Kurtlar vadisi - Irak (2006)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

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
Mehmet Çelebi	...	CHIEF WAITER
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:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: During the final firefight when Polat sneaks up behind an American, the American turns and can be heard firing his rifle, however there is no muzzle flash visible.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Kurtlar vadisi" (2003)

Great action movie - very controversial in the west

A commando of Turkish intelligence agents enter Irak to avenge a real life episode in the war where Turkish soldiers were arrested and blindfolded by American troops. A very good action film, condemned unseen by many in the west, it represents at least a change of pace by showing the Muslims as the good guys and the Americans as the bad guys. The movie is actually very strongly against terrorism (the Sheikh in the movie criticizes the terrorists who wants to behead an American journalist, and prevents this from happening) but is also against American ignorant meddling in the Middle East. Most of all, though, Valley of the Wolves is a terrific action movie. And Billy Zane - who has apologized to the American press for appearing in this film - has actually one of the best performances in his career as a real meanie.