Aysel, the Daughter of the Marsh

The storyline is the tried-and-tested backbone of every melodrama dealing with adversity, hard times and troubles. Aysel, a young woman from the Turkish countryside (‘the girl from the swamp’), is seduced by the boss of the company she works for. He gets her pregnant then dumps her, whereupon her reputation is dragged through the mud in her village. But Aysel shows resilience: she takes the man to court, and finds support from another man: Ali.

The screenplay was written by a famous Turkish poet of the time, Nazim Hikmet, who based this on a story by Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf. The music was written by celebrated composer of that time Cemal Resit Rey, and Muhsin Ertugrul directed.

Pioneer

Muhsin Ertugrul (1892-1979), little known in Western Europe, pretty much single-handedly established modern Turkish theatre and Turkish cinema between 1922 and 1940; actress Cahide Sonku went on to become Turkey’s first female filmmaker and producer. All of which makes The Girl from the Marshcroft (Aysel, Batakli Damin Kizi) a milestone in the history of film, as well as a reminder of the modernisation of the former Ottoman Empire that took place during the Atatürk era. The film’s focus is also unique; this was the first time that a Turkish filmmaker took life in the countryside as the starting point for a feature film.

Introduced by Eye curator Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi. Screening of the DCP, digitally restored in 2024 by Sinematek/Sinema Evi in collaboration with Turkish Film & TV Institute.