The Arduous Journey of Cinema: The Director's Creative Map
Cinema's vibrant and creative figure, Emir Khalilzadeh, boasts a diverse career spanning from music videos to film and television projects. A graduate of Istanbul University's Faculty of Communication, Khalilzadeh entered the industry professionally in 2004, and since then, he has left his mark on numerous successful projects. In a candid conversation, we discussed the turning points of Emir Khalilzadeh's career, his projects, and his journey in the world of cinema.
- HELLO, MR. EMIR, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR MEETING WITH US. COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: I am a graduate of Istanbul University's Faculty of Communication. I started my professional career in 2004. I began working as an assistant in the early 2000s and participated in various projects. Around 2006, I started directing, at quite an early age, let's say around 24 or 25 years old.
- WHEN WE LOOK AT YOUR CAREER JOURNEY, YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY CINEMA PROJECTS. IN ADDITION TO THE CINEMA WORLD, YOU HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO SUCCESSFUL WORKS IN MUSIC AND TV PROJECTS. WHICH PROJECTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: Yes, we've been through a long process, and I've been involved in various projects. There's almost no artist I haven't worked with on the music side. I had the chance to work with many significant names, from Muslum Gurses to Sibel Can, from Serdar Ortac to Mustafa Sandal. At the same time, after working as a cinematographer on music projects, I moved on to commercials, TV series, and films. In cinema, I worked on films like "Adanış: Kutsal Kavga" and "Elli Kelimelik Mektuplar." "Eski Sevgili" and my Albanian-language film project, "Two Fingers Honey" shot abroad, were also unforgettable experiences. On the TV series side, I connected with the audience through projects like "Siyah Beyaz Aşk" and "Servet."
- FROM THE PERIOD WHEN YOU ENTERED THE INDUSTRY, YOU HAVE EMBARKED ON A JOURNEY FROM MUSIC TO TV AND CINEMA. WHAT HAS WORKING IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS ADDED TO YOU?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: Working in different areas has been a valuable experience for me. Especially in the music world, directing music videos provided me with significant technical knowledge. This experience also inspired me to work as a cinematographer. The world of music videos allowed me to maintain my independence in my relationship with artists. TV series and cinema projects, on the other hand, offer a broader perspective. It helped me develop a comprehensive understanding of scriptwriting, production, and directing. Each project contains new things to learn.
YOU ENTERED THE TV SERIES WORLD WITH "SEVDA'NIN BAHÇESİ," STARRING SIBEL CAN, BUT YOU REACHED A LARGER AUDIENCE WITH "SIYAH BEYAZ AŞK." CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE SUCCESS YOU ACHIEVED IN THIS SERIES?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: Yes, I entered the TV series world with the project "Sevda'nin Bahçesi," but "Siyah Beyaz Aşk" was a significant period for me. The success we achieved in the series contributed to successfully completing the project by raising low ratings. This series was a project where I truly established myself in the TV series industry.
- IN ADDITION TO TV SERIES PROJECTS, YOU HAVE ALSO MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FILM WORLD. WHICH FILM PROJECTS WERE SPECIAL AND UNFORGETTABLE FOR YOU?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: My second film, "Müthiş Bir Film," was a very special project for me. This film, of which I was both a co-producer and screenwriter, was a work done using my own story and freedom. It holds a special place at the Antalya Film Festival and other festivals. Also, I mentioned that I love period pieces, so projects like "Hay Sultan" and "Destan" are very valuable to me.
- IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF FILMMAKING, WHAT MOMENTS OR PROJECTS HAVE GIVEN YOU THE MOST ENJOYMENT?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: The production process of "Müthiş Bir Film" was a milestone for me. We scripted it with Serkan Dağlı, and we brought this project to life freely using my own story. This film is precious to me because it was a project I did with my own means. Additionally, period pieces like "Hay Sultan" and "Destan" were enjoyable and instructive projects for me. Undertaking these projects in challenging conditions further developed me.
- IN ADDITION TO CINEMA AND TV PROJECTS, YOU ARE ALSO ACTIVE AS A SCREENWRITER. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE SCREENPLAYS YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: Yes, I am currently working on 3-4 screenplay projects. One of them is a project about the life of Afife Jale, unfortunately halted during the shooting process due to the pandemic and is owned by TRT. Perhaps we are considering reviving this project in the future. However, the costs of period pieces are not very low anymore, so a bit more planning is needed.
THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, YOU HAVE HELD DIFFERENT TITLES SUCH AS DIRECTOR, SCREENWRITER, PRODUCER. WHAT TITLES ARE YOU CURRENTLY CONTINUING WITH?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: My main profession is directing. However, throughout my career, I have also worked in different areas such as assistantship and production. I have also worked as a producer and screenwriter in advertising projects. But the main focus for me is directing.
- MEMORABLE MOMENTS USUALLY HAPPEN ON SETS. DO YOU HAVE AN ANECDOTE OR SET STORY YOU CAN SHARE WITH US?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: Many memories are created on sets, of course. One unforgettable one for me happened on a project directed by Yavuz Turgul. Yavuz Bey is a strict director and never accepts any disruptions on set. One day, we had a big set in Samatya Square, and about 150-200 people were working. We were sending the actors while trying to stop anyone passing by. An elderly retired colonel from the neighborhood didn't stop. I said, 'Brother, please stop, the scene is ongoing.' He didn't stop. I raised my voice a bit, he started shouting in the middle of the set, and the set stopped. I mean, in Yavuz Bey's set, there is no sound, no pen drops. I was frozen. Yavuz Bey was sitting about 30-40 meters away. He raised his head, saw me from the monitor. The guy was already next to me. I thought he would probably fire me. He came, wandered around a bit. Looked at me, I was waiting with my head down to see what he would say. He said, 'Do you see what you did? The set stopped.' I said, 'I apologize, sir.' He said, 'Continue your work,' didn't send me away. It's a very unforgettable moment for me.
-YOU OFTEN PREFER PERIOD PIECES IN YOUR PROJECTS. WHAT ARE THE REASONS BEHIND THIS CHOICE?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: Anything beautiful is already difficult. I like challenging projects because I believe that beautiful things are not easily obtained. Period pieces require intensive work on a historical and cultural background. I think there is a lot to learn both technically and historically in such projects. Projects like "Destan" and "Hay Sultan" were worth taking on this difficulty.
-THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFUL CONVERSATION. FINALLY, WHAT PROJECTS DO YOU CONSIDER BEING INVOLVED IN THE FUTURE?
EMIR KHALILZADEH: One of the projects I am currently working on is a TV series called "Kod Adı Kırlangıç," which belongs to TRT. I am also excited about my other projects in the production phase. In my next steps, I plan to participate in challenging, instructive, and audience-appealing projects once again.
In this enjoyable interview with Emir Khalilzadeh, we explored many details about the esteemed director's career. Working across a wide spectrum, from the world of cinema to music, from TV series to screenplay writing, Khalilzadeh makes a name for himself with successes in various artistic fields. While looking forward to the projects he will bring to the audience in the future, we wish him continued success in his career.
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