My Friend Max (Arkadaşım Max) (translated)

The 2013 Turkish family comedy My Friend Max (Arkadaşım Max) reached cinemas on June 7, 2013. Its star is Max, a clever Border Collie who won the talent show Yetenek Sizsiniz and became a favorite with viewers. Murat Şeker directed and Focus Film produced the picture, which runs a little over eighty minutes and is aimed at children and families.

The story unfolds in a small town whose economy rests on an olive oil factory owned by Aliye Hanım. She lives in her mansion with her devoted dog Max, and her only relatives are Max and her nephew Burhan. Burhan and his wife Şermin, eager to seize her inheritance, kidnap the elderly woman. They overlook one thing: Max saw everything, and he sets out to rescue his owner at any cost. His journey brings him together with Deniz, a small boy from the other side of town, and the two throw themselves into an exciting rescue.

Ethem Özışık turned a story by Ufuk Bayram into the screenplay. The cast includes Ani İpekkaya, İnci Türkay, Murat Akkoyunlu, Ataberk Mutlu, Hande Katipoğlu and Burçin Bildik. One critic called it an innocent, endearing children's film, praising how faithfully Max follows commands and noting that Turkish cinema had lacked a family film built around a smart, lovable animal.