Dry Summer

Black and white, 35 mm
Turkey, 1964, 90 min
Section: Ten Best Turkish Films

Synopsis

An unforgettable film which is always included in “Ten Best Turkish Films” surveys. An adaptation from Necati Cumalı’s story, Dry Summer is the masterpiece by Metin Erksan which won Turkish cinema its first main international prize (Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1964). Dry Summer, a village story about a struggle over land and water, is one of the most stunning examples of the clash between good and evil in Turkish cinema. Re-living the success he achieved with The Revenge of the Snakes, a Fakir Baykurt adaptation shot in 1962, in Dry Summer, Metin Erksan depicts the confrontation between two brothers, Osman and Hasan. Osman surrounds the water that springs from their land with barriers to prevent the villagers from using it. Hasan argues that others should also be allowed to take the water. Confessing a murder committed by his brother, Hasan is convicted and sent to prison. After his release he learns that Osman used deception to take away his wife and marry her. One of the best examples of the social realism that first appeared in Turkish Cinema in the early 1960’s, Dry Summer, thanks to its success in portraying the sexuality of rural areas and its ingenuity in treating the erotic, earns a special place in Turkish film history. This film was also a turning point in Hülya Koçyiğit’s career. Dry Summer has struggled with censorship, and only with difficulty was it screened at the Cannes and Venice film festivals. One should also note that Erol Taş, the best ‘baddie’ in Turkish cinema, plays Osman, lending the film his particular charismatic presence.

About the director

Metin Erksan (b. 1929, Çanakkale) worked as a cinema critic on various newspapers and magazines. He graduated from the Department of Art History at Istanbul University. In 1952, he directed his first film, The Dark World (Asik Veysel’ in hayati) written by Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu. He directed social realistic films such as Dry Summer (Susuz Yaz, 1964), Time to Love (Sevmek zamani, 1965) and The Well. He won a Golden Bear with Dry Summer at the Berlin Film Festival in 1964 and became a pioneer in the promotion of Turkish cinema abroad. Dry Summer has struggled with censorship, particularly due to the sensuous depiction of the three main characters. The film also faced problems with its screening at Cannes and Venice.