Turkish cinema is deeply saddened by the loss of master director, producer and screenwriter Ali Özgentürk, who has created unforgettable works. Özgentürk, who passed away at the age of 79, was announced by his brother, famous journalist and documentary producer Nebil Özgentürk, on social media. Nebil Özgentürk drew attention to his brother’s 50-year career dedicated to cinema and the fact that he directed unforgettable films such as “Hazal” and “At”, and reminded that he was also the screenwriter of the film “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım”. Emphasizing that his brother made great contributions to his life and career, brother Özgentürk expressed his deep sorrow.
Condolence Message from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism also issued a condolence message following the death of Ali Özgentürk. The ministry’s message read, “We have learned with deep sorrow of the passing of Ali Özgentürk, the master director, screenwriter and producer of Turkish cinema. Özgentürk, who has written the scripts of unforgettable works such as ‘Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım’ and made valuable contributions to our cinema with films such as ‘Hazal’, ‘At’ and ‘Bekçi’, made significant contributions to the development of Turkish cinema throughout his artistic life. May God have mercy on our valuable artist; we offer our condolences to his family, loved ones and the cinema community.”
Emotional Farewell from Türkan Şoray, Star of “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım”: “She Was the Conscience of Our Turkish Cinema”
Master artist Türkan Şoray, the lead actress of “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım” (Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım), one of the unforgettable works of Turkish cinema, whose script was written by Ali Özgentürk, also expressed her deep sorrow upon Özgentürk’s passing. In her statement, Şoray said that Ali Özgentürk was “the conscience of our Turkish cinema.” These words strikingly summarized Özgentürk’s deep devotion to cinema, his artistic stance, and his lasting impact on Turkish cinema.
Funeral Program Announced
The funeral program for Ali Özgentürk has also been finalized. The first ceremony for the master filmmaker will be held today (May 16) at 14.00:17 at the historic Atlas Cinema in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. The second ceremony will be held tomorrow (Saturday, May 11.00) between 12.00:17-XNUMX:XNUMX at the Adana Metropolitan Municipality City Theater in Adana, the city where Ali Özgentürk was born. Ali Özgentürk's funeral will be held at the Akkapı Cemetery in Adana following the noon prayer on Saturday, May XNUMX.
Controversial Statements and a Rich Career
In an interview he gave to Habertürk in 2022, Ali Özgentürk said that the scripts of the films "Endişe" and "Sürü", which are considered among the important works of Turkish cinema and won awards, belonged to him, not to Yılmaz Güney as was known and written on the posters. These statements revealed Özgentürk's sensitivity to artistic ownership and some of the breaking points in his career.
Throughout his career, Ali Özgentürk wrote the scripts of 9 films and directed 14 important productions. He also produced 8 movies, making versatile contributions to Turkish cinema.
A LOOK AT ALI ÖZGENTÜRK'S CAREER
MOVIES HE WROTE AS A SCREENWRITER:
- Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım
- Hazal
- Naked
- Love with Gravity
- Letter
- Secret
- Time of the Heart
- Crab Game
- Unseen
MOVIES HE PRODUCED:
- At
- Guard
- Water Also Burns
- Naked
- I Love You Rosa
- Letter
- Crab Game
- Unseen
MOVIES HE DIRECTED:
- Ferhat
- Forbidden
- Hazal
- At
- Guard
- Water Also Burns
- Naked
- Love with Gravity
- Letter
- Secret
- Balalayka
- Time of the Heart
- Crab Game
- Unseen
The film “Bekçi”, directed and produced by Ali Özgentürk, is the first Turkish film to be selected for the competition section of the Venice Film Festival. Özgentürk has been honored with many prestigious awards in Türkiye and internationally throughout his career. These awards are considered an important indicator of his contribution to cinema and his artistic success.
He displayed exemplary behavior by donating the copyrights of his works to Darüşşafaka
Ali Özgentürk’s life and art were as admirable as his humanitarian side. In 2022, the master director donated the material and moral copyrights of all his films and over 70 unfilmed scripts to the well-established educational institution Darüşşafaka Society with a meaningful donation. This exemplary behavior clearly demonstrated the importance Özgentürk gave to education and his responsibility towards society. He made the donation so that his works, which he described as “my life,” would contribute to the education of Darüşşafaka children in the future.
A Life Story Extending from Adana to Yeşilçam
Ali Özgentürk was born in Adana in 1945 as the first child of Süleyman and Cemile Özgentürk. Özgentürk spent his childhood in his father's barber shop, where he had the opportunity to meet important intellectuals of the period such as Yaşar Kemal and Abidin Dino. The dialogues he established with these names played an important role in the formation of Ali Özgentürk's world of thought at a young age.
Özgentürk, who started writing poems and stories during his middle school years, became the leading actor in school plays thanks to his impressive voice. One of the turning points in his life was when he saw an advertisement by the Adana State Theatre, “Child actors wanted” while walking down the street. Özgentürk, who participated in the auditions upon this advertisement, took his first step into theatre with the play “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”.
Ali Özgentürk, who became one of the child actors of Adana State Theatre, later staged many plays while studying at Adana Boys' High School and volunteered to help students at Adana Girls' High School with theatre. During this period, Özgentürk, who joined the staff of Adana State Theatre, gave his first salary to his father Süleyman Özgentürk so that his siblings could receive a good education.
In the same years, Ali Özgentürk founded the Adana Youth Culture Association Theatre and staged various plays in small neighbourhoods and villages of Adana with his friends. However, his passion for theatre was interrupted by an incident following the coup of May 27, 1960. While performing the play “Pusuda” in Ocaklı Village, he was detained by the gendarmes at the age of 15 and spent a week in detention. Later, when he met Oğuz Aral and Osman Arolat, who came to Adana with a pantomime group, Ali Özgentürk opened a new page in his life and led him towards Istanbul and the world of cinema.
Ali Özgentürk, who won the Istanbul University Faculty of Letters, Department of Philosophy and Sociology in 1966, continued his education in Istanbul. During this period, Fakir Baykurt and Sermet Çağan, who founded the Turkish Teachers' Union Theater TÖS, supported Ali Özgentürk when they learned that he was looking for a job. Özgentürk, who took part in one of the important plays of TÖS, "Ayak Bacak Fabrikası", also worked as Sermet Çağan's assistant.
Ali Özgentürk, who quickly became a well-known name in the theater world, later appeared on stage in plays by Ulvi Uraz Theater and Arena Theater. The offer to portray the character of "Haceli" in the play "Yılanların Öcü", adapted from the famous novel by Fakir Baykurt, was an important indicator of the trust in Ali Özgentürk and how great an artist he would become in the future.
Ali Özgentürk, who also served as the head of theater at the Turkish National Student Federation Culture Commission during the same period, took theater outside of its traditional stage concept and took it to the streets in 1968. He founded the first street theater in Türkiye, Devrim İçin Hareket Theater, to tell workers and peasants about their rights and to show the effect of theater on the human soul. The theater's cast consisted of important names such as Can Yücel, Kuzgun Acar, Sadık Karamustafa, Doğan Soyumer, Engin Ayça and later his life partner Işıl Türkben. Özgentürk shaped the subjects of his plays by talking directly to workers and peasants and learning their problems and demands.
At Ali Özgentürk's Revolution for Action Theater, which also served as a school, important thinkers and musicians such as Selahattin Hilav, Fethi Naci, İdris Küçükömer, and Vasıf Öngören gave lectures on various fields such as literary theory, poetry analysis, aesthetics, philosophy, and political science on Fridays and Sundays. This was a period in which Özgentürk came to the fore not only as an artist, but also as an intellectual and unifying figure.
Later turning to cinema, Ali Özgentürk worked as an assistant to two important masters of Turkish cinema, Atıf Yılmaz and Yılmaz Güney, on many films, gaining significant experience in the cinema kitchen. These experiences played an important role in his creation of his own cinema and the development of an original directorial approach. Ali Özgentürk's death is considered a great loss for Turkish cinema. Özgentürk, who created unforgettable works throughout his artistic life and inspired young generation filmmakers, will always be remembered with respect in the history of Turkish cinema.
