King of the Garbage Collectors (Çöpçüler Kralı) (translated)

Umur Bugay wrote the Turkish comedy Çöpçüler Kralı (The King of the Street Cleaners), which Zeki Ökten directed in 1977. Produced by Arzu Film, it runs about 80 minutes and belongs to the Yeşilçam tradition. Kemal Sunal, Şener Şen and Ayşen Gruda share the leading roles, with İhsan Yüce as Hacer's father and Erdal Özyağcılar also in the cast. The music is by Cahit Berkay and Özdemir Erdoğan.

The story unfolds in a lively neighborhood full of odd characters. Apti (Abdi Şakrak), a street cleaner played by Kemal Sunal, loves the neighborhood's one special girl, the cleaning lady Hacer (Ayşen Gruda), but she does not return his feelings. Hacer wants to marry the municipal officer Şakir (Şener Şen), while her brothers oppose the marriage. Apti does everything he can to win her heart, but poverty makes it impossible, until he wanders into a nightclub by chance and a string of coincidences turns his luck around.

Shooting took place in Istanbul around Cihangir and Güneşli Sokak. At the 15th Antalya Film Festival the film won Best Screenplay for Umur Bugay and Best Supporting Actor for Şener Şen. Remembered for its iconic scenes and lines, it is regarded as one of the funniest Turkish films.