Renowned director Birsen Kaya has passed away

Birsen Kaya, one of Turkey's first female directors, has passed away. The sad news was announced by Kaya's close friend and colleague, Biket İlhan.

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Renowned director Birsen Kaya has passed away

Director, screenwriter, and producer Birsen Kaya has passed away in Istanbul at the age of 81.

The news of Kaya's death was announced by director and producer Biket İlhan on her social media account.

'MAY SHE REST IN PEACE'

İlhan stated, "We have lost Birsen Kaya, one of our first female directors known for her adventure films. She left her mark on 15 films during her cinema journey, which began as an assistant to Halit Refiğ. We had met in previous years at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival. She had recounted the years she worked as a director, the miracles created under those difficult conditions... May our dear friend rest in peace."

Birsen Kaya, who had overcome breast cancer, was battling a brain tumor, anemia, and a goiter condition.

WHO IS BİRSEN KAYA?

Birsen Kaya, one of the first female directors and screenwriters of our cinema, was born in Istanbul in 1943.

After high school, she began her journalism career as a cinema reporter for Artist magazine. During this period, she had the opportunity to work with figures such as Vedat Türkali, Ülkü Erakalın, and Agâh Özgüç, and it was also during this time that she met Halit Refiğ.

She worked behind the camera for the first time as an assistant director on Refiğ's 1964 film Gurbet Kuşları (Birds of Exile). Later, she served as an assistant director on nearly 200 films.

She wrote screenplays for adventure films. Among these, the script for the western-style film Çeko (1970), which was a turning point in Yılmaz Köksal's career, was one of the most notable.

In 1970, she directed for the first time by completing Kanlı Kader (Bloody Fate), which had been left unfinished by Nazmi Özer. During this period, she founded a production company called Ufuk Film.

Birsen Kaya, who always said that "real stories interested her and that she preferred shooting adventure films over love stories," directed 15 films throughout her cinema career.

She was remembered as one of the first female directors of our cinema, alongside Bilge Olgaç and Cahide Sonku.

The four-film Dadaş Rıfat series, for which she also wrote the screenplay, received widespread attention at the time.

During the period when adventure films were most popular, she became one of the sought-after directors of Yeşilçam with films such as the comic book adaptation Killing Ölüm Saçıyor (Killing Spreads Death, 1971), Vur Kır Geç (Hit Break Pass, 1972), and Hedefte Beş Adam (Five Men on Target, 1972).

FILMS SHE DIRECTED

Among the films she directed are İntikam Derler Adıma (They Call Me Revenge, 1970), Sevimli Serseri (Cute Vagabond, 1970), Sana Allah Acısın (May God Have Mercy on You, 1970), Aşkolsun (Bravo, 1971), Kanunsuz Yaşayanlar (Those Who Live Outside the Law, 1971), Kirli Eller (Dirty Hands, 1971), Bitirim Kemal (1972), and Şeftalisi Ala Benziyor (1975).

News Source: 12punto