Kadir Sözen

Born in 1964 in Gaziantep (Turkey) as the child of a working-class family, he emigrates to the Federal Republic of Germany with his family in 1969. From 1986 to 1990, he studies Economics as a scholar of the Hans-Böckler Foundation, working at the same time as a freelance journalist and script writer for several public radio and TV stations, among them the Westdeutsche Rundfunk (WDR). His thorough research work, sensitivity and commitment have earned him many prizes and subsidies for his scripts and features. The IG Metall (union of metalworkers), for instance, awards him its Feature Prize in 1988 for 'Between Bottrop and the Bosporus - Homesickness in Turkish'. In 1990, the Westdeutsche Rundfunk produces Kadir Sözen's first screenplay 'Sehnsucht' ('Yearning'), a movie about the journey back to Germany of two Turkish youths banished to Turkey by their parents. At that time, Kadir Sözen is already writing his screenplay 'Kalte Nächte' ('Freezing Nights'), a story about a group of street kids earning a living with their music and being exploited by their 'manager'. It takes four more years, during which he produces a number of TV features and documentaries, until 'Freezing Nights' financing is secured and the work on his first screen production can begin. At the Adana Film Festival in October 1995, the film is awarded five of eight possible prizes: for 'best movie', 'best director', 'best camera', 'best music' and the Jury's Award for the children's performance. It is awarded numerous other prizes and wards at the Film Festivals of Ankara, Istanbul, Cologne and others. In 1996 and 1997, 'Winterblume' ('Winter Blossom'), Kadir Sözen's second screen production, is invited to numerous international festivals (among them Berlin, Göteborg, Montréal, Atlanta) and wins several awards in Spain, Turkey and Portugal.