Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Once Upon A Time in Anatolia (2011) (courtesy of Dirimart)
18 January — 1 June 2025
still Three Monkeys (Üç maymun) (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, TR/FR/IT 2008)
Born in Istanbul in 1959, Ceylan spent his childhood in the countryside, a backdrop that deeply shaped his artistic vision. Known for his literary approach to cinematography, Ceylan masterfully delves into the complexities of the human condition. His protagonists are authentic individuals who navigate personal struggles, seeking meaningful connections and learning to overcome loneliness and communication challenges. Although his films touch on the universal, they are inextricably rooted in recent Turkish history and its myriad contrasts: between city and countryside, religion and secularism, intellectual and working-class environments, rich and poor, individualism and collectivism.
Eye Filmmuseum presents the first Dutch exhibition devoted to the work of acclaimed Turkish filmmaker and photographer Nuri Bilge Ceylan. For this occasion, the museum is bringing together his prize-winning films and lesser-known landscape photographs for the very first time. That combination reveals not only Ceylan’s masterly photographic eye and sense of composition, but also the deeply compassionate way he explores universal themes from a Turkish perspective.
still Climates (Iklimler) (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, FR/TR 2006)
still The Wild Pear Tree (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, TR/MK/FR/DE/BA/BG/SE 2018)
In today’s world of black-and-white thinking, Ceylan shows in nuanced and humanistic ways how background shapes character. Dialogues rich with existential musings lingering shots of interiors and vast landscapes, give viewers space to reflect on the meaning of life. And a crucial role is played by landscapes. For Ceylan, they constitute more than backgrounds. Whether it is a vibrant Istanbul cityscape or a vast Anatolian plain, all his landscapes reflect and influence the inner world of his characters.
Ceylan started his career as a photographer. Although his films have been regularly screened and applauded, his photographic work has never previously been presented in the Netherlands. This exhibition offers a perfect opportunity to bring together Ceylan’s photographic and cinematographic work for the first time.
still Winter Sleep (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, TR 2014)
still Clouds of May (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, TR 1999)
Ceylan weaves together film and photography in his films. Not only are a number of his characters photographers, but he also plays with the contrast between moving and static images. Moreover, his films invariably display a strong sense of photographic composition. Conversely, his imposing photographs, printed on large Cinemascope format, exude an unmistakably filmic sensibility.
still The Small Town (Kasaba) (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, TR 1997)
The accompanying film programme includes multiple screenings of the feature films of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, most of them on 35mm and drawn from the Eye collection. In a series of Eye on Art specials, filmmakers, photographers, and notable Turkish-Dutch figures will share their reflections on Ceylan's work and its impact across various Turkish communities. A number of films that have always inspired Ceylan will also be screened.
Ceylan has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Winter Sleep (2014) and multiple Grand Jury Prizes. His acclaimed films include Kasaba (1997), Clouds of May (1999), Uzak (2002), Climates (2006), Three Monkeys (2008), Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011), and About Dry Grasses (2023). Based in Istanbul, he continues to shape contemporary Turkish cinema with his influential artistic vision.
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