Kismet

    • Nina Maria Paschalidou
    • Greece, Cyprus
    • 2013
    • 52 min
    • World Premiere
    • IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary
    Turkish soap operas are incredibly popular - and not just in Turkey. Throughout the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans and Asia, millions of viewers are glued to every episode of series such as Noor, Fatmagul, Suleiman and Life Goes On. The Turkish cities used as locations have become tourist attractions, and huge numbers of parents name their children after the main characters. Kismet seeks out the secrets behind the soaps, which while breaking taboos also count many strict Christians and Muslims among their loyal audience. The film alternates interviews with the stars, directors, and scriptwriters with analyses by sociologists and portraits of faithful fans - most of them female - from Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Athens, Mostar, Sofia and Istanbul. The soaps transcend cultural and religious boundaries, and their devotees see them as much more than a temporary escape from their often-dismal social reality. They may swoon at the hotly debated romantic intrigues, but they are also emboldened by the female characters, all of whom are strong, independent fighters. Alongside illustrative scenes from the series, the documentary brings us the personal stories of women who followed in the footsteps of their heroines to fight for their rights, and to ultimately break free of oppressed lives.

    Credits

    • 52 min
    • color
    • DCP
    • Spoken languages: Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, Arabic, Turkish, Greek, English
    • Subtitles in: English
    Director
    Nina Maria Paschalidou
    Production
    Rea Apostolides for Anemon Productions, Yuri Averof for Anemon Productions, Nina Maria Paschalidou for Forest Troop
    Co-production
    Agitprop, Nukleus Film, Veritas Films, Bulgarian National Film Centre, Croatian Audiovisual Centre
    Cinematography
    Michael Aristomenopoulos
    Editing
    Thodoris Armaos

    IDFA history

    2013
    World Premiere
    IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary

    Share this film

    Print this page

    IDFA history

    This website uses cookies.

    By using cookies we can measure how our site is used, how it can be further improved and to personalize the content of online advertisements.

    Read
     here everything about our cookie policy. If you choose to decline, we only place functional and analytical cookies