THE SECRET FACE
Original Title: Gizli Yuz
Turkey, 1991
Director: Omer Kavur
Based on Orhan Pamuk’s book Kara Kitap (The Black Box) this film is an abstract and surrealist journey, recounting the story of a young photographer who is hired by a beautiful and mysterious woman to take pictures of the faces of men who frequent the night clubs of Istanbul.
For years, the woman has been searching for a particular face in these sad pictures, because 'every sensitive face has a story to tell'. Finally, it is the face of a clockmaker, which attracts her attention.
The photographer finds that she has suddenly left town, and so has the clockmaker. He searches passionately for her. Finding her becomes an obsession.
Screenplay:
Ohran Pamuk
Cinematography:
Erdal Kahraman
Editing:
Mevlut Koçak
Music:
Cahit Berkay
Principal Cast:
Zühal Olçay
Production: Alfa Film / 35mm / colour / 90 mins
Director's bio-note:
Omer Kavur was born in Ankara in 1944. He studied journalism and sociology at the Ecôle des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, then film at the Conservatoire Indépendent du Cinéma Français.
On his return to Turkey in 1971, he made his first film Emine (Yatik Emine) in 1974. A number of his films received awards at the Antalya Film Festival. Blindfold, Desperate Road and Night Journey won prizes given by the Ministry of Culture.
He has also received the Best Turkish Film of the Year award four times at Istanbul. A director of renown, he has won world-wide recognition and several retrospectives of his films have been held in different countries. Kavur, whose films are personal and intimist, is one the most important names in Turkish cinema today. Cinemaya organised a retrospective of his films in 1997.