Manaki Brothers films come to light
The Balkans first filmmakers Yanaki and Milton Manaki Brother’s full set of restored films were shown in Turkey first time ever at the Golden Orange Film Festival’s ‘In Search of Celluloid’ program.
Filmed at the end of the 19th and the early 20th centuries, their films reminded audience of the great photographic and film opus and undeniable photographic and aesthetic values of the rich treasury of the brothers Milton and Yanaki Manaki. The audience also enjoyed Macedonian musicians Blogaj Maratov and Bojan Maratov’s specially composed pieces of music at the screening.
Prof. Nazmi Ulutak, head of Cinematheque of Macedonia Igor Stardelov, film critic Burcak Evren and Cagri Inceoglu participated in the panel to discuss Manaki Brother’s archive.
Igor Stardelov said “We made an extraordinary effort to take care of the photography archive of the Manaki’s, we kept them in the wooden boxes buried in the ground. They had left a unique archive to Macedonia. Stardelov continued: “Manaki’s archive is extremely important for the world heritage; they filmed local miracles, dances, traditions, religious rituals and feasts, weddings and funerals. However their interested shifted on unique and great historical events; executed patriots, monarchy, welcome ceremonies of the delegates and executives. They had a particular interest to film the crowds.” “We have Ottoman documents in our archives and we would gladly share these with the Turkish academics.” He added.
The other panelist Cagri Inceoglu said: “World cinema heritage does not pay enough attention to Manaki’s. The Greeks took care of the Manaki’s as the first filmmakers of the Balkans, they are hardly known in Turkish cinema history.”
Burcak Evren also stated that the Manaki Brothers were actually first Turkish filmmakers. Evren added: “They were the private photographers of the Sultan Resat of the Ottomans. Macedonia used to belong to the Ottomans back then and therefore their works belong to the lands where they were shot.”
Ms. Müge Çetinkaya – International Press Coordinator
