Turkey bans its own ‘Robin Hood’ film

Press, 19 September 1985, Page 15

Turkey bans its own ‘Robin Hood’ film

The Turkish Government has banned the showing in Turkey of a Peter Ustinov film due shortly to open in the United States. The film, “Memed, My Hawk,” is based on a novel of the same name by the leading contemporary Turkish writer, Yashar Kemal.’ . It had a premiere in London last year, attended by Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. In it Ustinov plays the part of a ruthless landowner, Abdi Aga, whose autocratic rule over an illiterate community is challenged by a young peasant, Memed. The time is 1923, when Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish State, was eradicating feudalism, but before his reforms had reached the remote corner of the

Taurus mountains where the story is set. Driven from his village, Memed joins a goups of bandits and becomes a kind of Robin Hood. He eventually kills the Aga. The film’s Turkish producer, Fuad Kavur, says that the Film Censorship Committee to which it was shown first had given no reason for forbidding the distribution of the film in Turkey. The Turkish distribution company had then appealed to the Superior Film Censorship Committee of the General Directorate of Security, but the appeal had been turned down “unanimously” again without any. reason being given. The banning has startled filmmakers since Kavur’s company,

Peter Ustinov Productions, Ltd, could hardly be accused of Leftwing subversion, and the story of Memed — a recognised Turkish classic — is in conformity with the spirit of Ataturkism. Kavur says: “The banning puts the whole spirit of Ataturk into reverse. I intend to pursue the matter, by legal and every other means, to the bitter end.” The company’s lawyers are now studying the possibility of legal action within the legal framework of the Council of Europe, but are hindered by the fact that under the relevant convention action against Turkey is limited to Governments and excludes firms and individuals. Copyright — London Observer Service.