Bayrampasha is a film written by inmates of the huge Istanbul prison of that name, and mostly set in the prison. It was a social project - guys, the Turks can do this, too! Get them into Europe!
It's a story of a hairdresser, who after a chat with his drug dealing friend, gets arrested and ends up in prison, for two years. His little son (whose dentition does not change during this period) misses him, and dad pretends to be Superman or someone, fighting evil. (I saw this film in Turkish and do not speak it). It's a comedy - with memories of 'La vita e bella'. There's a prison band which occasionally pops up and gives a kind of running commentary. Most parts are played by the prisoners and also the guards, but they could not have a prisoner as the main character, what with some of the scenes due to be filmed outside prison (I know all this because the Turkish Daily News had an article about it yesterday).
What's interesting is the insight it gives into Turkish policing (interrogation methods - hmmm), and also into prison organisation. One would assume that the prisoners would have resisted anything that made the situation unreal.
It would seem that remand prisoners and convicts are kept in the same cells. These are very large cells with sleeping areas and living areas, with tables and chairs. The cell holds about 28 or so prisoners, in bunk beds - the floors between the beds are carpeted, and the prisoners always take off their shoes when walking on the carpet. The prisoners seem to cook for themselves, too (knives??), and endless glasses of tea being served all the time. They have access to an outdoor area where they go for walks. There is some sort of hierarchy in the cells (like in most prisons) - obviously you would wonder about bullying and ganging up on people. In a British prison you would. Whether it is like that here we don't know - though there is a nasty scene when someone hides a dangerous implement under the bed of our hero and he gets punished for it. For all the general bliss and happiness in the cell I did notice that our hero was rather fatter than the real prisoner actors.
It's a lovely film; a lot of pain about separation from families and children must have gone into it - that pops up quite a lot; the final scene is heartbreaking. Definitely worth going to see it if you can; maybe one day it will be available with subtitles. (But really I've told you all you need to know!)
It's a story of a hairdresser, who after a chat with his drug dealing friend, gets arrested and ends up in prison, for two years. His little son (whose dentition does not change during this period) misses him, and dad pretends to be Superman or someone, fighting evil. (I saw this film in Turkish and do not speak it). It's a comedy - with memories of 'La vita e bella'. There's a prison band which occasionally pops up and gives a kind of running commentary. Most parts are played by the prisoners and also the guards, but they could not have a prisoner as the main character, what with some of the scenes due to be filmed outside prison (I know all this because the Turkish Daily News had an article about it yesterday).
What's interesting is the insight it gives into Turkish policing (interrogation methods - hmmm), and also into prison organisation. One would assume that the prisoners would have resisted anything that made the situation unreal.
It would seem that remand prisoners and convicts are kept in the same cells. These are very large cells with sleeping areas and living areas, with tables and chairs. The cell holds about 28 or so prisoners, in bunk beds - the floors between the beds are carpeted, and the prisoners always take off their shoes when walking on the carpet. The prisoners seem to cook for themselves, too (knives??), and endless glasses of tea being served all the time. They have access to an outdoor area where they go for walks. There is some sort of hierarchy in the cells (like in most prisons) - obviously you would wonder about bullying and ganging up on people. In a British prison you would. Whether it is like that here we don't know - though there is a nasty scene when someone hides a dangerous implement under the bed of our hero and he gets punished for it. For all the general bliss and happiness in the cell I did notice that our hero was rather fatter than the real prisoner actors.
It's a lovely film; a lot of pain about separation from families and children must have gone into it - that pops up quite a lot; the final scene is heartbreaking. Definitely worth going to see it if you can; maybe one day it will be available with subtitles. (But really I've told you all you need to know!)
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