Big Man, Little Love
| Big Man, Little Love | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Handan İpekçi |
| Written by | Handan İpekçi |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Erdal Kahraman |
| Edited by | Nikos Kanakis |
| Music by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages | Turkish, Kurdish |
Big Man, Little Love (Turkish: Büyük Adam Küçük Aşk, Kurdish: Hêjar) is a 2001 international co-production drama film, written and directed by Handan İpekçi, about an orphaned Kurdish child and a Turkish pensioner thrown together by circumstance. The film, which went on nationwide general release across Turkey on October 19, 2001, won awards at film festivals in Antalya, Cairo, Cologne and Istanbul, including the Golden Orange for Best Film, and was Turkey's submission to the 74th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot
An orphaned Kurdish child (Hêjar) and a Turkish pensioner (Rıfat) are thrown together by circumstance. Rıfat, a widowed retired judge, refuses to get involved in politics. He is forced out of his solitude, when Hêjar the only survivor of a police raid on his Kurdish neighbors, takes refuge at his home. Gradually, he warms up to the kid and decides to reunite her with her family.
Cast
- Şükran Güngör as Rıfat Bey
- Dilan Erçetin as Hêjar
- Füsun Demirel as Sakine (Rojbin)[1]
- Yıldız Kenter as Müzeyyen Hanım
- İsmail Hakkı Şen as Evdo Emmi
Awards
- Golden Orange & Special Jury Awards (Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor & Actress), Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, 2001.
- Silver Pyramid Award, Cairo International Film Festival, 2002.
- Best Screenplay Award, Cologne Mediterranean Film Festival, 2002.
- People's Choice Award, Istanbul International Film Festival, 2003.
See also
- List of submissions to the 75th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Turkish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- ^ Özalp, Harun (2019-07-29). "Devlet, Milliyetçi Türkler ve PKK Kıskacında Kürtler: "Büyük Adam Küçük Aşk" Filminin Sosyolojik Film Eleştirisi Bağlamında Analizi". Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Akademi Dergisi (in Turkish) (1): 37–54. ISSN 2687-2641.
Rıfat Bey önce kendisi Sakine'den Kürtçe öğrenerek, çocuğa Türkçe'yi, Kürtçe ve Türkçe kelimeler üzerinden karşılaştırmalı olarak öğretmeye başlamıştır. Rıfat Bey'in bu eşitlikçi ve anlayışlı tavrı sonuç verir ve Hejar Türkçeyi öğrenmeye başlar. Sakine de çocuğun cesaretiyle ve inadıyla Rıfat Bey'i değiştirdiğini görüp bundan cesaret alarak, Rıfat Bey'e Kürtçe bir isim olan gerçek ismini söyleme cesaretini göstermiştir: Rojbin…
[Mr. Rıfat first learned Kurdish from Sakine himself and then began teaching the child Turkish, using a comparative method with both Kurdish and Turkish words. Mr. Rıfat’s egalitarian and understanding approach proved effective, and Hejar began learning Turkish. Seeing how the child’s courage and determination had influenced Mr. Rıfat, Sakine gained confidence and dared to tell him her real name, a Kurdish name: Rojbin…]
External links
- Hejar at IMDb
- Hejar, Reviewed by Neil Smith, BBC, Jan. 2003.