SPECIAL | Cinema Diaspora | Echoes of the East
In the 1960s and 70s, Turkey was one of the largest film producers in the world. To meet the high production demand, screenwriters and directors copied scripts and recreated films from around the globe. During this period, the film industry, known as “Yeşilçam” (named after the street in central Istanbul where most of the film companies were located), became infamous for its remakes, remixes, and rip-offs.
Despite limited financial and technical resources and a lack of effective copyright laws, there was a relentless demand for production. This environment led to a practice where stories from films made worldwide—primarily from the US, India, Egypt, and Italy—were freely adapted. Scenes or soundtrack pieces from other films were recycled, and superheroes and iconic characters were “localized.” Cem Kaya’s feature-length documentary Remake, Remix, Rip-Off: About Copy Culture & Turkish Pop Cinema (2014) is an ambitious attempt to tell the complete story of the rise and fall of the notorious Yeşilçam phenomenon.
Spoken Language: Turkish
Subtitles: English
6 Stills
