Inspirations Turkey
2006, 53min.
Prod./Dir.: Nurdan Arca, Script.: Nurdan Arca, Canan Balan, Cemal Kafadar, Dir. of Phot.: Mete Shener, Compos.: Baba Zula, Edit.: Melih F. Tatlican
While the simplistic assessment of current global strives are regarded as a "clash of civilizations", the film focuses on the enlightened wisdom of the Ottoman sufi Sheikh Bedreddin, who stressed "to know" as opposed "to believe". Bedreddin of Simavna challenged prejudices defending multicultural existence. The documentary unfolds in the quest into his multicultural legacy surviving in the collective memory of the people in the Balkans and in the Middle East, in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia. The film uncovers the identity, sufi philosophy of Bedreddin, at the roots of his opposition to Ottoman orthodoxies, as a metaphore for the present days. The sensitive approach is derived through poetry, the excerpts read from "The Epic of Sheikh Bedreddin" by Nazım Hikmet written at 1936 when Fascism was rising in Europe. The finale does not conclude in ready answers but is rather aimed to inspire the contemporary audience to think.
| Arca, Nurdan Nurdan Arca (born 1948, Antalya, Turkey)
She organized the first short film festival in Turkey in 1968. BA in Economics from Robert College-Istanbul at 1970. Began a Ph.D program on regional development at Brunel University in London in 1971, back to Istanbul after the military coup of 1971. MA in Political Economy at Istanbul University in 1980. She wrote articles for Milliyet Sanat Magazine between 1984-1986. Her first documentary was about the imprisonment of Turkish painter Orhan Taylan. Arca founded independent documentary production company Ajans 21 with Melek Ulagay Taylan in 1992. Produced and directed documentaries within the company. Participated in more than 20 national and international festivals with her documentaries and won 5 prizes as director and producer.
Filmography
There Is a Me within (1970), Paintings of Longing (1986), The Forth Dimension (1993), Music of the Heart (1995), Space Crystals (1996), Time Capsules (1998), In Pursuit of Lost Time (1999), The Encounter (2000), Dostlar Theatre Company (2000), Is Anybody There? (2001), Time Piece (segment “Noon”, 2006), Inspirations (2006), Editing of Sivas ’93 Visuals (2007), Awakening (2009), We, Too, Don’t Judge (Wonders of Istanbul) (2010), Canlar, Alevis/Bektashis (2011)
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