Where the Fire Burns eyes support for Oscar

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Based on a true story that took place in Turkey, ‘Where the Fire Burns’ is a dark drama about 17-year-old Ayşe who unexpectedly falls ill.

Where the Fire Burns” (Ateşin Düştüğü Yer) is a contender to represent Turkey at the upcoming Academy Awards, but the film’s producer Baran Seyhan said Turkey should work with film crew to highlight the movie in the international arena. He said Turkey would be honored to receive the award but the most important aim is to share the film’s experience.

The movie, directed by İsmail Güneş, was chosen by the Culture and Tourism Ministry as Turkey’s contribution to the Oscars. It is now in the hands of the Academy to decide if it will become a nominee at the awards ceremony.

The Ministry’s decision was reported to the American Film Arts Academy and the process to present the film as a nominee at the Oscars has begun, Seyhan said, noting that Cinema General Directorate Manager Cem Erkuş and Property Rights Association Manager Abdurrahman Çelik have congratulated the producer and the director.

A total of 71 countries have applied to the Academy Awards Foreign Film Award section, Seyhan said. The nominated movies are then reviewed by the Foreign Language Award Committee. Seyhan stressed that some promotional lobbying measures should be undertaken to attract the committee members to the film.

 “We need to do something all together and support this movie,” Seyhan said, noting that the film was a presentation of Turkey to the international community and should be supported by the whole nation.

A result of lobbying

The Academy Awards will air on 225 different channels across the globe with millions of people following the award ceremony. “This is a unique chance to present Turkey in the best light,” Seyhan said. The film’s producers met with several government officials, including the Prime Ministry Secretary Efkan Ala and the prime minister himself met with director Güneş. All the diplomats expressed their support for the movie.

“This is something like the Olympic Games. In the Olympic Games we have seen that the ministers have always supported the sportsmen and women. This should be the same for Oscar nominations. We also need the same motivation and support,” Seyhan said.

There are many good films vying for a nomination in the foreign movie category, according to Seyhan. “Some of them have been already screened in the whole world. There are some five or six very good and powerful movies,” he said, pointing out that this was due to successful lobbying campaigns.
Currently all the feedback on “Where the Fire Burns” is very positive, he said. The film has won the top prize of Grand prix des Americas at the 36th edition of the Montreal World Film Festival as well as the International Federation of Film Critics Award (FIPRESCI).

Based on a true story that took place in Turkey, “Where the Fire Burns” is a dark drama about 17-year-old Ayşe who unexpectedly falls ill.

After visiting a hospital, her family discovers that she not only has a heart condition but is also pregnant. According to tradition, a family council of elders and men in the family is called to decide the fate of the young woman who has shamed her family’s name. The decision is unanimous: Ayşe is to be executed. Ayşe’s father Osman is given the task of killing his daughter. Adamant not to reveal the father of her baby, Ayşe is taken by Osman on a journey from the southwestern coast of Turkey to Konya – the latter ironically being the home of the 13th century Sufi mystic Rumi, who is a symbol of acceptance, compassion, and unconditional love.