that takes as its starting point an actual incident between American and Turkish forces.
Turkish rush to embrace anti-US film
It is rabidly anti-American, and it is the biggest draw in town.
With a budget of $10m (£5.7m), Valley of the Wolves Iraq is the most
expensive
film ever made in Turkey - and it is pulling record crowds.
At one of Istanbul's biggest multiplex cinemas the blockbuster is showing on
five
separate screens and nearly all the seats are sold out. It's the same story
across the country.
"I'm back to see it for the second time already," says one student, waiting
impatiently outside Screen 10.
"It is anti-American, but we already know what they've done in Iraq. That's the
reality. Now we can see it on screen."
The movie opens with a real-life incident: the arrest in July 2003 of Turkish
special forces in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq.
The soldiers were led out of their headquarters at gunpoint, with hoods over
their heads. America later apologised,
but it appears the offence ran deep.
The film has turned out to be a sensation at the box office
At the time Turkey took the incident as national humiliation. In this film
the fictional hero sets out for revenge.
From then on, the action pits good Turks against very bad Americans, in a mix of
fact and fiction with a deeply nationalistic flavour.
US violence In one scene, trigger-happy US troops massacre civilians at a
wedding party.
In another they firebomb a mosque during evening prayer. There are multiple
summary executions.
And for the first time, the real-life abuses by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib
prison are
played out on the big screen.
Even the doctor - played by Gary Busey - is evil, removing human
organs from
Iraqi prisoners to send to patients in the US, Israel and Britain.
"Our film's a sort of political action," explains script-writer Bahadir Ozdener
at the production company's stylish
office on the Asian side of Istanbul.
"Maybe 60 or 70% of what happens on screen is factually true. Turkey and
America
are allies, but Turkey wants to say something to its friend.
We want to say the bitter truth. We want to say that this is wrong."
In a mainly Muslim country that has enjoyed a long strategic partnership with
the US, Valley of the
Wolves has sparked intense interest.
The US ambassador to Ankara was quizzed for his reaction to
the film on a major
news channel; even Turkey's foreign minister has felt
moved to comment on it. Both were anxious to appear conciliatory. 
The film is unashamedly anti-American
But the film clearly capitalises on a wave of anti-American feeling that
peaked with the
Sulaymaniyah controversy,
but began to swell with preparation for the invasion of Iraq.
Middle East expert Cengiz Candar says the incident in Sulaymaniyah added deep
insult to injury in Turkey,
where there was already strong opposition to the war across the border.
Fears of nationalism
Cengiz Candar feels relations had started to improve. Now he fears Valley of the
Wolves will reignite the embers,
with all its talk of defending Turkish honour and pride.
"This film poisons the climate in a way that enhances jingoistic nationalism
among Turks," Cengiz complains.
"It's pushing society to be inward-looking and hostile to our allies and
would-be allies.
This kind of mentality will do no good for Turkey."
Part of the pull for the crowds flocking to cinemas
here is certainly the
Turkish actors involved.
The film is a spin-off from a cult TV series
from the same producers.
That show pitted the all-action hero Polat against the Turkish mafia.
But in
changing the enemy and the location, the team behind the film
appear to have judged the public
mood well. Back at the multiplex there was an
all-round vote of approval from the audience for the movie,
and general disapproval for the US. "Everything we've been hearing on the news
about Iraq is in this film,
" one woman says as she
emerges from the auditorium. "We condemn this war and will continue to condemn
it.
But I don't see America as our fundamental enemy," she adds.
"I'm really upset after this, really upset," an older man says, as rushes away.
"If I see an American when I get out of here I feel like taking a hood and
putting it over their head."
The film is due for release in Europe soon. Then it is off to the US.
A record breaker on Turkish TV for three seasons and now a phenomenon,
“Valley of the Wolves” is now preparing to shake the world with the movie…
The story begins with a true story: “The Hood Event”… On 2003, the 4th of July,
allied American forces come to the unofficial, half-secret Turkish headquarters
consisting
of eleven people. The Turkish soldiers suppose that this an ordinary
visit from their allies.
But this time it is different. In the changing
conjuncture, America wants to be the only power
“calling the shots”. To them,
there is no place for Turks in the region any more…
That day, eleven soldiers are deported with hoods on their heads with no respect
to their
soldiership dignity and in front of the region’s people…It’s all truth up to this point in the movie…
In the story based on facts, Suleyman Aslan is one of those eleven soldiers.
As
first lieutenant, Suleyman, can’t reconcile being insulted and surrendering with
his honor.
Therefore, he commits suicide and leaves a letter behind.
The letter is addressed to Polat Alemdar… Polat Alemdar is a very specially
trained Turkish intelligence agent.
He has attended several missions in the
country and abroad for a secret agency working for the state…
Because of his
last mission, he has no contact with the secret agency… Living by his missions,
Polat Alemdar can’t ignore the will of his friend who committed suicide for the
sake of his duty.
He is in Northern Iraq with his men now. To die for, if needed…
They found a different situation than they expected in Northern Iraq. They were
after the man who insulted
the Turkish soldiers but they couldn’t believe their
eyes when they saw the situation there. The people of
Iraq’s values,
personalities and history were completely being disregarded. The desired new
order was
forcing an unacceptable change on the people… The one who is
responsible for these unendurable
crimes against humanity is a special forces
commander called Sam William Marshall and who was
also responsible for the hood
event.
In order to carry out his plan, Sam W. Marshall raids the Arabian wedding where
everyone from the
region comes together. He kills tens of people. All are
civilians. Leila, the bride of the wedding, loses
her future groom in the
killings. Apart from the people who were murdered there, also a lot of people
are declared terrorists
and arrested.
Destiny shall intersect the paths of Polat and Leyla later fort he sake of the
objective that both
had ventured to die for…Sam William Marshall is now being chased by all of his sins, Polat and Leyla…
You will not forget the movie “Valley of the Wolves – Iraq” adorned with
incredible action scenes
and heartbreaking stories of humanity…
Movie Trailers
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