Propaganda

I have seen Sinan Cetin's "Propaganda" three times. As a Turkish-American, it is very hard to see films like these at times and a number, like Yesim Ustaolgu's "Gunese Yolculuk/Journey to the Sun" and Zeki Demirkubuz's "Itiraf/The Confession," have alluded me. But, "Propganda" is gentle, yet politically sharp fable. Kemal Sunal, a great Turkish comic actor, moves away from the slpastick that made him an idol and gives a very touching performance here. Metin Akpinar, who was part of a famous duo with Zeki Alasya, is also quite good here. The film deals with Turkish-Kurdish problems which a number of dramas like Yilmaz Guney's "Suru/The Herd" (1978) have dealt with in much more direct fashions. But, unlike Guney's films, "Propaganda" is an all too rare positive film about Turkey. The film admits there are problems in Turkey, but it shows that the spirit of the Turkish people can overcome such obstacles. I do admire Guney, Ali Ozgenturk, Serif Goren, and Zeki Okten. They are great Turkish/Kurdish filmmakers who have made some of the best films in Turkish history. But, it is good to see a Turkish film which has hope and resolve in it. I think this is an underrated film, and is worhty of more deserving praise that it seems to have received.

This is a great film in its own right. I have seen quite a few Turkish films, and this is certainly one of the best. The dialogue is witty, the story-line touching and the historicity of the film touches an area many of us never think of - the development of borders through the middle east.

You can feel for Medhi as he struggles with the dichotomy he faces, the competing pressures make for both difficult choices and black humour. Though there are laugh out loud moments too.

Turkish cinema can be difficult for many Westerns, but this film is not one of these.

A great film - I promise you will enjoy it.

PROPAGANDA is based on a true story that happened in Turkey in 1948. The newly appointed customs officer, Mehdi, comes back to his native village of Hislinisar with an order from Ankara to build a border to separate Turkey from it's Syrian enemies.

The only problem is that the village's only doctor, teacher and prostitute live on the other side, therefore in Syria. Despite this huge mistake, the civil servants blindly obey Ankara's orders without informing the villagers. Soon, the families from the other side, who used to coexist with the other villagers, can only enter Hislinisar with a passport that they can't get. Just like the Berlin Wall, these fences will separate friends, lovers and even sheep. Mehdi has to learn to enforce the law at the detriment of his marriage and friendships.

This movie is hilarious. The ways that Mehdi and the villagers deal with this new border are really funny even though the impact it ultimately has on them is really sad. Overall it's a really refreshing movie.

I gave it a 9/10. I saw it in Turkish with french subtitles. If you ever get a chance to see this great Sinan Cetin film, please do so, it's worth it!

Well another Box-Office Film in Turkey: Propaganda. I think it was one of the films in which you realise that your work is not always so important as your friends. Especially when it's your friend from your childhood and your son is going to marry his daughter. The movie had sacharastic Fun and some Drama in it which is a mark for Sinan Cetin. Well watch the Movie and see it for your self. I give it a rating of 9 points.

I liked this movie in general. It is funny and it mocked of bureaucracy in particular. Anyhow some things were not really realistic. I can't imagine that in a such rural society in west Asia a pregnant girl before marriage would have been so tolerated as in this movie! It shows also some interesting aspects like the arid nature of this region and the nature of its people. I spent a nice time in this movie. I encourage that more movies from that relatively unknown region of the world (middle east- west Asia) should be made