9th Boston Turkish Festival
Colors of Turkey
October 29 - November 30, 2004
Welcome to the Festival

Program Summary
TURKISH REPUBLIC DAY CEREMONY

Turkish Republic Day is Friday, October 29th. Join us to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Republic and opening of the 9th annual Boston Turkish Festival.

 
Friday, October 29 at 12:30 p.m.

Jewish Costumes in the Ottoman Empire is a selection of illustrations depicting traditional Jewish attire in the Ottoman Empire in the 16th to the 19th Centuries. The exhibit, the dream of Turkish curator Silvyo Ovadya, was created by tezhip artists based on old postcards of Ottoman Jewish clothing. The paintings have been brought to the United States with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey and will travel to key cities around the country as part of a year-long program dedicated to highlighting the history, culture and traditions of two peoples who have lived together in friendship for centuries, The Jews in Turkey: Living in Harmony Throughout the Ages. In the early 1980's Curator Sylvio Ovadya began collecting books and old postcards containing examples of Ottoman Jewish clothing, but it was not until 1999, walking around a handicrafts bazaar at Fez House in Eyup that he discovered a number of miniatures depicting Ottoman Jews, and it was these, which helped him realize a project he had been dreaming of for years. In his introduction to the exhibition catalogue, he writes: "The story of the Jews of Turkey is a fascinating one, for its rich and multi-layered history. We know that there was a large number of Jews living in Istanbul as far back as Byzantine times, and that the Turkish tribes encountered Jews on their arrival in Anatolia. Ottoman Jewry expanded dramatically in the late 1490s with the expulsion of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews. These Sephardi settlers brought with them new cultural elements which enriched the community, but unfortunately, not much has survived from this era of Jewish history."

The Art Exhibition is organized in cooperation with the American Sephardi Federation, the Jewish Community in Turkey, the Turkish American Cultural Society of New England, and the Turkish Graduate Student Association at Northeastern University, as a part of the 9th Boston Turkish Festival. 

November 4 - 18
 
Opening: Thursday, November 4 6pm-8pm
Visiting Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 5pm-7pm
Saturday-Sunday 1pm-5pm
Gallery Lounge, Curry Center, Northeastern University, Boston         
Directions
 
"COLORS OF TURKEY"
Traditional Music and Dances from Anatolia
Hasan Isikkut Ensemble & Collage Dance Ensemble
Artistic Director and Choreographer: Ahmet Luleci

You will have an opportunity to enjoy dance steps of Collage and tunes of the Hasan Isikkut Ensemble in "Colors of Turkey". 

Collage will perform dances from different geographical regions of Turkey, such as Bolu (Central Anatolia), Bingol (Eastern Anatolia), Artvin (Northeastern Anatolia), as well as a part from Ahmet Luleci's award winning choreography "Balkan Blues".

About Collage Dance Ensemble          About Hasan Isikkut Ensemble          About the Dances

 
Saturday, November 6 at 8 p.m.
Ballroom, Curry Center, 2nd Floor, Northeastern University, Boston
"BOSTON'DA TURKIYE RENKLERI" -- HurriyetUSA
EXHIBITION: OIL ON CANVAS BY MERAL YILDIZ

The artist believes that existence is realized through absence. Only in the sacrifice of our egos and our carnal desires - concepts that make up our narcissistic nature - can we truly transcend to a higher plane of existence. Using stains, signs and abstract figures together with color and light, she exhibits her unique composition. The artist takes us on a silent voyage through her canvas to experience another plane of existence.

 
November 19 - 24
Opening: Friday, November 19 6pm-9pm
Visiting Hours: Monday-Tuesday 4pm-7pm
Wednesday 12pm-4pm
Saturday-Sunday 10am-5pm
Gallery Lounge, Curry Center, 1st Floor, Northeastern University, Boston
Directions
                Name of the Rose by Meral Yildiz
 
GREEK AND TURKISH HOLY DAYS /
SACRED MUSIC CELEBRATION - II

Last year, in the 8th Boston Turkish Festival,  we had the rare opportunity to host the first "Greek and Turkish Holy Days: Sacred Music Celebration". This year, once again, Greek and Turkish chanters will be singing together Sufi and Byzantine ceremonies as both communities celebrate their holy nights.

 
Friday, November 12 at 8 p.m.
St.Paul's Episcopal Church, Brookline
BOSTON'DA TURK VE YUNAN MUZIKLERI BULUSTU - HurriyetUSA
AN EVENING WITH JON DAMIAN - BILGEHAN TUNCER GUITAR DUO

Come and enjoy this rare performance by two guitar masters

                           

 
Tuesday, November 30 at 8 p.m.
Tower Auditorium, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston
Conveniently located on the Green Line - E  train, Longwood Station (one stop after the Museum of Fine Arts)

 

 

CONTEMPORARY TURKISH DOCUMENTARIES:

Co-presented with Harvard Film Archive
 
THE COLLECTOR
Koleksiyoncu
  
 
Directed and produced by Pelin Esmer
 
2002, 45 minutes
In Turkish with English subtitles
 
Winner of the Best Documentary Award
in the Roma Independent Film Festival, Italy (2004)

This documentary portrays a passionate collector who has gathered everything imaginable for over 70 years, who has lived in his house as a guest of his collected items, as he almost tries to freeze time through his collections. Director Pelin Esmer, camera in hand, follows her uncle - The Collector - around some of Istanbul's most crowded streets in a passionate quest for items to add to his collection. Esmer shot the film with no script or shooting plans, opting instead to follow her uncle to different parts of the city while trying to capture his views on life and the art of collecting.

 
 
Friday, November 26 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 28 at 7 p.m.
 
Harvard Film Archive , Main Auditorium
Carpenter Center for the Arts, Cambridge
 
TAKE ME AND USE ME! - PORTRAIT OF AN ACTOR: NECDET MAHFI AYRAL
Alin Kullanin Beni - Bir Oyuncunun Portresi: Necdet Mahfi Ayral
 
Boston Turkish Festival pays a tribute to Necdet Mahfi Ayral,
a veteran of Turkish theater...
 
Written and directed by Mehmet Gureli
 
Featuring Necdet Mahfi Ayral, Jeyan Mahfi Tozum, Ferhan Sensoy, Sener Sen
 
2003, 45 minutes. In Turkish with English subtitles.

This documentary on Necdet Mahfi Ayral (1908-2004), who was one of the most colorful personalities in theater and cinema, presents prominent cross-sections from the life of the artist. From his early youth to his entrance in the Istanbul Municipal Theater, his film and theater adventure with Muhsin Ertugrul, his dubbing of the films of the famous Italian comedian Toto, and parts from his principal films stand out as the main sections of the documentary. Jeyan Mahfi Tozum, Ferhan Sensoy, Sener Sen, Yavuz Turgul and Kayhan Yildizoglu express their feelings about the master artist.

 
Friday, November 26 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 28 at 7 p.m.
 
Harvard Film Archive, Main Auditorium
Carpenter Center for the Arts, Cambridge

 

 
 
THE HITTITES
Hititler
Written and directed by Tolga Ornek
 
Narrated by Jeremy Irons
 
Cast: Yesim Alic, Haluk Bilginer, Sanem Celik, Gurhan Elmalioglu, Atilla Eroglu, Huseyin Koroglu, Fikret Kuskan, Burak Sergen, Cuneyt Turel
 
2003, 120 minutes. In English.
 
The greatest military and political power of its time...
The most formidable rival of the ancient Egyptians...
The missing cultural link between the ancient East and West...
A 3500-year-old civilization...
The empire that forever changed the landscape of the Near East and the world...
  

The Hittites...

Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons and accompanied by an unforgettable musical score performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra, The Hittites tells the story of a great empire, a testament to one of the most dynamic and turbulent periods in human history: the Late Bronz Age, when the ancients lived by the words, "conquer or be conquered". Filmed in more than 100 days of principal photography in 40 locations across Asia, Europe and Africa with a gifted cast and crew of 400, it is the first feature-length film about this magnificent and mighty civilization. Based in Istanbul, skilled artisans and craftsmen built more than 23,000 props, models, costumes and sets, including a 1/40th scale model of Hattusa, the ancient Hittite capital, full-scale working chariots, and replicas of ancient statuary, pottery, armor and weaponry - making The Hittites one of the most ambitious and comprehensive documentary ever attempted. 

 
Friday, November 26 at 9 p.m.
Saturday, November 27 at 7 p.m.
 
Harvard Film Archive, Main Auditorium
Carpenter Center for the Arts, Cambridge
 
THE SONGS OF NAZIM HIKMET
Nazim Hikmet Sarkilari
Directed by Mehmet Eryilmaz
 
With: Ruhi Su, Sumeyra Cakir, Cem Karaca, Timur Selcuk, Zulfu Livaneli, Inci Cayirli, Esin Afsar, Emin Igus
 
2000, 72 minutes. In Turkish with English subtitles.

 
This documentary aims to bring the works of Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet to life using modern voices, introducing younger generations to his poems. The film explores just seven of the hundreds of songs based on Nazim Hikmet's poems. The songs are performed by famous Turkish singers and musicians - Ruhi Su, Sumeyra, Zulfu Livaneli, Cem Karaca, Inci Cayirli, Esin Afsar and Timur Selcuk - and are accompanied by visual interpretations in the style of music videos. The film conveys Nazim Hikmet's personality as well as his love for his country and people while remaining stylistically faithful to his work. 
 
Saturday, November 27 at 9 p.m.
Sunday, November 28 at 9 p.m.
 
Harvard Film Archive, Main Auditorium
Carpenter Center for the Arts, Cambridge
 
 
Colors of Turkey
October 29 - November 30, 2004

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Friday, October 29 12:30 p.m. Turkish Republic Day Celebration
November 4 - 18 See details Jewish Costumes in the Ottoman Empire: Art Exhibit
November 19 - 24 See details Exhibition: Oil on Canvas by Meral Yildiz
Saturday, November 6 8 p.m. Colors of Turkey: Traditional Music and Dances from Anatolia
Friday, November 12 8 p.m. Greek and Turkish Holy Days/Sacred Music Celebration II
Friday, November 26 7 p.m. Take Me and Use Me! - Portrait of an Actor: Necdet Mahfi Ayral
7 p.m. The Collector
9 p.m. The Hittites
Saturday, November 27 7 p.m. The Hittites
9 p.m. The Songs of Nazim Hikmet
Sunday, November 28 7 p.m. Take Me and Use Me! - Portrait of an Actor: Necdet Mahfi Ayral
7 p.m. The Collector
9 p.m. The Songs of Nazim Hikmet
Tuesday, November 30 8 p.m. An Evening with Jon Damian - Bilgehan Tuncer Guitar Duo

 

 This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a municipal agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

 

Service Mark Advisory:
Boston Turkish FestivalSM , Turkish FestivalSM and Turkish American FestivalSM are registered service marks of the Boston Turkish Festival.