Abbas in Flower

Çiçek Abbas was Sinan Çetin's directorial debut, scripted by Yavuz Turgul. İlyas Salman plays the guileless Abbas, sidekick to a swindling driver named Şakir, and things unravel once Abbas falls for the same woman his boss is chasing. The shoot was originally planned for Merter, but Çetin pushed to relocate to Alibeyköy, where curious locals reportedly turned out for days to watch the filming. Şener Şen had told Çetin he wanted to play kind hearted, naive everyman roles around that time, and the part was shaped around him. The film won Turgul the Best Screenplay prize at that year's Antalya Film Festival. What results leans entirely on the two leads' chemistry rather than plot mechanics. Who it's for: fans of Şener Şen and İlyas Salman looking for one of their most relaxed pairings from Turkish 80s comedy. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a tightly plotted, fast moving comedy, since the film ambles at its own pace.