Metin Erksan Retrospective: Dry Summer / Susuz Yaz (1963)

Filmhuis Cavia is proud to present, in collaboration with our partners at Sonra Film, a full day retrospective of Metin Erksan, the father of modern Turkish cinema! Known for having once said: “The director is the omnipotent, he is the god-like king”, when taking the role of director, Erksan acted like an all-powerful being, refusing to be bound by the stylistic norms of his time, or even of his own previous work. Thanks to this strong-willed creativity, Metin Erksan has not only revolutionized Turkish cinema, bringing a force of renewal which can only be likened to the one brought by the French New Wave, but has constantly experimented and changed styles, as we hope our selection will make you appreciate.

In between the films we will also be happy to give out typical Turkish pastries to keep you fresh and satiated throughout the day!

Click HERE for the full program.
 

Dry Summer (Susuz Yaz)
Metin Erksan | 1963 | Turkey | 90’ | EN subtitles

We start off with Dry Summer, probably Erksan’s most famous work in the West, having won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in 1964. The film takes place in the scorching heat of rural Türkiye, after a greedy tobacco farmer decides to divert the village’s only water source, condemning his neighbours to ruin. As tensions rise under the relentless sun, desire and desperation collide with devastating consequences. Despite being made over 60 years ago, this film truly stands as an incredibly current representation of human greed and environmental degradation. Come and enjoy this version restored by the World Cinema Foundation in collaboration with Ulvi Doğan and Fatih Akın, allowing us to give the film its true glory.