Orientalist look from Hollywood

Previous attempts by the Culture and Tourism Ministry to lure foreign film productions to Turkey may have created a bias, producing a history of films depicting Turks, Turkey and Istanbul through an Orientalist perspective for half a century

“It is evident that cinema makes a big contribution to tourism,” Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay said in a June 13 meeting at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University, which brought together representatives from the Ministry and the Turkish cinema sector.

The meeting was convened to kick-start work on the new Turkish cinema draft law, the first seen since 2004. Set to be included in the new draft law will the establishment of a platform to provide support to foreign films shot in Turkey. Günay said, “We already do our best [to support] such productions, but we think that it would be easier to appear in the world market if we collaborate with a foreign film company.”

Günay has in fact been flirting with a system to increase foreign film productions in Turkey for some time now. Building sets and stages devoted to foreign film productions is one of the projects he has proposed. An incentive system is another.

Last year, he met with producers of the upcoming James Bond movie Skyfall, to make known his enthusiasm to have many of the film’s scenes filmed in Turkey. The production team, including current James Bond actor, Daniel Craig, were in Turkey earlier this year to film scenes at Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square, Hagia Sophia, the coastal town of Fethiye, and the historic Varda Railway Bridge close to the southern city of Adana.

Click here for full article (Hürriyet Daily News)

From Istanbul with love

As the world’s most famous spy Bond prepares to jump into his 23rd adventure on screen, Turkey prepares to host him in Istanbul, Fethiye and the historic Varda Bridge in its opening scenes. This will be the third time Bond visits Istanbul

The coolest, sexiest and most charismatic spy of them all is donning his latest state-of-the-art gadgets and raising his glass of vodka martini – shaken, not stirred – for a celebration of 50 years in the spy business. With a “license to kill” anyone threatening the reign of the British, James Bond is preparing to parachute off to the next exotic locale in the 23rd installment of the longest-running film franchise.

The next exotic locale in the upcoming Bond movie Skyfall, to be released in late 2012, will be none other than Istanbul. The opening scenes will take place in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square and Hagia Sophia and a further move will take the crew to the coastal town of Fethiye and the historic Varda Railway Bridge close to the southern city of Adana.

Click here for full article (Hürriyet Daily News)