‘Yellow Letters’ Director İlker Çatak on Political Repression of Artists: ‘You Have It in the U.S. Too. Look at What Happened to Jimmy Kimmel!’

Key Highlights

• Too.
• Look at What Happened to Jimmy Kimmel!’ 18 minutes ago Prada Foundation Unveils First Supported Films Including New Works From Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Corneliu Porumboiu, Tatiana Huenzo 54 minutes ago Oscilloscope Buys Italian Director Virgilio Villoresi’s Venice Drama ‘Orfeo’ From True Colours at EFM (EXCLUSIVE) 3 hours ago See All Courtesy Berlinale İlker Çatak, who was born in Berlin to Turkish parents, is back at the Berlinale with “Yellow Letters,” which unlike his last film — the Oscar-nominated Germany-set “The Teachers’ Lounge” — takes place entirely amid political repression in Turkey, even though it was shot in Germany.
• The timely political drama stars Turkish actors Özgü Namal (Derya) and Tansu Biçer (Aziz) as an artists’ couple whose marriage implodes after they lose their jobs due to their political views.
• Related Stories ‘XO, Kitty’ Sets Season 3 Release Date, Drops First-Look Images Çatak speaks to Variety about how political repression in the arts is not just a Turkish problem these days.
• Popular on Variety What drew you to this story in which authoritarian political pressure disrupts a marriage?