Yusuf Kurçenli

Yusuf Kurçenli — Biography

Yusuf Kurçenli was born on 20 January 1947 in Çayeli, Rize Province; he studied journalism at Istanbul University's Faculty of Communications and worked as a producer and director at the state broadcaster TRT from 1973 to 1980. He made his feature directing debut with Ve Recep Ve Zehra Ve Ayşe in 1983; Karartma Geceleri (1990) was named Best Film at both the Yunus Nadi Awards and the Istanbul Film Festival. His best-known work, Çözülmeler (1994), brought him Best Director at the Istanbul Film Festival, Best Film from the Turkish Film Critics' Association, and both Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Ankara Film Festival.

He also directed Gramofon Avrat, Raziye and Gönderilmemiş Mektuplar, as well as the television series Baba Evi and Kurşun Kalem, completing his last film, Yüreğine Sor, in 2009. He died in Istanbul on 22 February 2012 after an eighteen-month illness with cancer, and was buried at Ulus Cemetery.