Turkish cinema icon Türkan Şoray to discuss Yeşilçam’s sustainable legacy at COP31

ANTALYA

Turkish cinema legend Türkan Şoray will headline a COP31 panel in Antalya examining how the resourcefulness of Yeşilçam, Türkiye’s golden age of cinema, can inspire modern eco-friendly film production.

Şoray, one of the era’s most iconic figures, will share her experiences at the event titled “Making Films the Yeşilçam Way” on Nov. 16. The event is part of a series organized under the theme “A Country That Named Its Cinema After a Tree: From Yeşilçam to Green Sets.”

Yeşilçam, named after a street in Istanbul that once housed numerous film production companies, refers to Türkiye’s prolific film industry during its golden age, particularly from the 1950s to the 1980s. The name’s literal meaning, “Green Pine,” also lends itself to the event’s environmental theme.

Sustainable film production aims to minimize the environmental impact of shooting by reducing energy and resource consumption, limiting waste and creating environmentally friendly sets. Organizers point out that many of these principles were already present in Yeşilçam’s production culture. Working with limited budgets and resources, filmmakers routinely reused materials, made the most of available facilities and found ways to produce films with relatively modest means.

Under the premise that “Yeşilçam is the formula for green filmmaking,” Şoray will discuss how films were made during the era and how resources were managed on sets, drawing on her personal experiences. The discussion will examine how the industry’s past practices could offer inspiration for more sustainable filmmaking around the world.