G.O.R.A.

The most visible attempt at science fiction in Turkish cinema. Arif sells fake carpets to tourists in Cappadocia. He is abducted by aliens and taken to a planet called G.O.R.A. There he lands in the middle of a palace intrigue: Logar, who rules the planet, has plans, and Arif's line of work stays the same, only the customer changes. The humour rests largely on genre parody; familiar scenes from Star Wars to The Matrix are imitated directly and the joke is built on that recognition. Cem Yılmaz wrote the script and plays several parts himself: Arif, Logar and Commander 216. Ömer Faruk Sorak directed. The production history is as convoluted as the film. Shooting began in 2002; the production company belonged to the Uzan family, and when the state seized their banks the film passed to the deposit insurance fund. Release was delayed, and in the end BKM stepped in to distribute it. It opened on 12 November 2004, stayed in cinemas for thirty-six weeks and drew over four million admissions. A landmark of its moment for anyone who likes Turkish comedy and genre parody. For a viewer looking for serious science fiction, the film uses the genre only as scenery.