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Halit Refig

Halit Refig

Director, Writer, 2nd Unit / Asst Director

Born March 5, 1934 in Izmir, Turkey

Died October 11, 2009

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Biography

Halit Refig, Turkish filmmaker, film critic and theoretician and an intellectual was born in Izmir, Turkey in 1934 to an industrial family. He attended Sisli Terakki High School and briefly attended Robert College Engineering Dept. During his military service he started making documentaries in Japan, Korea and Sri Lanka with a Super 8 camera. In 1957 he started the Turkish Film Review (Sinema Dergisi) with fellow film critic Nijat Ozon. Later he assisted director Atıf Yılmaz in two films. In 1961 he directed his first feature, Yasak ask (1961). His approach to filmmaking was influenced by his friendship with the famous Turkish novelist Kemal Tahir. This collaboration gave fruit to Four Women in the Harem, which Refig scripted and later production of Yorgun Savasci (1979) in 1979, the most controversial film ever made in Turkish film history. Refig defended it and published a theory of national cinema, which he named Ulusal Sinema (national cinema). Later he revised his theory and called his work ATUT (Asiatic Mode of Production) cinema or Halk Sinemasi (Cinema of the People). Refig collected his articles on national cinema in a volume; Ulusal Sinema Kavgasi (Fight for a national Cinema). Refig and his fellow filmmakers like Metin Erksan and Lütfi Ö. Akad made nationalist films until late 1960s. In 1974, the newly established Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) commissioned Refig to make a literary adaptation of a Turkish novel of his choice. The result was _Ask-i memnu (1974) (TV)_ (Forbidden Love) which was hailed as the first Turkish TV mini series. In 1975 Refig joined fellow filmmakers to establish the Turkish Cinema and TV Institute. In 1977 he was invited to teach at University of Wisconsin where he made a Victorian period drama, Intercessors. In 1979 he was invited once again by the TRT to make Yorgun Savasci (Tired Warrior) Kemal Tahir's controversial novel. Described as the ultimate national cinema piece, the production and later on burning of the negatives by the military government in 1982 of Tired Warrior. The film was later aired in 1992 from a restored 1 inch tape. After this Refig made popular films for Turker Inanoglu. This gave Refig the opportunity to realize his smaller and more personal projects like Hanim (Madame). After nearly a decade Refig made Köpekler Adasi (1997) (Island of Dogs). The film received mixed reviews. As a filmmaker he made over 50 popular and personal films in Turkish film industry since 1961. As a film critic and theoretician he produced a significant body of film criticism and literally created a theory of national cinema, one that predates the theories of third cinema initiated in Latin American and African countries. Finally, as an intellectual he practiced what he preached. Refig focused on national and cultural identity in the young Turkish Republic, critiquing the westernization and nationalist ideologies in Turkey and favoring the traditional values and the Ottoman past. Refig deconstructed the Republican Kemalist ideology and the position of the Kemalist intellectual in Turkish society, discussed east-west and rural-urban tension in a rapidly changing social environment and the position of women in defining the new Turkish national identity. His work is also influenced by the psychoanalytical work of Freud and Jung's idea of collective consciousness. Refig likes applying a dialectical intellectual montage and German expressionist framing. Since 1975 Refig has taught at the Cinema and TV Institute of Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul, Turkey.

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4 wins and 5 nominations

Halit Refig Photos

Filmography

Actor

1

The Cinema of Lütfi Akad Documentary2005

Director

57

Type

Year

Kerem Mini-Series1999

Affet Bizi Hocam Poster

Affet Bizi Hocam TV Series1998

Island of Dogs Poster

Island of Dogs Feature Film1997

Zirvedekiler Poster

Zirvedekiler TV Series1994

Two Strangers Poster

Two Strangers Feature Film1991

Women's Ward Poster

Women's Ward Feature Film1990

Madame Feature Film1989

Kizim ve Ben Poster

Kizim ve Ben Feature Film1988

Kizimin Kani Poster

Kizimin Kani Feature Film1987

Kurtar Beni Poster

Kurtar Beni Feature Film1987

Atatürk ve Sanat TV Special1986

Kiskivrak Poster

Kiskivrak Feature Film1986

My Aunt Feature Film1986

Yarin Aglayacagim Poster

Yarin Aglayacagim Feature Film1986

Ölüm Yolu Poster

Ölüm Yolu Feature Film1985

Paramparça Poster

Paramparça Feature Film1985

Son Darbe Poster

Son Darbe Feature Film1985

Alev Alev Poster

Alev Alev Feature Film1984

Ihtiras Firtinasi Poster

Ihtiras Firtinasi Feature Film1984

Leyla ile Mecnun Poster

Leyla ile Mecnun Feature Film1983

White Death Poster

White Death Feature Film1983

O Kadin Feature Film1982

Tired Warrior Poster

Tired Warrior Feature Film1979

Yasam Kavgasi Poster

Yasam Kavgasi Feature Film1978

The Intercessors Feature Film1977

The Forbidden Love Poster

The Forbidden Love TV Series1975

7 Evlat Iki Damat Poster

7 Evlat Iki Damat Feature Film1973

Cennetin kapisi Poster

Cennetin kapisi Feature Film1973

Kizin Var mi Derdin Var Poster

Kizin Var mi Derdin Var Feature Film1973

Sultan Gelin Poster

Sultan Gelin Feature Film1973

Vurun Kahpeye Poster

Vurun Kahpeye Feature Film1973

Aci zafer Poster

Aci zafer Feature Film1972

Ali Cengiz oyunu Poster

Ali Cengiz oyunu Feature Film1972

Ask firtinasi Poster

Ask firtinasi Feature Film1972

Çöl Kartali Poster

Çöl Kartali Feature Film1972

Fatma baci Poster

Fatma baci Feature Film1972

Sevmek ve ölmek zamani Poster

Sevmek ve ölmek zamani Feature Film1971

The Nameless Knight Poster

The Nameless Knight Feature Film1970

I Lost My Heart to a Turk Poster

I Lost My Heart to a Turk Feature Film1969

Yasamak ne güzel sey Poster

Yasamak ne güzel sey Feature Film1969

Kiz kolunda damga var Poster

Kiz kolunda damga var Feature Film1967

Erkek ve disi Poster

Erkek ve disi Feature Film1966

Karakolda ayna var Poster

Karakolda ayna var Feature Film1966

Üç korkusuz arkadas Poster

Üç korkusuz arkadas Feature Film1966

Canim sana feda Poster

Canim sana feda Feature Film1965

Four Women in the Harem Poster

Four Women in the Harem Feature Film1965

The Broken Lifes Poster

The Broken Lifes Feature Film1965

The Way to the Sun Poster

The Way to the Sun Feature Film1965

Birds of Exile Poster

Birds of Exile Feature Film1964

Evcilik oyunu Poster

Evcilik oyunu Feature Film1964

Girls of Istanbul Poster

Girls of Istanbul Feature Film1964

Sehrazat Poster

Sehrazat Feature Film1964

Stranger in the City Poster

Stranger in the City Feature Film1963

Watchmen of Dawn Poster

Watchmen of Dawn Feature Film1963

Sweet Dreams of Youth Poster

Sweet Dreams of Youth Feature Film1962

Those Were the Days We Loved Poster

Those Were the Days We Loved Feature Film1961

Yasak ask Poster

Yasak ask Feature Film1961

Writer

50

Type

Year

Cumbadan Rumbaya Mini-Series2005

Island of Dogs Poster

Island of Dogs Feature Film1997

Two Strangers Poster

Two Strangers Feature Film1991

Women's Ward Poster

Women's Ward Feature Film1990

Madame Feature Film1989

Kurtar Beni Poster

Kurtar Beni Feature Film1987

Son Darbe Poster

Son Darbe Feature Film1985

Gülsüm Ana Poster

Gülsüm Ana Feature Film1982

Tired Warrior Poster

Tired Warrior Feature Film1979

Yasam Kavgasi Poster

Yasam Kavgasi Feature Film1978

The Intercessors Feature Film1977

The Forbidden Love Poster

The Forbidden Love TV Series1975

Sultan Gelin Poster

Sultan Gelin Feature Film1973

Vurun Kahpeye Poster

Vurun Kahpeye Feature Film1973

Aci zafer Poster

Aci zafer Feature Film1972

Ali Cengiz oyunu Poster

Ali Cengiz oyunu Feature Film1972

Çöl Kartali Poster

Çöl Kartali Feature Film1972

The Nameless Knight Poster

The Nameless Knight Feature Film1970

I Lost My Heart to a Turk Poster

I Lost My Heart to a Turk Feature Film1969

Yasamak ne güzel sey Poster

Yasamak ne güzel sey Feature Film1969

Kanli hayat Poster

Kanli hayat Feature Film1967

Kiz kolunda damga var Poster

Kiz kolunda damga var Feature Film1967

Last Night Poster

Last Night Feature Film1967

The Lion-Hearted Tough Guy Poster

The Lion-Hearted Tough Guy Feature Film1967

Yaprak dökümü Poster

Yaprak dökümü Feature Film1967

Erkek ve disi Poster

Erkek ve disi Feature Film1966

Grip of the Lion Poster

Grip of the Lion Feature Film1966

Karakolda ayna var Poster

Karakolda ayna var Feature Film1966

Üç korkusuz arkadas Poster

Üç korkusuz arkadas Feature Film1966

Four Women in the Harem Poster

Four Women in the Harem Feature Film1965

The Broken Lifes Poster

The Broken Lifes Feature Film1965

The Forbidden Streets Poster

The Forbidden Streets Feature Film1965

The Way to the Sun Poster

The Way to the Sun Feature Film1965

Birds of Exile Poster

Birds of Exile Feature Film1964

Girls of Istanbul Poster

Girls of Istanbul Feature Film1964

Sehrazat Poster

Sehrazat Feature Film1964

Stranger in the City Poster

Stranger in the City Feature Film1963

Watchmen of Dawn Poster

Watchmen of Dawn Feature Film1963

Günes dogmasin Poster

Günes dogmasin Feature Film1961

Mustafa the Vagabond Poster

Mustafa the Vagabond Feature Film1961

Those Were the Days We Loved Poster

Those Were the Days We Loved Feature Film1961

Yasak ask Poster

Yasak ask Feature Film1961

Death Stalks Us Poster

Death Stalks Us Feature Film1960

Mahallenin sevgilisi Poster

Mahallenin sevgilisi Feature Film1960

The Broken Pots Poster

The Broken Pots Feature Film1960

The Guilty One Poster

The Guilty One Feature Film1960

Karacaoglan'in kara sevdasi Poster

Karacaoglan'in kara sevdasi Feature Film1959

The Fallow Deer Poster

The Fallow Deer Feature Film1959

Yasamak hakkimdir Poster

Yasamak hakkimdir Feature Film1958

Tus Feature Film1955

2nd Unit / Asst Director

5

Mahallenin sevgilisi Poster

Mahallenin sevgilisi Feature Film1960

Nebahat, the Driver Poster

Nebahat, the Driver Feature Film1960

The Broken Pots Poster

The Broken Pots Feature Film1960

Karacaoglan'in kara sevdasi Poster

Karacaoglan'in kara sevdasi Feature Film1959

The Fallow Deer Poster

The Fallow Deer Feature Film1959

Producer

4

Two Strangers Poster

Two Strangers Feature Film1991

Canim sana feda Poster

Canim sana feda Feature Film1965

Girls of Istanbul Poster

Girls of Istanbul Feature Film1964

Yasamak hakkimdir Poster

Yasamak hakkimdir Feature Film1958

Cinematographer

1

Yorgun Savasci Poster

Yorgun Savasci Mini-Series1992

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