The Shadow Play (Gölge Oyunu)

Yavuz Turgul wrote and directed Gölge Oyunu (The Shadow Play), a Turkish film from 1992. Blending drama and comedy with fantastical touches, it stands apart from the rest of the director's work. It follows two friends on the fringes of nightlife and a young woman who enters their lives, and it invites viewers to ponder reality and illusion.

Abidin and Mahmut work in nightclubs and are used to losing. Abidin, played by Şener Şen, is a former sailor, a womanizer and a liar. Mahmut, played by Şevket Altuğ, grew up in an orphanage and is honest, shy and sensitive. The pair roam on an antique motorcycle with a sidecar, until a beautiful deaf and mute girl, Kumru (Larissa Litichevskaya), is brought to the club and changes their lives. Mahmut stands by her, takes her home and helps her look for her mother Zeliha. Her presence tests the friendship, and both men begin to question the reality around them.

Türker İnanoğlu produced the 103-minute film for Erler Film, shot on 35 mm color. The music is by Attila Özdemiroğlu and the cinematography by Aytekin Kabadere and Çetin Tunca. Its use of light stands out, and the script is counted among Turgul's strongest.