The 2017 Boston Turkish Film Festival, part of the overall Boston Turkish Festival, continues today at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with two more Turkish-connected premieres. BTFF is unique among the BSAF season as it is split over a number of days and several weeks of programming, and eCinemaBoston is where you want to be to get the lowdown on what’s going on with films that celebrate Turkish filmmakers. The festival also presents a series of concerts throughout the festival as well.
Today’s lineup starts with the World Premiere of Private Cemetery, directed by Talip Karamahmutoglu. Here’s the info from the BTFF Website:
Ejder went to Germany as an unqualified laborer, but soon found his calling as a gravedigger. Years later, returning to his hometown Dalyan after the death of his father, and struck by the new, million-dollar homes of the foreigners in his village, he has an idea. Rather than burying these rich people in the ordinary village cemetery, Ejder promises every one of them infinite life after death, buried under olive trees (which symbolize immortality). His philosophy? “You can tell a lion from where he dwells.” But as his “prestige” graveyard business goes from strength to strength, he must confront the tragic story of Bektaş, who moved to the village much later …
The world premiere screening of Private Cemetary will be followed by North American premiere of Wedding Dance, directed by Cigdem Sezgim; here’s the synopsis from the BTFF website:
Ahmet, a taxi driver, is about to get engaged to the young girl his mother picks for him. Meanwhile, he embarks on a passionate affair with Leyla, a tailor who also happens to be older than him. While Ahmet’s love for Leyla and Leyla’s wish to confront her past by being with a younger man drag the relationship towards marriage, Leyla’s old flame, Semih, returns to Istanbul from Germany for the first time in 18 years. The main purpose of his visit is to say farewell to his sick mother. But Semih’s return spells big danger for Ahmet and Leyla. From now on nothing will stay the same.
Once again, women filmmakers take center stage on several days, as with Wedding Dance today. Personally, I was unaware that there are a LOT of female directors in the Turkish film community – it’s nice to see that even in parts of the world I remain sadly ignorant of outside of basic knowledge, women are stepping up and putting together quality films that are praised by critics and audiences alike.
As always, all screenings take place at the Museum of Fine Arts. Today’s films are both at the Remis Auditorium; Private Cemetary screens at 5:00 PM, Wedding Dance at 7:30 PM. Tickets for tonight and all the films being presented can be purchased at the MFA website. And don’t forget to check out BTFF’s official website for complete info on all the films coming up!
The Boston Turkish FIlm Festival will continue throughout this weekend and also beyond for a couple more weeks with more films from the Turkish point of view. Be sure to check in with eCinemaBoston each day for film and schedule information. And don’t forget – coverage of the festival will be a part of Subject:CINEMA‘s “Boston Springs A Fethival” two-show super weekend May 20-21 at eCinemaBoston and parent site eCinemaOne…don’t miss it!
See you with more from BTFF tomorrow morning!