Mustafa (film)
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| Mustafa | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Can Dündar |
| Written by | Can Dündar |
| Edited by | Candan Murat Özcan |
| Music by | Goran Bregović |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates | October 29, 2008 |
Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country |  Turkey |
| Language | Turkish |
Mustafa is a 2008 Turkish documentary directed and written by Can Dündar and produced in Turkey. It's about the Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's personal life, the founder and the first president of the Republic of Turkey. This is the first documentary covering Atatürk's life from his early years to his death. The film's release coincided with the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey.
Synopsis
The film contains no revelations about his personal life. "Mustafa" is the first film that depicts the private side of the deified leader. The film depicts the authoritarian character of Atatürk, his military genius, his progressive ideas that inspired major political, economic and cultural reforms.
Production
The production of this documentary had strong challenges. The 56-Year Story of the unmade Ataturk Film made actors grown old waiting for the role. Some of the reported efforts by Antonio Banderas, Kevin Costner and Yul Brynner. Goran Bregović is the author of music for the movie.
Nine million euros were spent on the movie. Nine months of shooting were made in Thessalonica, Berlin, Damask, Sofia and Carlsbad.
Cast
Gökhan Akyüz, Bahadır Yazıcı, Burak Onaran, Ediz Mehmedali , Aleksandar Korlevski, Geprgios Chondragiannis, Onur Aymergen.
Criticisms
Atatürk's personal story is not broadly known in the West. The criticism is based on the level of his portrayal, if it is factual or not. It is a largely sympathetic portrayal. The movie included scenes showing him susceptible to depression and fond of women and alcohol. It is claimed that these scenes degraded the historical significance and served the interests of Islamists.
Turkish Mr. Dundar questioned the official line. He opened up painful debates on topics that have long been considered closed. The film, according to his critics, showed that Atatürk smoked up to three packs a day and drank great quantities of alcohol that led to his death of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 57. Turks, of the period, are known to consume large quantities of Turkish coffee and Turkish tobacco. At the end of his life, the revolutionary is portrayed as a frail man who had sank into deep depression and sought solace in the company of various women.
The director has said that the film reveals the face of a genuine and sensitive leader. Turkish cultural minister has also spoken in defense: “He was a human being just like the rest of us, with his hopes, disappointments, his demons and moments of happiness.”
Prof. Ahmet Ercan and Prof. Orhan Kutal, the heads of anti-smoking groups, filed a complaint arguing that the chain-smoking and heavy drinking portrayed in the movie is the advertisement of cigarette companies. Nationalists were angry that the boy who played his early years in the documentary was a Greek boy.
Awards and reception
During the first week of its release in Turkey shown in more than 200 theaters. The film watched by 772,694 people in the first 12 days. Some of its critics used the media to discourage people from seeing it. Turkcell, Turkey's main mobile phone provider, pulled out of a sponsorship deal for fear of irritating subscribers. Some media referred to Bregovic as “a Bosnian musician”, while others modified his name to “Zoran”, but his music was praised.
The movie is screened during the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany on October 16 2008.
