Dinle Neyden...

By Ali Koca, "Movie ‘Listen to the Reed’ explores the mystical world of the Mevlevis" - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

One may say the best instrument that can articulate the human adventure of living in this world is the reed flute.

It is given a special place in Sufi culture with this metaphoric quality. It is also an indispensable part of the rites and ceremonies of the Mevlevi Sufi order.

Almost everyone knows the first lines of the "Mesnevi" by Mevlana Muhammad Jelaluddin Rumi: "Listen to the reed, how it complains of separation." While Mevlana's metaphor is centuries old, no film has ever been based upon inspiration from this metaphor until the new movie "Dinle Neyden" (Listen to the Reed Flute), produced by İsmail Eren.

The movie is due for release on Oct. 10. This film, which explores the reed flute and Mevlevi culture, is directed by French director Jacques Deschamps, who won the Best First Film prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1996 with his, "Méfie-toi de l'eau qui dort" (Beware the Still Waters). He is a lecturer at the Institute of Advanced Cinema Studies.

The making of "Dinle Neyden" was a complicated process. Two years ago, Eren launched the project "Galata Mevlevihanesi in the era of Selim III" in connection with the 800th anniversary of Mevlana's birth. But this project could not be completed for the Year of Mevlana.

Ayşe Şasa then wrote a script based on this project. In co-authoring the script, Eren and Şasa also consulted Tuğrul İnançer, who is known for his work on the Mevlevi order.

With contributions from Sedef Ecer and Olivier Lorelle, who won the Best Screenplay Award for "Indigenes" at the 32nd annual Nuit des Cesar ceremony in 2007, the script was given its final edit. The history consultant for the project was Professor Mehmet İpşirli. Thus, the project was ready for shooting after two years of preliminary work.

Set in 1798, just before the French occupation of Egypt, "Dinle Neyden" explores the efforts by a group of people in İstanbul seeking peace through the mystical world of a Mevlevi dervish who witnesses the emotional relationship between two young people from the Ottoman palace.

Thus, there are three over-arching themes in the film: Mevlana's doctrines, historical developments and a love story in the palace.

During the writing of the script, the words of Mevlana are amply quoted in the dialogues. We hear them mostly from Emin Olcay as Nuri Dede, a well-fitted match best known to Turkish TV viewers for his role as Ömer Baba in the crime drama "Kurtlar Vadisi" (Valley of the Wolves).

As for the rest of the cast, Ahu Türkpençe appears as Gülnihal Kalfa, one of the ladies of the court for Beyhan Sultan, the sister of Selim III, and Alican Yücesoy plays the palace doctor who treats Nuri Dede. Yücesoy's performance in the 2006 movie "Son Osmanlı-Yandım Ali" (The Last Ottoman) has been well received by many. The cast also contains surprise appearances by such well-known figures as stage and screen actress Lale Mansur and percussionist Burhan Öçal.

The production consultant for the film was Yücel Çakmaklı, whose name has not been listed in the credits for any film for a long time.

"Ayşe Şasa and Yücel Çakmaklı have been involved in the project since the beginning. They have made significant contributions to the content and implementation of the project. I can say that without them, this project could not be implemented in this form," Eren said.

Eren noted that the biggest challenge in the project was the correct presentation of Mevlana's doctrines in the film.

"It was very difficult for us to include them in a 100-minute film with extreme loyalty," he added.

The shooting of the film in historical places such as Topkapı Palace were completed in five weeks. The 500 costumes used in the film were prepared in six months and the artistic setting and accessories were prepared in eight months.

The soundtrack for the film was composed by Özhan Eren, the director and producer of the epic period film "120".