Other Angels (Teslimiyet)

Name: Teslimiyet
Director: Emre Yalgın
Cast: Kanbolat Görkem Arslan, Özay Fecht, Seyhan Arman

Movie · 2010 · 3 people

Emre Yalgın directed Teslimiyet (Other Angels internationally), a 2010 Turkish drama, and wrote the screenplay with Zeynep Özcan. It follows four trans women who share a home in Istanbul's Tarlabaşı district and earn a living through sex work, tracing their dreams and daily struggle. The script reached the final four of the Balkan Fund at the Thessaloniki Film Festival and received financial support.

At the centre is Sanem, who lives with three friends. Dreaming of a rescuer, she catches the eye of Gökhan, a new arrival in the neighbourhood, and a quiet bond forms. When unexpected events shake her home, Sanem must take refuge with him, and a journey begins in which he questions her identity and she questions his trustworthiness. Kanbolat Görkem Arslan, Özay Fecht, Seyhan Arman, Didem Soylu and Ayta Sözeri are in the cast; Arman plays Hayat.

The four trans roles were played by trans people with their families' support. Arman has said that a film portraying trans people as ugly outsiders might have won ministry help, while this one was made on a tiny budget. It opened on 17 December 2010 on a limited number of screens, and was shown at the 29th Istanbul Film Festival, the 22nd Ankara International Film Festival and a queer film festival in Hamburg.

Director	Emre Yalgın

Reactions

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Cast

Kanbolat Görkem Arslan Actor · died at 45

Özay Fecht Actor · 72 years old

Seyhan Arman Actor · 46 years old

Last reviewed: November 1, 2026

Through different eyes

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

Emre Yalgın's Teslimiyet chooses to tell the story of four trans women sharing a house in Tarlabaşı from the inside rather than from the margins, and that is the film's most valuable decision. The silent relationship between Sanem and Gökhan relies on looks and silences more than dialogue, and when it works it gives the bond a fragile reality. Casting trans performers in the trans roles lends the performances authenticity. On the other hand, in a film known to have been shot on a very small budget, the journey in which the two question each other feels scattered and rushed at times. For all its flaws, a brave film in its field, searching for its own voice.

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

Teslimiyet looks directly at a subject rarely seen in Turkish cinema: the lives of travesti and trans women. Set in Tarlabaşı, the story shows four women who make a living from sex work, with both their dreams and their vulnerability in the face of homophobia. That the roles were played by trans people, with the support of their families, also makes the film important as a matter of representation. Seyhan Arman's remark that the Ministry of Culture might have backed it had it been a film that othered trans people says a lot about the conditions it was made in. A valuable testimony to where LGBT rights stood in 2010.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

This is not a film to watch with children or younger teens. It deals with sex work, discrimination and a hard struggle to get by. For adults, though, it sheds light on an important subject. Adults who can talk about these issues openly can watch it among themselves. If you want a light evening film, pick something else.

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

Other Angels (Teslimiyet)

Reactions

Cast

Through different eyes

Reviews (0)

Comments