The film “Hay Hak Karagöz Hacivat”, where the traditional shadow game came to life with modern animation, is released on April 18th. The fun and thought -provoking stories of Hacivat and Karagöz, which has been transferred from generation to generation for centuries, are reinterpreted in a contemporary narrative in the film “Hay Hak Karagöz Hacivat”. The film, which emerged as a result of dedication for more than a year, combines its original drawings, its strong story and its unique style of the characters and the magic of the shadow play with modern animation technology. The film, which will appeal to a wide audience by bringing together traditional Turkish humor with modern comedy understanding, aims to attract not only children but also adults to the movie theaters. TRT collaborative film, which tells the fun and thought -provoking stories of Hacivat and Karagöz, one of the most important heritage of Turkish culture; Hacivat and Karagöz, who returned to their villages after years, are about to find themselves in the middle of an event that is difficult to get out of. The premiere of the film produced in Ankara yesterday, Isa Dogmuş, Aksam.com.tr told Merve Yilmaz Oruç.
“It is very valuable to offer content from our own culture”
Good luck with your movie. Hay Hak was already meeting the audience as a cartoon. How did the idea of cinema come out?
“Hay Hak” was previously broadcast as a line series on TRT Diyanet Children’s channel and attracted great attention. This interest and the potential of our characters gave rise to the idea that our stories could reach a wider audience. The cinema curtain gave the opportunity to present the magic and humor of traditional characters in a much more impressive way. We also wanted to give a different experience to the lovers of the line series and to include the new generations in this pleasant world.
It is very valuable that Hacivat and Karagöz are on the big screen. While there are so many foreign cartoon characters, I think it is necessary to explain Hacivat Karagöz culture to every generation. And now that the children born are born to a digital life, cinema is very valuable in this sense. How do you interpret?
I definitely agree. It is one of our most important responsibilities to keep our cultural heritage alive and transfer it to future generations. Hacivat and Karagöz are not only fun characters, but also a reflection of Turkish humor, intelligence and social values. Today’s children are born into the digital world, and it is vital to offer them the content fed from our own culture and roots. Cinema is one of the channels where we can make this transfer in the most effective way with its visual and auditory power. Our aim with “Hay Hak” is to make children know their own culture while having fun and to open a different window for them.
So did you have anything to force you when moving a traditional shadow game to the cinema screen?
Of course, we faced some difficulties. The shadow game has its own language and aesthetics. While combining this with the possibilities of modern animation, we took care not to lose the traditional spirit. It was very important for us to protect the movements, dialogues and the originality of the understanding of humor. At the same time, considering the requirements of cinematographic narrative, we tried to blend both the simplicity of the shadow play and the dynamism of animation. This balance required creative solutions from time to time.
“Our aim is to present familiar characters with a modern interpretation”
What did you pay attention to when creating Hacivat and Karagöz characters? Because people have a Hacivat Karagöz appearance in their minds …
We have great respect for the image of Hacivat and Karagöz in the mind of the audience. We maintain the basic characteristics of the characters, typical behavior and dynamics with each other. Hacivat’s pure and ready -response attitudes of Karagöz are also significant in our film. However, with the visual wealth of animation, we had the opportunity to reflect the expressions and movements of the characters in a more detailed and funny way. Our aim was to present familiar characters with a modern interpretation and to enable the new generation to connect with them.
What kind of story weave will watch the audience? Will there be similarities with cartoon?
The story of our film has a unique scenario independent of the series. Four years later, he returned to his villages Hacivat and Karagöz’s funny adventures. These two heads, who learn that they have even been erased from the population, are resorting to all kinds of ways to regain the love of the peasants. However, every attempts lead to unexpected and fun events. Throughout the film, Hacivat and Karagöz’s clumsiness, misunderstanding and sweet fidelity with each other will drown the audience in laughter. We have preserved the humorous tone of the series and the dynamism between the characters, but we offer a different experience with cinematographic narrative and a more integrated plot.
“The classic characters of the shadow game are in the movie”
What other characters will be in the movie?
Of course, in our film, Hacivat and Karagöz, as well as peasants and their colorful personalities have an important place. We will encounter various characters that will add a different taste to the story with the unique attitude and reactions of each of them. Through different characters, we aimed to reflect the warmth, solidarity and funny events of the village life. I do not give much details in order not to miss the surprise, but I can say that our audience will love and meet new characters in mind. Almost all of the classic characters of the shadow play are in our film. Especially Salt -free Deli Bekir, Çelebi, Bebe Ruhi, wrestler wood, merchant, craftsman, farmers, each with different personality and ethnic characteristics, such as dozens of characters with dozens of characters.
Will he finally have a message? Which points and virtues will emphasize?
Even though it is a film that aims to entertain, there are some important messages it contains. In our film, there is an emphasis on values such as friendship, solidarity and the importance of acting together. Although the clumsy efforts of Hacivat and Karagöz sometimes lead to chaos, they finally learn to overcome the problems as a unity. In addition, we also deal with the themes such as taking lessons from mistakes, the importance of goodwill and respect for differences in our story. Our aim is to contribute to children’s internalization of such positive values while having fun.
“A production that audiences of all ages can watch with pleasure”
Who will appeal to this movie … Is it just to say just a children’s movie?
Our “Hay Hak” animated film is primarily appealing to both children and adult audiences of all ages who miss quality jokes and who love to laugh. On the other hand, we believe that it is a production that can be seen by audience of all ages. Thanks to the humor and universal themes of Karagöz and Hacivat, adults will be able to watch the film with a nostalgic taste and great pleasure. We see it as a production where families can go to the cinema with their children and have a common entertainment experience and even chat on after the film. From this point of view, it is inadequate to describe this production to say ‘just a children’s film’.
So what kind of call to families and children about the film?
Dear families and children, we invite you to the brand new and laughing adventure of the cheerful and wise heroes of Turkish culture! “Hay Hak” is a warm family film that tells the beauty of not only entertaining, but also the beauty of friendship, solidarity and being together. Bride, discover the magic of our traditional shadow game with modern animation, laugh with plenty of clumsiness of Hacivat and Karagöz and take an unforgettable journey with them. Hope to meet in movie theaters …
“We have a lot of stories to tell with Hacivat and Karagöz”
Will the film be an international journey?
For now, our priority is to meet our audience in Türkiye. However, we think that the universal themes of the film and the unique humor of the characters will attract attention abroad. In the future, we will have efforts to reach the audience abroad through international festivals and distribution channels.
Will the sequel be shot?
How the interest of “Hay Hak” will receive interest from the audience will be decisive about the sequel. We believe that we have more stories to tell with Hacivat and Karagöz. If our film is liked and if there is a request, we are happy to move the new adventures of these popular characters to the big screen.
Finally, I would like to ask the TRT partnership, what contributions does TRT’s support contribute to the film?
TRT’s partnership was a valuable support for the “Hay Hak” project. The experience and vision of TRT Diyanet Children’s Channel has made significant contributions to both the increase in content quality and reaching a wide audience. In particular, the sensitivity of TRT to the preservation of cultural values and the right messages formed the backbone of our project. We thank TRT for cooperation.
