Yeşilçam Has Become 'Karaçam'

The world has gone through difficult periods in every era.

There has always been some form of struggle.

One of the worst was the world war in the heart of Europe, where millions of people died.

Afterward, even the third industrial revolution brought about by computer technologies and technological advancements could not stop these conflicts.

Yet, today, when you look at the sky, it is possible to see dozens of planes with the naked eye. Currently, there are approximately 5 thousand planes in the air, carrying millions of passengers. However, just a hundred years ago, this number was zero.

Despite this, children are still dying under bombs.

We supposedly developed, modernized, and became civilized.

Anyway, our topic is Turkish Cinema.

In those difficult times of the Cold War, when money was very scarce and technological infrastructure was limited, how did it progress, and why do productions and especially lines of dialogue still capture our attention?

Despite the difficulties, Turkish cinema produced hundreds of films.

Of course, there were weak productions like “Civciv Çıkacak Kuş Çıkacak” (The Chick Will Come Out, The Bird Will Come Out); but just as many legendary films were made. Many films made during the difficult years of the communist war are still watched with interest. Even when resources were extremely limited, unforgettable productions were created.

“Zübük” is at the forefront of these. Dozens of films like “Yılanların Öcü” (Revenge of the Snakes), “Gurbet Kuşları” (Birds of Exile), and “Tatar Ramazan” have taken their place in the golden pages of Turkish cinema. Even in the 90s, when we were relatively wealthier, good films were made: “Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak” (Everything Is Going to Be Great), “Entelköy Efeköy’e Karşı” (Entelköy vs. Efeköy), and “Beynelmilel” (The International) are just a few of them.

Ertem Eğilmez, Halit Refiğ, Osman Seden… The Hababam Sınıfı (The Chaos Class) series…

Tarık Akan, Kadir İnanır, Hülya Koçyiğit, Türkan Şoray…

The stars of an era, a school of cinema…

So what happened next?

The roots of Turkish cinema were scorched.

We had supposedly become wealthier. Our gross domestic product had increased 20-fold.

Well then, where are the new productions?

Where are the new actors and actresses?

Yeşilçam has become a desert.

Neither a strong script, nor an unforgettable character…