Filinta

Filinta

TV Series · 2014–2016 · 32 people

On December 23, 2014, Filinta, an Ottoman-era detective drama, began on TRT 1; it ran until April 2016. Mixing action, adventure and crime, it was presented as the first Ottoman crime show on television. Its title refers both to a type of short rifle and to an old word meaning beautiful or handsome. Over two seasons it explored justice, comradeship and love. Es Film produced it.

The story centers on Mustafa, nicknamed Filinta, a young and resourceful policeman in the capital. Played by Onur Tuna, he and his closest friend Ali, an orphan like himself, pursue mysterious cases, and the story opens with a conspiracy aimed at the pair. Kadı Gıyaseddin, a wise judge who once mentored the sultan, is another key figure. Viewers assumed the sultan was Abdülhamid II, but the dethronement scenes in episode 46 showed that he was Abdülaziz.

Osman Kaya directed, and Altuğ Küçük wrote the scripts up to episode 39, after which Ömer Genç took over. Filming took place at the Seka Park Film studio in İzmit. As of 2017 it counted among the most expensive productions in the country, and President Erdoğan and his wife Emine reportedly visited the set.

DirectorOsman Kaya
Production companyEs Film
NetworkTRT 1
Filinta Filinta

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Through different eyes

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

An Ottoman-era police procedural? That is exactly what Filinta delivers. Mustafa, nicknamed Filinta and played by Onur Tuna, chases mysterious cases with his best friend Ali, and the story kicks off with a conspiracy aimed at the pair. The mix of action, adventure and crime makes it a good way in if costume dramas usually bore you. Still, since it also deals with justice, friendship and love, anyone who wants pure action may feel the pace dip in the more drama-heavy episodes.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Billed as television's first Ottoman crime show, Filinta opens up an interesting space: crime, justice and policing in the imperial capital. Figures such as Kadı Gıyaseddin, the wise judge who once mentored the sultan, bring the period's sense of law into the heart of the story. Even so, this is more period adventure than historical account. That viewers long assumed the sultan was Abdul Hamid II, only to learn from the dethronement scenes in episode 46 that he was Abdulaziz, shows that history serves mainly as a backdrop here. Watch it for the atmosphere of the era rather than to learn about it.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Filinta's boldest move is its choice of genre: transplanting the crime procedural into an Ottoman setting. Shooting at the Seka Park Film studio in İzmit, and ranking among the country's most expensive productions as of 2017, point to serious investment in production design, and Osman Kaya's direction has the discipline to carry that scale. On the writing side, though, there is a break: Altuğ Küçük wrote up to episode 39 before handing over to Ömer Genç. A change of writer on a long-running series always puts tone and case construction at risk, and the balance between standalone cases and the ongoing conspiracy thread may be tested in that handover. An interesting experiment for genre fans, but worth keeping that shift in mind as you approach the later episodes.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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