The Turkish adaptations of Star Wars, Some Like it Hot, and other Hollywood films have been brought to London for Remakesploitation Fest 2022, with completely restored versions and new English subtitles. 

London Yunus Emre Institute proudly took part in the organization of Remakesploitation Fest, which brings together impressive yet underappreciated films adapted to Turkish cinema. Held on April 9-10, 2022 at the Cinema Museum, the festival featured a total of 6 films, some of which were screened for the first time in the UK.

This brand-new festival was organized at the Cinema Museum by Iain Robert Smith, founder of the Remakesploitation Film Club, which the festival is named after, in collaboration with London Yunus Emre Institute, King's College London, Turkish Airlines and the Cinema Museum.  

The festival screened the recently restored versions of these unforgettable movies, which for many years were only sold in low-resolution bootlegs on the pirated movie market.

SPECIALLY PREPARED POSTERS WERE ALSO ON SALE

Remakesploitation Fest was a unique opportunity for those who want to watch these impressive films with all-new English subtitles that are unlikely to be released on Blu-Ray, DVD or VOD and experience nostalgia through a completely Turkish lens. Legendary designer Graham Humphreys, who has designed many of Hollywood's most famous movie posters, including The Nightmare on Elm Street, has specially designed these posters for the Turkish adaptations.  

Among the productions screened at the festival were the following: Remake, Remix, Rip-Off: Copy Culture and Popular Turkish Cinema (2015); Turkish Star Trek Tourist Ömer on the Star Trek (1973); Turkish Star Wars: The Man Who Saved the World (1982); Turkish Some Like it Hot (1970); Turkish Death Wish: Executioner (1975) and Turkish Exorcist: Satan (1974). 

REMAKES WITH ELEMENTS SPECIFIC TO TURKISH CULTURE

Changes such as replacing the Catholic theme with an Islamic theme in Satan, the Turkish adaptation of William Friedkin's famous The Exorcist, or filming the Turkish adaptation of Star Trek, Tourist Ömer on the Star Trek, in the ancient city of Ephesus, demonstrated how Turkish cinema has shown its originality with elements of Turkish culture in remakes.

In between screenings, inspiring panel discussions about the movies were held and academics, experts and directors spoke about the socio-cultural impact of these films. Cem Kaya, director of the documentary Remake, Remix, Rip-Off, Ed Glaser, author of "How the World Remade Hollywood" and Ahmet Gürata, author of "Imitation of Life: Cross-Cultural Reception and Remakes in Turkish Cinema”, Istanbul İstinye University Film Studies and History professor Nezih Erdoğan and Tuğçe Bıçakçı Syed who studies the “Turkish Gothic” and Turkish Identity Image at Namık Kemal University were among the guests of the festival.  

In the 60s and 70s, Turkey became one of the countries producing the most movies. The Turkish movie industry known as Yeşilçam, named after a street in Beyoğlu, Istanbul that used to house the offices of film companies, produced thousands of films until the early 80s. Following this success, the prolific movie industry then took action on the bright idea to remake Hollywood blockbusters.

As the first screening at the festival, the documentary Remake, Remix, Rip-Of points out, movie adaptations were a worldwide trend in the movie industry at the time and Turkey was particularly successful with multiple adaptations such as Star Wars, E.T., Death Wish or Some Like it Hot. Often seen as imitations, these films are now gaining recognition for the important role they played in the globalization of the culture, as a representation of Turkish identity on the silver screen and as an indicator of the unique creativity of Turkish cinema.

"HANDMADE" EFFECTS IN TURKISH FILMS PRESENTED AT THE FESTIVAL

Turkish filmmakers made up for the financial and technical shortcomings or disadvantages of the adaptations through their creative solutions. Without the proper equipment or a sufficient budget, with a limited number of directors and screenwriters, they reimagined iconic Hollywood films, adding their own personal touches. The festival has turned into a unique cultural experience where you can observe the touches that the directors left while shooting these films, just like the handmade effects that the director created by scratching on the films to give the beam effect coming out of the tip of the phasers during the filming of the movie Tourist Ömer on Star Trek. "Turkified" by adding jokes, scenes, characters and plots that appeal to Turkish audiences and their sense of humor, the movies also shed light on the social and political atmosphere of their time.

Audience members were also given the opportunity to speak at the panels organized at the festival to express their opinions on the films. The festival underlined that these nostalgic films should be appreciated for what they are, regardless of the classification of good or bad movies, taking into account all the work that the directors put into the background of these movies.  

In addition to the film screenings, the festival was accompanied by a playlist of the most beautiful songs of the Turkish psychedelic rock movement, also known as the Anatolian Rock movement. All proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the “Save the Cinema Museum" campaign to ensure the continued existence of this unique museum in the future. 

Each movie screening was followed by a discussion panel and a Q&A session. The event ended with the academic symposium.