IZU Cinema Club Hosted Director Mesut Uçakan

Celebrated film director Mesut Uçakan met with Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University students. Following a screening of his film Reis Bey, Uçakan engaged in a talk session, answering students' question about the film and his cinematic career.

Known for memorable films from the 1990s suchj as Reis bey, Kelebekler Sonsuza Uçar, Yalnız Değilsiniz, and Ölümsüz Karanfiller, Mesut Uçakan was hosted by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University. The Program titled "Behind the Screen: Reis Bey and Mesut Uçakan," organized by the IZU Cinema Club, took the place at the  Abdullah Tivnikli Conference Hall. Participants had the opportunity to watch the 1988 film Reis Bey, adapted from Necip Fazıl Kısakürek's theatrical work of the same name, and later listen to a talk by the film's director.

"THE SUCCESS OF REIS BEY STEMS FROM THE DEPTH NECIP FAZIL BROUGHT TO THE STORY"
Speaking at the event, which was attended by IZU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Nihat Erdoğmuş along with academic and administrative staff and students, Uçakan responded to question about Reis Bey and his cinematic journey. Explaining that the film continues to attract interest despite the yerars that have passed, Uçakan attributed its success to the profound depth Necip Fazıl brought to the narrative. Reis Bey is the work in which the Master most clearly expresses Islam’s saving role,” he said, adding that all of Necip Fazıl’s works serve this vision.

“I HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN LITERATURE AND CINEMA SINCE SECONDARY SCHOOL”
Sharing that his interest in literature and cinema began during his secondary school years, Uçakan noted that he dreamed of making Reis Bey even at that time. He continued, “The Master’s life story is the story of Turkey’s cultural transformation. Therefore, adapting his works to cinema was a significant necessity. We completed the script for Reis Bey with minimal alterations, making only small revisions to its powerful narrative, and then filmed it.”

“I FACED FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AT EVERY STAGE OF MY FILMS”
Recounting his move to Istanbul for university, where he first became involved in journalism and later cinema, Uçakan emphasized the influence of the National Turkish Students Union (MTTB) Cinema Club on his career. Describing those years as a period of “scarcity,” he stated that he attempted to make films with “ideological consciousness” in an industry he believed was dominated by Hollywood influence. Sharing that he addressed politically sensitive subjects such as headscarf bans, unsolved political murders, and the Hat Reform, and that he openly embraced a religious identity, Uçakan explained that he faced severe financial difficulties at every stage of film production and could not fully realize his cinematic vision due to budget constraints.