Court stops release of film on Büyükada’s Greek orphanage

ISTANBUL

A Turkish court has temporarily blocked the release of a horror film set in a historic Greek orphanage on Princes’ Islands’ Büyükada, after a complaint from the site's foundation.

The film, titled "Rum Yetimhanesi" (‘Greek Orphanage’ in Turkish), was due to premiere on April 18 but was halted over allegations of “unauthorized use of religious symbols and false claims,” according to the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage Foundation.

Vasil Karakaş, the secretary-general of the foundation, said the film promoted itself as the story of an orphanage but portrayed fabricated events like child murders.

He also criticized the misuse of the cross in the film’s poster. “This targets our foundation and the Greek Orthodox community in Istanbul,” Karakaş told Turkish private TV channel Habertürk.

The foundation stated that producer Mert Ozan Düzün made the film without consulting them and accused the project of violating their moral rights. “Our mission is to preserve the traditions of Greek orphans. Creating a horror narrative around the orphanage distorts this mission,” the statement said.

The historic orphanage remains a symbol of deep cultural and historical importance for the Greek Orthodox community, making the dispute over the film all the more sensitive.

The Prinkipo Orphanage, a sprawling six-story wooden structure perched atop Büyükada, is considered the largest wooden building in Europe and the second largest in the world. Between 1903 and 1964, it housed over 5,800 Greek children. Closed since 1964 following a fire, the building has suffered decades of neglect.

A restoration project was announced in 2020, but works have yet to begin.