Tivoli Films

HEJAR

'HEJAR' is a film about love, which explores the depths of human relationships. It is a story of Hejar, a Kurdish girl who has lost her entire family in the operations mounted on he village in the southeast of Turkey; and Rifat Bey, a retired but no less authoritarian judge, who is gearing up to move into an Istanbul retirement home. A story of how the paths of these two unlikely characters cross during a raid on the apartment opposite Rifat Bey's. A love story set in the aftermath of Turkey's 15-year civil war when the country rang with the slogan of radical nationalists to "love or leave" the homeland. When the retired judge, who won't tolerate the use of any language but Turkish, and the stubborn Hejar, who speaks only Kurdish, are forced together by circumstances, they begin by viewing each other with contempt. But this slowly dissolves into affection.

Festivals

2003
Tribeca Film Festival in New York

2002
Cologne International Film Festival
Best Script

Cairo International Film Festival (in selection)
Silver Pyramid

Hugarian Film Festival, Budapest

Turkey's Best Foreign Film nominee for the 2002 Oscar Awards

2001
Antalya Film Festival
Best film, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Special Jury Award for the Lead Actress

Ankara Film Festival
Bets Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Most Promising New Actress

Data sheet

Title:
Hejar
Title in Hungarian:
Nagy ember, kis szerelem
Director:
Handan Ipekçi
Screenwriter:
Handan Ipekçi
Director of Photography:
Erdal Kahraman
Music:
Serdar Yalçin
Mazlum Çimen
Editor:
Nikos Kanakis
Sound Master:
Dinos Kittou
Costumes:
György Homonnay
Cem Baseski
Production designs:
M. Ziya Ülkenciler
Natali Yeres
Production Manager:
Sahin Alparslan
Producers:
Handan Ipekçi
Nikos Kanakis
Dénes Szekeres

Cast:
Sükran Güngör,
Ismail Hakki Sen
Dilan Ercetin
Füsün Demirel
Yildiz Kenter

Produced by:
Yeni Yapim Film, Istanbul
Hyperion S.A., Athens
Tivoli-Filmproductions, Budapest

Supported by:
Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary (Magyar Mozgókép Közalapítvány)
TV2,
Eurimages
Cultural Ministry of Turkey
Greek Film Centre

Produced in:
2000.

Technical data

Length:
120 minutes
Technology:
BETA SP
Format:
1:1.85

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