Sefirin Kizi

Engin is a marvelous actor. The script and circumstances were not what he deserved. This was a script written with Engin in mind - he is the headliner. In a nutshell the series title is misleading. The last 15 episodes were markedly better, but the mid-way point of this story really leaves much to be desired. Beren is a wonderful little actress and shined brightly as Melek. The actors that play Halise, Güven, and Kavruk were solid throughout. Additions to the cast for the last 15 episodes were stellar. Those additions added immeasurably to the quality of the show. For those of you watching this series stay the course - the last 15 episodes give you Sancar's metamorphosis. Hold your nose from 16 through 36 and it will be alright...the agony ends and the series improves.

Portrait.

Engin Akyürek, through his spine-shivering acting, brings the story to a whole different level.

Sefirin Kizi Series 2019/2020 by Emre Kabakusak ( Engin as Sancar Efeoglu).

So much has been said about the actor Engin Akyürek. His characters appear at first sight as quite ordinary: cop, peasant, businessman, artist, blacksmith, student and are very much anchored into Turkey everyday life and culture. The stories often talk about social and political issues (Kara papa Ask, Fatmagül, Bir bulut Olsam, Olene Kadar ) with lots of suspense and usually sustained by a passionate epic love story. Intelligent, well built screenplays and filming, indeed a good entertaining cinema.

However, Engin Akyürek, through his spine-shivering acting, brings the story to a whole different level. Filmmakers and cameramen sense it no doubt, who come close to his face, to try and capture the internal shifts of his heart, what comes out of him, when he is acting.

To pay tribute to his talent, you need to take the dust off the words, carve them like you would for gold, come closer, celebrate on paper his shimmering presence.

He is a free spirit in the world of Turkish series. Originally from Ankara, no doubt a child of his own culture, yet, his soul-searching acting is universal, he speaks to each of us. His latest serie, Sefirin Kizi ( the ambassador's daughter) by Emra Kabakusak reveals the actor evolution and psychological maturity.

In my eyes, and very much so in Serifrin Kizi, he takes after the great actors of the silent movie era (Joan of Arc by Karl Dreyer is a good example). Those movies beautifully expressed the character's inner feelings, in a visual poetic way. This is exactly what Engin does, this is his secret. His eyes speak of joy, love, pain, doubt, despair, anger. Intense, he blazes out of the screen, and suddenly, what seemed ordinary or familiar, turns into shimmering light. It takes a star to carry a close up.

I want to portray how he gracefully takes us with him into such emotional depths and how those feelings, like shooting stars, fly from the film set, straight into our heart, leaving us speechless.

Watching him act, is like reading a landscape. Lyrical when he performs, in his acting I see windy islands, rivers, steep slopes, spring softness, dark thunders, sinking boats, storms, starry skies. When Sancar is happy, his soul shines, when he sinks into murderous fury, the dark lakes of his eyes speak of death.

The slightest palpitation on his face, a shiver on his lip and he is back into torment or joy. His whisper a birdsong, his screaming pain, an earth tremor. The distance between him and us so thin, he is a fabulous interpreter of the human soul. He sheds a light on our vulnerability, emotions, torments, what we, vulnerable human beings feel, when confronted to others, when we love.

I do not know where his vital energy, his inner strength come from. Maybe in his life, away from the camera, when he is silent, looking into his soul, maybe when he catches the sound of the wind in the trees, the song of the sea or when he walks with his own people, catching feelings and moods around him. Whatever he does, the result on the screen is mesmerising. He comes back to us, ardent, passionate dark and glowing. A generous, outstanding actor. Visual poet, he sails in the high winds, taking us in his wake.

( Translation from French ) ©Cathie Hubert 2020 Artist, author, designer, French teacher.

Great cast!! Beginning is a nice story but slow scenario. Some episodes repeats same stories, they get dull and boring.

Now sancar literally got stabbed, shot AND THROWN OFF A CLIFF and he's still alive and well but gediz died cause of a car crash??? Who ever wrote this show is dumb and instead of waiting for neslihan to get better you portray her as a bad mom who left her daughter and went off to another country and completely get rid of her character and replaced her with some irrelevant character. No nare no show she's literally in the name 🤷‍♀️ also who the hell first meets and gets married and has a kid in like 15 episodes.. no way sancar forgot about nare that easily.

First of all, I love Engin Akyurek - he was brilliant in Fatmagul and Kara Para Ask. He should have passed on this series. The storyline is paper-thin and is stretched into silly contortions. I couldn't watch series 1 beyond two episodes. Engin and Neslihan have zero chemistry. All Neslihan did was weep copiously. I guess that passes as acting for her. The supporting actors over-act beyond belief and the villians are completely one-dimensional.

Series 2 improves with the addition of Tuba. She and Engin have great chemistry - but again the script is weak and the story just drags on. Kid is great. Pass on this one and re-watch Fatmagul for that Engin magic.