COMD Workshop Brings Behzat Ç.'s Director to Bilkent

BY CÜNEYT YILMAZ (ECON/IV)

Serdar Akar, the director of the popular TV series "Behzat Ç. Bir Ankara Polisiyesi," recently visited Bilkent to share his experiences. Organized by the Department of Communication and Design as one of a series of workshops, the event drew a large attendance from among COMD students as well as students from several other faculties and universities. The talk was moderated by the chair of the Department of Communication and Design, Visiting Assist. Prof. Ahmet Gürata.

"Behzat Ç. Bir Ankara Polisiyesi," is a TV series based on the novel of the same name, and is about the detective Behzat Ç., whose surname is a secret to the universe and his colleagues alike. Unlike most other series, this one takes place in Ankara. Amidst the busy schedule of shooting the series in Eskişehir, Mr. Akar took time out to visit Bilkent.

He began his talk with a brief review of his education, underlining the importance of the extracurricular work he undertook, which was, he said, the reason why it took him 10 years to finish his undergraduate education. Mr. Akar noted that the formal study of cinema isn't a must for being a filmmaker, but that education has nonetheless proven to be vital in hastening progress in the sector.  He then proceeded to discuss what it's like to work in the industry, and mentioned some of the difficulties a director is likely to encounter.

Following his talk, Mr. Akar took questions from the audience. When asked, as someone who has worked in both TV and the cinema, which one he prefers, the director responded, "Technically, they're the same. The actors, the sets, the lights and the cameras are the same…the difference is financial. Isn't TV in fact a long set of commercials that includes a few series and programs? What we do is to try and find a place for ourselves among them." He also praised Ankara, saying, "I love Ankara. I love working here. It's easy to work here."

Besides "Behzat Ç.," Mr. Akar is also the director of several movies that have attracted public and media attention. These include "Dar Alanda Kısa Paslaşmalar" (2000), "Kurtlar Vadisi Irak" (2005) and "Barda" (2000).

The event was the second of this year's workshops held by the Department of Communication and Design,  the first having been given by Abdullah Egeli, a lawyer specializing in copyright matters. This week another workshop, on post-production, will be given by an expert from the advertising sector.