
Turkish cinema improves itself every single day. Especially, it has improved since 1950s. 1970s and 1980s were very important years on Turkish cinema. Although 1980s Turkish movies were not too bad, some critics evaluate these movies that disgraces of Turkish cinema history. Actually, at the end of the 1970s, and in 1980s people’s interest waned from cinema, and tend to TV channels.
In 1980s Turkish cinema, most of the movies theme was sexuality, and the rests were on politics, especially coup regime, relationships, and society problems. Someone who had conservative opinions objected to sexuality, however, someone thought that Turkish cinema had keep up with Hollywood or European cinema, too. Although all of these responses; there were really successful, real, classic and unforgettable movies, actors, actresses, scriptwriters, and directors. . Erdoğan Mitrani, who used to be Plato Film School’s the general coordinator of education, says “To tend to Erotic movies could not save the Yeşilçam Cinema, but it exceeded a limit. This limit was about to show or interpret the erotic scenes.”

Yılmaz Güney
Some movies which ones got the record in bad conditions were really qualified, and they did not include sexuality. “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım (Atıf Yılmaz)”, “Hazal (Ali Özgentürk)”, “Çöpçüler Kralı / Kapıcılar Kralı (Zeki Ökten)”, “Arkadaş / Ağıt / Acı / Umutsuzlar (Yılmaz Güney)”, “Sultan (Kartal Tibet)”, “Sensiz Yaşayamam (Metin Erksan)”, “Deprem / Endişe / Köprü (Şerif Gören)”, “Yatık Emine (Ömer Kavur)”, “Hababam Sınıfı / Canım Kardeşim (Ertem Eğilmez)”, “Kara Çarşaflı Gelin / Bedrana (Süreyya Duru)”, “Düğün / Gelin / Diyet (Lütfi Ö. Akad)”, “Otobüs (Tunç Okan)”, “Bereketli Topraklar Üzerinde (Erden Kral)”, “Yusuf ile Kenan (Ömer Kavur)” can be counted in these qualified movies. One of the most successful movie was “Yol” which is directed by Yılmaz Güney and Şerif Gören. “Yol” won Award of Golden Palm in Cannes Film Festival.
On the other hand, the most important impression was about the coup regime. Because of the “1980 Coup” a lot of movie obstructed, and did not show. After the coup 937 movie banned for being objectionable. After 12 September 1980, the coup blow the country both political and culturally, so Turkish Cinema had to retire into oneself. In coup years, pessimistic movies increased, and all arts areas became ineffective. Against to all of these bans, Turkish cinema creators did not give up, and they cine-recorded 10 important anti-coup movie in 4 years. These movies were:
1986 – Sen Türkülerini Söyle (Şerif Gören)
1986 – Dikenli Yol (Zeki Alasya)
1986 – Prenses (Sinan Çetin)
1986 – Ses (Zeki Ökten)
1987 – Av Zamanı (Erden Kıral)
1987 – Kara Sevdalı Bulut (Muammer Özer)
1988 – Sis (Zülfü Livaneli)
1988 – Kimlik (Melih Gülgen)
1989 – Bütün Kapılar Kapalıydı (Memduh Ün)
1989 – Uçurtmayı Vurmasınlar (Tunç Başaran)
Now, years of 80s still appear like a dark time of Turkish cinema, but there is an important thing that Turkish cinema survived itself after these dark years, it did not give up, and worked. Now, Turkish Cinema is stronger, more assertive, and more successful than the past. Turkish Cinema is walking in a right way nowadays, and it is admirable.
– Thankful to Erdoğan Mitrani for his very valuable sharing.