Erdal Yildiz Movies
- 2000
Opening with a brief glimpse of the childhood friendship between Nils and Turkish-German Tayfun, Freunde quickly cuts to the present day, when the Berlin cafe Tayfun (Erdal Yildiz owns is raided by the police. One of the cops, Nils (Benno Fuermann), does a favor for his old friend by disposing of a stash of drugs; unfortunately, his boss Schenk (Michael Gwisdek) finds out and forces Nils to go undercover and work against Tayfun. While reluctantly spying on his friend, Nils meets up with their old chum Caro (Christiane Paul), who is romantically involved with Tayfun. Sparks are soon flying between Caro and Nils, who were once lovers, and they painstakingly rekindle their old relationship. Meanwhile Tayfun, who believes Nils has been suspended from the police force, has welcomed him into his immigrant community, and tensions start to grow as Tayfun catches wind of the dynamics between Nils and Caro. Everything reaches a crisis point when Tuncay (Ehran Emre), Tayfun's younger brother, is killed after a police raid. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benno Fürmann, Erdal Yildiz, (more)
- 1998
Aprilkinder refers to the children of the Turkish guest workers in Germany, most of whom are born in April simply because they are conceived in July during the father's annual trip back to Turkey. Cem works in a sausage factory to support the family. His brother Mehmet sees dealing drugs as his best chance in life, while his sister Dilan is trying hard to seduce Mehmet's shy friend, Arif. When the father brought his children to Germany from the Kurdish part of Turkey fifteen years ago, he excepted a different kind of life. But now he is too disillusioned to care; he is sick and has drawn into an internal exile. The mother tries to hold the family together as she prepares to marry off Cem to a cousin who is to be smuggled into Germany illegally. But Cem is in love with Kim, a prostitute. Based partly on the experiences of director Yüksel Yavuz, who is a second-generation Turkish immigrant in Germany, Aprilkinder is a realistic account of the disillusioned lives of immigrants estranged from their own country and yet always strangers in their adopted land. Aprilkinder was screened as part of the New German Films at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erdal Yildiz, Inga Busch, (more)
- 1998
When young Turkish talent Kutlug Ataman wanted to make a film about transvestites, the first location he had in mind was Istanbul. As he developed the script, his thought was to place these marginal characters, who are subject to societal prejudices in an environment where there is already discrimination, would add dramatic effect. Supported by funding from German sources, Ataman set his story in Berlin, inside the community of "guest workers" where Turkish transvestites are shunned not only by Germans, but by their own kind as well. The result is a strong film with moments of tenderness, emotion and laughter juxtaposed with the harsh realities of life for those who dare to be different. 16 year old Murat (Baki Davrak) is a Turk who is curious about gay life and eventually submerges himself in the gay hustler and transvestite subculture. He is taken by the free and easy atmosphere of the dimly lit bars and the appearance of camaraderie among this marginal community, while at home his very conservative brother Osman (Hasan Ali Mete) rules with an iron fist. Murat finds the brotherly love denied at home in a transvestite, Lola (Gandi Mukli), who turns out to be his actual brother, disowned by Osman years ago. As more family secrets come to the open, violence erupts. Murat survives the ensuing tragedy and finally finds a way of living his own life. Most of the players in this film are non-professional actors from Berlin's Turkish community (and incidentally, not all of them are gay or transvestite). Veteran German actress Inge Keller, who plays the mother of Frederich, an aristocrat who risks his social standing because of his passion for Bilidikid (Erdal Yildiz), is the only famous name among the cast. Clever editing by Ewa J. Lind prevents a downhill flow into sheer melodrama by periodically mixing the narrative with dynamic performances in Turkish transvestite bars, as if giving the audience a chance to fuel up before charging them with the next powerful emotion. Night scenes in the desolate parks of Berlin accentuate the loneliness of the characters with impressive camerawork by Chris Squires. Lola und Bilidikid opened the Panorama section of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999 and won the Teddy Bear Award given to gay/lesbian films. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gandi Mukli, Erdal Yildiz, (more)
