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The film "Çatlı 2", which focuses on Abdullah Çatlı's departure from Turkey after the 1980 coup and the years he spent in Europe, will open in cinemas across Turkey tomorrow.

Directed by Deniz Enyüksek and starring Vedat İnceefe as Çatlı, the biography and drama was shot in Istanbul, Ankara and Hungary and premiered yesterday at Emaar Square AVM.

Two films shot together after five months of research

The film examines Çatlı's life within the political atmosphere of the 1980s and the framework of international relations of the period. Preparations included roughly five months of research and advance work, and the shootings of "Çatlı" and "Çatlı 2" were carried out together over about 12 weeks.

Alongside Vedat İnceefe in the lead role, the cast of the second film includes Eren Vurdem, Ömer Kurt, Şiva Behrouzfar, Engin Benli, Erdal Küçükkömürcü, Haydar Köyel, Hasan Küçükçetin, Cavit Çetin Güner, Nizam Namidar, Sinan Sicimoğlu, Alp İlkman, Harun Üyüklü, Burak Öztürk, Selin Görgülü, Ekin Pasvanoğlu, Ece Tengiz, Duru Peren, Emre Erçil, Zafer Altun, Erdinç Arslan, Gülşen Mina Gümüş, Beyza Karabacak, Turgay Tanülkü and Yunus Emre Yıldırımer.

The story covers Çatlı's escape from an ambush set in Paris, his arrest by French police and imprisonment, his life behind bars, his concern for the safety of his family and his struggle to return to Turkey. The plot also unfolds against political developments in Europe and the aftermath of the assassination attempt on the Pope, including the difficulties Çatlı faced when asked to reveal his real identity before the trial in Rome.

İnceefe describes an emotional second film

Lead actor Vedat İnceefe told the AA news agency that the positive response from viewers after the first film was pleasing and that audiences had not expected such a performance from him. İnceefe said the sequel brings different sides of the story to the fore. "Besides action and emotion, there are truly beautiful frames. It really became an excellent film. The first one was watched by 500,000 to 600,000 people. It also broke records on the YouTube channel," İnceefe said.

İnceefe said people who saw the first film are curious about the second and expects the sequel to connect with viewers. Meral and Gökçen Çatlı, members of the Çatlı family, provided considerable help in preparing for the role, İnceefe explained.

Describing acting as a new experience, İnceefe said there were moments of difficulty during the shoot and that keeping the character's emotions intact when moving from one scene to another was not easy. Director Deniz Enyüksek provided support along the way, İnceefe added. "I think everyone who watched the first one must watch the second. In emotional terms, in action and in sadness... When I watched the second one, in one part I really broke down in tears," İnceefe said.

Enyüksek: a long and demanding shoot

Director Deniz Enyüksek described a long and demanding production process. "We actually set out to make one film, and along the way we saw that there were far too many stories to tell. We made the film based on the family's story and the book that was written. Then all of this did not fit into one film. In the end there was an edit of five to six hours. It had to be two films. Then we split the story in two parts. If we had pushed it, even three could have come out," Enyüksek said.

Enyüksek said the two films were completed together and that finding locations that captured the period's atmosphere and maintaining continuity between scenes in different countries was challenging. The director praised the cast and the team effort, saying the actors contributed to the project and that Vedat İnceefe in particular worked intensively to prepare for the role.

Enyüksek added that the film focuses on Abdullah Çatlı's family relationships, tells the story through the eyes of his family and aims to bring the character's life to the screen while staying away from political disputes.

Producer says the film relies on the family's accounts

Seyfi Şahin, the film's producer and an architect, said he decided to carry out the project after meeting Çatlı's family and listening to their accounts. "We told a real life without inventing anything, through the family's accounts and the language of cinema. There will certainly be those who like it and those who do not. We respect everyone's opinion," Şahin said.

Şahin said shooting in the countries where the story takes place was important for the credibility of the narrative, and that despite some difficulties during production the team delivered a successful piece of work.

The film will be shown in cinemas across Turkey starting tomorrow.

Key takeaways

• "Çatlı 2" opens in cinemas across Turkey tomorrow and had its gala yesterday at Emaar Square AVM.
• Directed by Deniz Enyüksek, the film stars Vedat İnceefe as Abdullah Çatlı and was shot in Istanbul, Ankara and Hungary.
• The two "Çatlı" films were shot together over about 12 weeks after roughly five months of research.
• The story covers Çatlı's imprisonment in France, his family's safety concerns and the demands he faced before the trial in Rome.