Although I don’t understand why should we categorize films as national or transnational, it is obvious that this type of analysis somehow needed and used to categorize films. It is a crucial point that in what terms we could call a film national or transnational. Is it the director or screenwriter or producer or the editing crew that make a film national or transnational? I think this kind of analysis should be made both in concept wise and economic wise, and decided on which made that film “that film”.
When I thought about the national films in terms of story and concept, the most (recently) applicable films that fits to the description of national films in my mind is Köprüdekiler / Men on the Bridge (Of course now, I don’t count Yılmaz Güney’s films). When I search about the production and when look into the details of the film crew, I came across with lot of names from other countries. And that raise the question whether or not “Köprüdekiler / Men on the Bridge” is national or transnational.
In terms of script and direction, it is obvious that Köprüdekiler is a national film. It is a story about lives of people who have a common that is the Bogaziçi Bridge. We see different lives, different stories of people, however they all have some kind of a relationship with the Bogaziçi Bridge. When you watch the film, you feel like you are very familiar with the people or with the stories of them. Because the theme is Turkey actually. I don’t think that there is another place like Bogaziçi Bridge in another place and therefore there are no children on that nonexistent bridge selling flowers. This is all “Turkish”. Whole film is therefore Turkish.
Additionally, in terms of the cast, it is totally national. Most of the characters are the real characters of the real stories. Children who are selling flowers on the bridge is actually selling flowers on the bridge in their lives. You can easily come across with them at the bridge. The couple that has problems about their marriage are also real. So that cast is totally national, too.
But what about the production and the producer? What about the people supporting the film financially? Fabian Massah (Berlin) is the co-producer of the film and the other producer is Aslı Özge, who is the “creator” of the film. I said creator because she is the one who writes and directs the film. Who is the one go and find those characters on the bridge talk to them and make them act in her film. She is the one who go and save the boys from police when they are arrested because since they don’t have and IDs. However, since Fabian Massah is the co producer, is this movie transnational? Since it is also supported from international sources, and since there are people from Berlin in the crew, is this film transnational?
And also, it is showed in Bruger Novo Cinema Festival, Premiers Plans d’Angers Film Festival International Rotterdam Festival, Rennes Clair-Obscur Film Festival International Belgrad Festival, is this film transnational?
Since it is the co-production of
ENDORPHINE PRODUCTION
YENI SINEMACILIK
KALIBER FILM
BAYERISCHER RUNDFUNK
ZDF/3SAT
RUSH HOUR FILMS
should it write Turkey-Germany-Netherlands Film on the web pages?
I am not a big fan of the origins, or I am not a person who tries to make borders between nationalities, and also I am not a nationalist at all but if we need to categorize films as national and transnational, those questions should be asked.
PS: It is also funny that the official website is www.menonthebridge.com not köprüdekiler.com. And when you go in to that web page, you come across with the “international” poster of the film. Another question here, huh?