Film Screenings Begin at Mesher

Mesher, The Story Takes Place in Istanbul exhibition, a selection of films adapted from fictional works in Western literature will be shown. The February program includes an adaptation of Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando, Curtis Bernhardt's adaptation of Claude Farrère's novel The Killing Man and adaptation by Karel Zeman Baron Prášil – The Magnificent Baron Munchausen The screening program, which will begin with a presentation by cinema critic Mehmet Açar, will continue until the end of the exhibition.

Meşher, Istanbul's leading interdisciplinary exhibition space, opened its doors on January 23 The Story Takes Place in Istanbul is starting the film screenings planned for its new exhibition in February. The film selection consists of some productions adapted for the big screen from the books in the exhibition curated by Ebru Esra Satıcı and Şeyda Çetin.

The selection will begin with a presentation by cinema critic Mehmet Açar on Friday, February 7 at 17.00:XNUMX. Açar will emphasize the importance of the films in the selection in terms of cinema history and culture, and will also convey the originality of these productions and their contributions to cinema to the participants.

Following the presentation, at 17.30:XNUMX, Virginia Woolf Orlando The film of the same name, adapted from the novel, will be screened.

Opportunity to discover or remember Orlando

In 20, Virginia Woolf, one of the leading intellectuals of the 1928th century, Orlando The novel offers a critical look at the history of English literature and the position of women in literature. The novel is a fictional biography of a young aristocrat who is interested in literature.

Orlando was adapted for the big screen in 1992. The co-production directed by Sally Potter stars Tilda Swinton in the lead role. The protagonist of the book and film, Orlando, is a 16-year-old boy in Elizabethan England in the 16th century. King Charles II sends Orlando to Istanbul as his ambassador, and it is here that the crucial transformation in the narrative takes place: Orlando wakes up one morning as a woman, and with his gender change, he faces restrictions and difficulties he was not familiar with. The book ends in 1928, with Orlando continuing his life as a woman.

In the film's script, which deviates from the book in some places, Istanbul is not mentioned and Orlando is assigned to an unknown Eastern country. Although somewhat distant from Woolf's fiction, Potter's Orlando has become a household name with Tilda Swinton's performance, winning more than 30 international awards worldwide and receiving two Oscar nominations.

In pursuit of a murder

Author Claude Farrère The man who is assassin Based on the novel The Man, The Mord Beginning The screening of the film will take place on Saturday, February 22 at 15.00:XNUMX.

In the novel, which is in the form of the diary of an aristocratic French military attaché, Renaud de Sévigné, who starts his duty in Istanbul, conveys the city and its diplomatic circles with a romantic intrigue. The story ends on the Orient Express at the end of the events that develop in an environment full of conspiracies and crimes.

The novel has been adapted for stage and screen many times. Curtis Bernhardt's 1930 German film The Man, The Mord Beginning It is generally faithful to the story of the book. It differs from other film adaptations of the book by being shot on location in Istanbul.

The Magnificent Baron Munchausen

The third film to be screened in February is Karel Zeman's 1961 Czechoslovakian production Baron Prášil – The Fabulous Baron Munchausen The film will meet with the audience on Friday, February 28th at 17.00:XNUMX.

Rudolf Erich Raspe Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvelous Travels and Campaigns in Russia The main character of the film, Baron, is a brave, intelligent and sarcastic character, known for his boundless imagination and surreal adventures.

The inspiration for the character Baron Munchausen was Hieronymus Carl Friedrich Freiherr von Münchhausen, a German officer who lived in the 18th century and fought alongside the Russian regiment in the campaigns against the Ottoman Empire. The Baron contributed to his fame by telling his own stories in an exaggerated manner during his lifetime, and his narratives spread by word of mouth, completely disconnecting from reality. These stories made Baron Munchausen one of the most unforgettable figures in Western fiction, and his adventures were eventually adapted into various branches of art, especially cinema.

Participation in the film screenings at Meşher is free of charge. Registration is required and the number of participants is limited. Don't forget to reserve your place by sending an e-mail to kayit@mesher.org!

You can follow Meşher's website and social media accounts for details of the film screenings that will continue until the end of the exhibition.

Movie credits

  • Orlando

Director: Sally Potter

United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, France, Netherlands, 1992

  • Der Mann, Der Den Mord Beging (The Man Who Killed)

Director: Kurt Bernhardt

Screenplay: Heinz Goldberg, Hermann Kosterlitz, Harry Kahn

Germany, 1930

  • Baron Prášil – The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (Baron Prášil – The Fabulous Baron Munchausen)

Director: Karel Zeman

Czechoslovakia, 1961