are memories of places which don't really exist any longer, which you experienced when you were a child. It can be part of what happened or an institution or park or something. They talk about the past. For example, Leonidas Asteris says that when he was a child he grew up in Galata, there used to be a Byzantine column, a head of a column in the street. He would get up there and sing when he was five. Suzi, who is a sculptress, installation artist, remembers that when they were young, they went to Çiftehavuzlar in the summer and her father would grow tomatoes in the garden. These are memories which make you what you are. How did you find the people that you interviewed? I chose them. I mean, on and off, we've been working on this for over a year, thinking about people, who would be interesting. Most are over 60. They're quite well known and they're very different in their fields. Did you know your subjects personally before you interviewed them? I knew them from Istanbul. I didn't actually know them all, but I gained introductions to them and said I wanted to shoot a documentary and [asked them to participate]. I was refused twice, three times actually, but that was okay. Istanbul is a city of three empires: Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, so it has seen a lot of culture. The artists were chosen because they didn't refute their communities. They accepted what they were. They had become aware of their cultural heritage and where they stood because otherwise there would have been no point in interviewing them, would there? I didn't make a film about just any artists. I made a film about artists from different communities living in Istanbul. How did those artists feel that Istanbul affected their work? You can see it when they speak. They just can't get away. They're very influenced and it's hard. They get inspiration from it. And how about you? Do you get inspiration from the city? Yes. I love it. I love Istanbul. I complain, but I love it. I discover something new every day. But, of course I complain: the traffic, the crowds. But it's my home, really. The Colours of Cultural Diversity (Annie Geelmuyden-Pertan), Swedish Consulate (Istiklal Cad. 247, Tünel, Beyo¤lu), December 2.
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Tales of Beyo¤lu
In a completely different light, Amanda Burell's Tales of Beyo¤lu focuses on the contemporary arts scene in that beloved area. Burrell got a History Degree from Cambridge but turned to Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths College in London where she wrote about Muslims in Britain. Since then, she has produced, directed and filmed broadcast television and documentaries. She says her film has been a work in progress since her first visit to Istanbul in 1995 and it includes interviews with artists like Habib Gerez, Imge Öz Bilge and Vehef Aflar. Who have you been talking to you for your project? There's quite a few people we've been filming to try to get a sense of Beyo¤lu, so there's some main characters and some secondary characters. For example, there's this metalworker called Arto who lives with what he does and is a real inventor. I've been filming with the music group, Beyo¤lu Çocuklar, who became quite famous on Pop Idol but first played in the streets, so they're a big success story. There's Zeynep Ökmen who's preparing her fall collection. Basically, I'm trying to film a wide range of characters from different ages, from different backgrounds, to show the texture of Beyo¤lu. What do you say that is? I think it's a place that's in constant flux. It's a mosaic, but it's constantly changing. There's a lot
There's a lot of artistic energy focused here and I wanted to see why that was ...It's crossed my mind many times that Beyo#lu would make a fascinating film of artistic energy focused here and I wanted to see why that was. I think it's partially because historically, different cultures have had to live together and have had to try to learn how to live together, so I think it's being exposed to different influences, ways of thinking about the world that expands boundaries. Where did you get the idea to do this film? When I came to Istanbul about 15 years ago, I fell in love with it. It actually took me a bit of time to come to Beyo¤lu, but when I got to know it eight years ago, I was very drawn by its very spontaneous energy. There seemed to be a kind of freedom here where people expressed themselves
artistically. I'm very interested in that. In coming here over the years, I've started to get to know it all. You start to realize the amount of fascinating people passing through the area. In a way, it's very strange because it's very different from the rest of Turkey. Why did you choose now to do this film? You've been here for 15 years and probably sooner than now you had a good handle on what this place was. On a very practical level, it's because I was sponsored by Istanbul 2010 Capital Cultural Agency. It's crossed my mind many times that Beyo¤lu would make a fascinating film. I lived in India for two years but I'm mainly based in Britain and it's very hard to get funding for films about foreign stories. I think that now, Beyo¤lu's very interesting because Turkey's in a very interesting place in the world today. So, given the kind of issues that are playing out in the world and the sweeping generalizations of West, East and Islam, it occupies a very interesting position. Istanbul, in a way, is the cultural centre of Turkey. You can argue that Beyo¤lu is at the heart of that. Another reason that I wanted to do this film is because I wanted to show Turkey in a different light from the stereotypes that dominate society. I think that documentaries make people think again and become more aware of the world. Tales of Beyo¤lu (Amanda Burell), Pera Museum (Meflrutiyet Cad. 65, Tepebafl›, Beyo¤lu), December 28, 19.00.
December 2010 Time Out ‹stanbul 29