On Friday at 7 pm in the Meyer Auditorium, we inaugurate a new partnership with Turkish Airlines in Close Up, a series that will periodically bring Asian filmmakers to the Galleries to present their work. Appropriately enough, our first guest, Ҫağan Irmak, is one of Turkey’s most popular and accomplished directors. I’m not too proud to admit that until a few months ago, I had never heard of him. I am eternally grateful to the friend who clued me in, because now I’m hooked. Irmak makes popular entertainment of the most satisfying kind: films that balance humor and sadness, address serious issues without becoming heavy-handed, and aim for a broad audience without insulting anyone’s intelligence.
In Are We OK?, playing September 18, a heartbroken sculptor befriends a suicidal, severely disabled man in a story that mixes sadness, joy, and touches of magic realism. Spanning four decades, September 20’s film, Whisper if I Forget, follows an aging diva suffering from the onset of Alzheimer’s as she returns home to make amends with the sister she betrayed on her way to stardom. This touching tale of sacrifice, forgiveness, and the strength of family ties revels in a nostalgia for ’70s rock-and-roll kitsch that will bring a smile even to those who have never donned a pair of bell bottoms.
Coming upon new filmmakers is one of the great pleasures of my job. It is an even greater one to be able to share them with you. I hope you enjoy discovering Irmak’s work as much as I have.
After each screening, please stay for a Q&A with the director.
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