Ertem Eğilmez

Ertem Eğilmez was born on February 18 1929 in Trabzon He is a legendary director producer and screenwriter who changed the course of Turkish cinema leaving his mark on Yeşilçam the Turkish film industry with his Arzu Film school and captivating millions with films that both amused and moved audiences to tears After graduating from Istanbul Universitys Faculty of Economics Eğilmez worked in various trades including running a grocery store His entry into the art world began in 1954 with the founding of Çağlayan Publishing House with Refik Erduran Here he introduced innovation to the publishing world by printing Türkiyes first popular pocket books His passion for cinema led him to producing with the film Avare Mustafa in 1961 and directing with Fatoşun Fendi Tayfuru Yendi in 1964 However the real step that would make Ertem Eğilmez a legend was the founding of Arzu Film with Nahit Ataman in 1964 Arzu Film quickly became one of the most important production companies in Turkish cinema Especially in the 1970s Eğilmez created a cinema family with a loyal cast of actors around him Names like Münir Özkul Adile Naşit Kemal Sunal Tarık Akan Halit Akçatepe Şener Şen Ayşen Gruda Zeki Alasya and Metin Akpınar became the cornerstones of this family Eğilmezs directorial genius lay in his ability to skillfully manage large casts and tell warm and sincere stories that resonated with the audience His films often explored themes of we family ties friendship and neighborhood culture He achieved great success with films like Senede Bir Gün Sev Kardeşim and Tatlı Dillim In Köyden İndim Şehire and Salak Milyoner he combined social satire with comedy Mavi Boncuk depicted the solidarity of a group of friends while Bizim Aile and Neşeli Günler portrayed the bittersweet challenges of being a family With Canım Kardeşim he created one of the most poignant dramas in Turkish cinema history However his most important project which immortalized him was undoubtedly the Hababam Sınıfı series adapted from the work of Rıfat Ilgaz The films he directed Hababam Sınıfı The Mischievous Class Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı The Mischievous Class Failed and Hababam Sınıfı Uyanıyor The Mischievous Class Awakens went down in history not only as a comedy series but also as a critique of society and a parody of the education system These films have become cult classics watched repeatedly by audiences of all ages even today Although he took a break from cinema for a while in the 1980s he made a magnificent farewell with his last film Arabesk in 1988 This film a musical comedy that satirized the arabesque culture and Yeşilçam clichés of the time achieved great box office success Battled with cancer Ertem Eğilmez passed away in Istanbul on September 21 1989 at the age of 60 With dozens of unforgettable films the warm and sincere atmosphere he created and the countless stars he brought to Turkish cinema he will always be remembered with respect and affection not only as a director but also as a peoples artist who could read the hearts of his audience