Cinema of Turkey
Turkish cinema, Yeşilçam, was a major global film producer.
The Cinema of Turkey, also known as Turkish cinema or Yeşilçam (Green Pine), refers to the Turkish film art and industry. It is an important part of Turkish culture, flourishing over the years and delivering entertainment to audiences in Turkey, Turkish expatriates across Europe, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and more recently the Arab world. Turkey was the world's 4th biggest producer of cinema during the Yeşilçam era.
- field
- Film art and industry
- nationality
- Turkish
- known_for
- Yeşilçam era; 4th biggest film producer worldwide; first film exhibited in Ottoman Empire in 1896
Lore & Background
The first film exhibited in the Ottoman Empire was the Lumière Brothers' 1895 film L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat, shown in Constantinople in 1896. The first film made in the country was The Weavers (1905) by the Manaki brothers. The earliest surviving film is the 1914 documentary Ayastefanos'taki Rus Abidesinin Yıkılışı by Fuat Uzkınay. The first narrative film is not known for certain. Turkey's first sound film, Bir Millet Uyanıyor, was shown in 1931. Western dramatic elements were incorporated into traditional Turkish theatrical forms such as Meddah, orta oyunu, and Karagöz and Hacivat with the foundations of the Darülbedayi in 1914 and Ankara State Conservatory in 1936.
Reader's Guide
Turkish cinema evolved significantly in the 1960s, becoming the fifth biggest film producer worldwide. Annual film production reached 300 films by the early 1970s. However, the 1970s saw a sharp decline due to TV, video, political turmoil, and economic crises, with ticket sales dropping from 90 million in 1966 to 11 million in 1990. The number of theatres fell from about 2,000 in 1966 to 290 in 1990. Since 1995, the situation improved, with annual ticket sales rising to 20 million after 2000 and theatres increasing to about 500. Turkish films now routinely top blockbuster lists, often surpassing foreign films. The industry remains fragmented, with most films being individual projects by directors who work in television, advertising, or theatre. Distribution is mainly handled by multinational corporations like Warner Bros. and United International Pictures.
Did You Know?
- The first film exhibited in the Ottoman Empire was the Lumière Brothers' 1895 film L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat, shown in Constantinople in 1896.
- The earliest surviving film made in present-day Turkey is the 1914 documentary Ayastefanos'taki Rus Abidesinin Yıkılışı by Fuat Uzkınay.
- During the Yeşilçam era, Turkey was the world's 4th biggest producer of cinema.
- Annual ticket sales peaked at 90 million in 1966, then fell to 11 million in 1990 before recovering to 20 million after 2000.
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