Kurtlar vadisi - Irak (2006)

Directors:

Serdar Akar
Sadullah Sentürk (co-director)

Writers:

Ömer Lütfi Mete (scenario supervisor)
Raci Sasmaz (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

3 February 2006 (Syria)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Some Men Are Born to be Heroes

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Artificiality | Turkey | Wedding | Racist

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Necati Sasmaz	...	Polat Alemdar
Billy Zane	...	Sam William Marshall
Ghassan Massoud	...	Abdurrahman Halis Karuki (sheikh)
Gürkan Uygun	...	Memati Bas
Bergüzar Korel	...	Leyla
Kenan Çoban	...	Abdülhey Çoban
Erhan Ufak	...	Erhan Ufak
Diego Serrano	...	Dante, Sam's assistant
Gary Busey	...	Doctor
Spencer Garrett	...	George Baltimore, journalist
Tito Ortiz	...	American Major Commander 2
Nusret Senay	...	Turkish Commander
Tayfun Eraslan	...	SÜLEYMAN ASLAN
Ismet Hürmüzlü	...	Abu Tarik, arab leader
Jihad Abdou	...	KURDISH LEADER
Yavuz Imsel	...	HASAN, turkman leader
Mauro Martino	...	Mr. Fender - hotel owner
Egemen Yavuz	...	Ali
Umut Ugur	...	American Major Commander
Ziver Çiftçi	...	GROOM
Caner Kurtaran	...	EBU ALI
Turgut Bagir	...	Barber
Haluk Cömert	...	PESHMERGA COMMISSAR
Muhammet Ali Tuncer	...	EL KAIDE
Hüseyin Aksen	...	GROOM'S FATHER
Gökhan Simsek	...	IRAQI TRANSLATOR
Burhan Duran	...	PESHMERGA
Tolga Tuncer	...	American Lieutenant 1
Ferdi Alver	...	American Sergeant 1
Osman Sonant	...	American Sergeant 2
Murat Özben	...	YOUNG TURKMAN
Serhan Ernak	...	Bomb Destruction 1
Atwani Larbi	...	American LIEUTENANT 2
Asli Firtina	...	Ali's Mother
Esra Özpinar	...	Bridesmaid 1
Mine Erkmen	...	Bridesmaid 2
Serdar Aydin	...	PESHMERGA COMMISSAR ASSISTANT
Muhittin Kayaoglu	...	KURDISH UNCLE
Pinar Akin	...	Bridesmaid 3
Ziya Humar	...	TURKMAN LEADER ASSISTANT
Funda Mete	...	TORMENTER AMERICAN SOLDI
Bugra Koçtepe	...	TORMENTER AMERICAN SOLDIER
Firat Cem Kantarci	...	SAM ADAM
Serdar Bilal
Turgut Keles
Kartal Karakus
Burak Kalkavan
Baris Sariuçak
Erkal Ozagi
Abdurrahman Öztürk
Önder Yilmaz
Firat Kaan Yurdakul
Önder Özcan
Saliha Kara	...	KURDISH GRANDMOTHER
Ebru Basman	...	NURSE
Serkan Çetinkaya	...	PESHMERGA
Burak Zereyalp	...	PESHMERGA
Ferit Ulas	...	PESHMERGA
Bertan Dobada	...	RABBI
Mustafa Kirik	...	KURDISH LEADER ASSSTANT
Kemal Özdemir	...	Arabian leader assant
Suat Ergin	...	INJURED MAN IN VILLAGE
Gözde Özküçük	...	TEACHER
Atilla Özat	...	STEWARD
Perihan Özat	...	GROOM'S MOTHER
Atilla Mahmut Oyucu	...	Abu Gareeb Jail
Ömer Oyucu	...	PRISON

Directed by
Serdar Akar
Sadullah Sentürk		(co-director)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ömer Lütfi Mete		scenario supervisor
Bahadir Özdener		screenplay
Raci Sasmaz		screenplay
Soner Yalcin		concept creator

Produced by
Mehmet Canpolat	....	associate producer
Mehmet Canpolat	....	co-producer
Hasan Kaçan	....	associate producer
Raci Sasmaz	....	producer
Zübeyr Sasmaz	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Gökhan Kirdar

Cinematography by
Selahattin Sancakli		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kemalettin Osmanli

Casting by
Erdem Ergüney
Kerem Firtina

Art Direction by
Yavuz Fazlioglu

Makeup Department
Lynda Armstrong	....	chief hair designer
Lynda Armstrong	....	chief makeup designer
Amy Byrne	....	hair stylist
Amy Byrne	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Eric M. Klein	....	post-production manager
Saadettin Namoglu	....	unit production manager
Sadettin Namoglu	....	unit production manager

Sound Department
Enis Danabas	....	boom operator
Alan O'Duffy	....	sound
Hans Schumann	....	sound designer
Hans Schumann	....	supervising sound editor
Umut Senyol	....	sound editor
Arne Wallbrecher	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Kevin Draycott	....	special effects foreman
Mark Meddings	....	special effects coordinator
Murat Sengül	....	special effects technician
Janek Zabielski	....	special effects supervisor (2005)

Stunts
Jiri Horky	....	stunts
Dusan Hyska	....	stunt coordinator
Garrik Palumbo	....	stunts
Jan Petrina	....	stunt double: Billy Zane

Casting Department
Bertan Dobada	....	casting assistant
Baris Özat	....	casting assistant

Other crew
Cihan Aksoylu	....	assistant: Diego Serrano/Billy Zane
Timothy C. Burns	....	combined continuity script

Production Companies

• Pana Film

Distributors

• Phoenicia Pictures (2006) (non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
• At Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• KenDa (2006) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Maxximum Film und Kunst GmbH (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Maxximum Film und Kunst GmbH (2006) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Pachamama Cine (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Too Cool Distribution (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Arsenal Pictures (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• FONO Film  subtitle
• Tonstudio Hanse Warns  foley stage

Also Known As:

Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (International: English title)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

Turkey

Language:

Arabic | English | Turkish | Kurdish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Germany:16 (original rating) | Germany:18 (re-rating) | Australia:MA | France:-16 | Finland:K-15 | Japan:PG-12 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Gaziantep, Turkey

Company:

Pana Film

Trivia:

This film was the the subject of heated discussions in Germany. Originally it was rated "Not under 18" by the FSK, but distributor Maxximum appealed this decision which resulted in a "Not under 16" rating. Then the film became a success, especially amongst turkish teenagers. The success resulted in massive media coverage. This in turn resulted in broad discussions from politicians (especially from the Bavarian conservative CSU party), youth organisations etc. about the films "Anti-American statements" and their influence on youngsters. After another appeal (from the minister for family and integration from Northrhine Westphalia) the FSK raised the rating back to the original "Not under 18".

Goofs:

Factual errors: American soldiers, presumably infantry of the 173rd Airborne, are shown carrying the full-size M16 assault rifle, when in fact most Army infantry carry the M4A1 carbine.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Kurtlar vadisi" (2003)

Turkish addendum to how our world has gone out of control.

In times of "Syriana", "Constant Gardener" and "Lord of War" this movie is the Turkish addendum to how our world has gone out of control. It is more right than ever to say that those who have power want more power those who have money want more money in any circumstances without any morals. So I wonder why some people complain about these facts, when this movie shows them to the viewers, if those people are for democracy, freedom and equality between all humans. Almost every mature man and woman knows and understands why the US has gone in to Iraq. After it has been covered up, what had been obvious to most of the Turkish and middle-eastern people, it was only a question of time, when such a movie would come out.

While "Syriana" reflects the dirty business of oil and corruption, while "Constant Gardener" reflects the dirty business of pharmaceuticals and corruption and while "Lord of War" reflects the dirty business of gunrunners and corruption "Kurtlar Vadisi Irak" gives a little bit insight what is going on in a country, occupied by those who want more power and more money, whatever it may costs in human-lives and human-dignity.

About the events shown in this movie, we have been aware of through various media before, haven't we? So what changes our minds as mature and righteous human beings, when we see those events in a movie, played by actors? We should condemn them in the same way we did before no matter if it is a bombing of innocents by the occupiers or if it is a bombing of innocents by suicide-attacks.

Is this an anti-Us movie? No this is an anti-war, anti-corruption and an anti-imperialism movie. "Kurtlar Vadisi Irak" does not condemn a whole nation like once "Midnight Express" did in the most shabby way, it damns those who know no ethical standards and show no respect to other cultures, religions and nations.