Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Chemical and electrical, these engineering studies by Nuri Bilge Ceylan become the perfect adjectives to describe the invigorating dynamism of a cinema that in other hands would be leaden, and that in theirs contains authenticity in abundance: its characters are true human beings, and its Conflicts are universal, even though they take place in exotic settings in their country, Turkey. Like a sponge, Ceylan knows how to penetrate the people around him, and he confesses that some types of his films are inspired by relatives or other people with whom he has lived at some point in his life. It is not without reason that the director cites Ingmar Bergman as one of his favorite directors, because as he takes great care of the human map of his films.

The filmmaker was born in Istanbul in 1959, and began Chemical Engineering in 1976 at Istanbul Polytechnic University, and Electrical Engineering in 1978 at Bogaziçi University. They were times of turbulent student revolts in which he developed his fondness for photography, reading numerous manuals, he not only showed intuition and taste in his snapshots, but also received technical training. He would enroll in film courses, and became a movie eater at Film Society screenings, as he had done earlier in Istanbul. He would not be satisfied with that, but he ended up enrolling in Cinematography at the Mimar Sinan University, which he ended up leaving after two years of study, working as a professional photographer ate up his time, it was time to shoot,

The restless Ceylan saw the world in 1985 traveling to London and Kathmandu. Military service in his country, 18 months no less, also gave him an optical interest in different social classes in his country. He also notices his extensive cultural training, he knows literature, theater, cinema and television well.

The filmmaker immediately stood out for his talent, since his first short, Kozan , was the first from his country to be selected at Cannes. Since that year, 1993, the Festival of festivals would pamper the filmmaker until crowning him with the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 2014 for Winter Dream . Well, before he walked along the Croisette to offer Lejano (2002), which was awarded for the interpretation of its two protagonists; it was the culmination of his “provincial trilogy”, also composed of  Kasaba (1997), Mayis Sikintisi (1999). In these titles, as a Renaissance artist, Ceylan takes care of everything: script, direction, photography, editing, sound, artistic direction…

Among his filmography , Tres monos (2008) -best production- and Once upon a time in Anatolia (2011) -Grand Jury Prize- were also awarded. In these films, and in Winter Dream , he has co-written the script with his wife Ebru Ceylan , to whom he attaches great importance in her work, her high level of demand is very stimulating to excel at work .

Ceylan’s initial training as a photographer is immediately noticeable in the captivating beauty of the images in his films, of a delicacy that is never gratuitous preciousness, and that, supported by the tempo, the sounds, the interpretations, helps to deliver stories that have never been they seem alien to the viewer.