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My Marlon and Brando

directed by Huseyin Karabey

October 23, 2009 8:00PM
NYU Cantor Center

Based on the true story of the post-invasion cross-border romance between renowned Iraqi Kurdish actor Hama Ali and his Turkish actress girlfriend Ayca Damgaci, My Marlon and Brando stars the two real-life lovers in documentarian Hüseyin Karabey's fiction-feature debut. A moving statement on war and the confining artificiality of borders, My Marlon and Brando also reveals the eye-opening journey Damgaci takes as a Turk attempting to be with her Kurdish lover, learning firsthand the grim racism and repression faced by Kurds in her own country and across the borders of Iraq and Iran.
Post film Q&A with director Hüseyin Karabey.

Filmmaker's Biography

Huseyin Karabey is regarded as one of Turkey’s new directing talents at a time when the independent film scene in Turkey is gaining recognition and Turkish films are receiving a wider distribution worldwide. Despite the challenging subject matter of many of his previous documentaries and short films, Karabey’s work has been shown through a number of alternative channels. GITMEK is his first feature film; it was selected for Rotterdam’s Cinemart 2006 and No Borders/IFP.

In the 1990’s Karabey was heavily involved in the Democracy Movement and these experiences have informed much of his subsequent film work. His determination to expose human rights violations through film was motivated both by his experiences and his confrontations with the state when he tried to capture and explain human rights abuses on camera.

Karabey entered the Cinema-TV department of the Fine Art Faculty of Marmara University and graduated in 2001. He went onto develop BORAN, a short film that explores the disappearances of 5,000 political activists in Turkey during the 90’s by merging factual reporting and a dramatic treatment. This highly cinematic piece of work has been shown at festivals worldwide as has SILENT DEATH, a feature length docu-drama.

Karabey’s concurrent interest in theatre means he has also worked with theatre groups across Istanbul. Pina Bausch, world famous theatre and dance choreographer from Germany, gave Karabey exclusive access to film her work. This resulted in BREATH, a feature length documentary, which has been shown everywhere from Japan to Cuba. Karabey is committed to making independent films that tell fresh and first-hand stories from his region. His documentary films and short films have been selected for festivals worldwide and picked up various awards. See below.

FILMOGRAPHY

1996- Etruch Camp      (Documentary 25 min. Betacam)
The dramatic story of the Turkish Kurds who were forced to migrate to Northern Iraq.

1997- 1 May 2 Film      (Documentary 45 min. Betacam)
The story of May Day in Istanbul which ended with the death of 3 people.

1997- Bachelors Inns      (Documentary 45 min. Betacam)
The daily lives of young Kurdish workers in Istanbul.

1997- Dialogue      (Short film 7 min. Betacam)
An adaptation from a text of Borges on life and death.

1998- Lost people and the Street      (Documentary 45 min. Betacam)
Documentary on street children and their families.

1999- Judgement      (Short film 5 min. 16mm)
A reflection on life for five minutes.

1999- Boran      (Short film 30 min 35mm)
The story of the lost people in Turkey told between fiction and reality.

2001- Silent Death      (Docudrama 85 min Dvcam)
The film aims to discuss and display European and USA policies regarding prisons.

2003- Gift to Nazim Hikmet Ran      (Documentary 45 min. Dvcam)
Documentary about an important theater play in Istanbul.

2004- Pina Bausch Istanbul “Breath”      (Documentary 45 min. Dvcam)
Documentary about the famous choreographer Pina Baucsh.

2005- Dialogues in the dark      (Documentary 52 min. Dvcam)
Documentary about honour killings in Turkey.

2006- I Missed my Rendez-vous with Death      (Documentary 40 mins Dvcam)
Documentary about a famous journalist’s battle to receive medical treatment in prison.

Festivals and Awards

“My Marlon and Brando – Best Actress Price”
Istanbul Film Festival – TURKEY – 2008
“My Marlon and Brando – Best Director Price”
Tribeca Film Festival – New York – USA – 2008
“My Marlon and Brando – Best Actress Price”
Adana Film Festival – TURKEY – 2008
“My Marlon and Brando – Fipresci Price”
Jerusalem Film Festival – ISRAEL – 2008
“My Marlon and Brando – Fipresci Price”
Yerevan Film Festival – ARMENIA – 2008
“My Marlon and Brando – Fipresci Price”
Yerevan Film Festival – ARMENIA – 2008
“My Marlon and Brando – Ecumenical Jury Diploma Price”

14th SARAJEVO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - (Best Actress)
45. ANTALYA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (Best supporting Actor)
4th Borderlands International Film Festival BOLZAN0 - Italy (Best Film Prize)
21st International TOKYO Film Festival - JAPAN (Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film Award)
13th International Film Festival of Kerala (NETPAC Best Asian Film)
13th International Film Festival of Kerala (Best Debut Film)
7th International Debut Film Festival Spirit of Fire / Siberia. (Best 3th Film Award)
15th Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Tétouan – (Best Actress)

Credits