The Magician () is a 2006 Turkish comedy-drama film, directed by Cem Yılmaz and Ali Taner Baltacı, about a magician who tours around Turkey with his father and best friend so that he can make enough money for laser eye surgery. The film, which was released on , was short-listed for Turkey's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 80th Academy Awards but lost out to Takva.
Production The film was shot on location in Istanbul, Gallipoli and Eceabat, Turkey.
Plot Iskender is a juggler, while Maradona is a magician—at least to everyone except himself and his childhood friend. As they flee Istanbul, the two take a significant risk by adding Sait to their touring act, despite Father Sait having lost his appreciation for Iskender years earlier. The tour brings them closer but also leads to a bitter falling-out. Along the way, Iskender, Maradona, and Sait repeatedly reunite and clash with their fellow traveler, Fatma.
Cast Cem Yılmaz as İskender Tünaydın Mazhar Alanson as Sait Tünaydın Özlem Tekin as Fatma Nur Gaye Türksönmez Tuna Orhan as Maradona - Orhan Direk
Release The film opened in 378 screens across Turkey on at number one in the Turkish box office chart with an opening weekend gross of $1,462,608 and was later released across a number of European territories.
+ Opening weekend grossDateTerritoryScreensRankGross Turkey 378 1 $1,462,608 Belgium 6 19 $38,916 Germany 52 12 $198,149 Austria 4 13 $41,780 Netherlands 17 14 $53,749 United Kingdom 4 24 $34,704
Reception
Box Office The film was number one at the Turkish box office for two weeks running and has made a total worldwide gross of $9,146,764.
Reviews Todd Brown, writing for Twitch Film, notes that this film, looks to be a beautifully shot piece of work, and that, while it was impossible not to see an awful lot of Mel Brooks influence on [the writer-director's previous film] G.O.R.A. this one sees Yilmaz in a much more restrained mode that I think plays a fair bit better.
Awards 2007 Ankara International Film Festival Most Promising Actor: Tuna Orhan (Won) 2007 Brussels International Independent Film Festival Best Actor (International Competition): Cem Yilmaz (Won) 2007 Istanbul International Film Festival Golden Tulip: Cem Yilmaz & Ali Taner Baltaci (Nominated) 2007 Sadri Alışık Cinema and Theater Award for Best Actor: Cem Yilmaz (Nominated)
See also 2006 in film
References
External links