Little Ayse and the Magic Dwarfs in the Land of Dreams (1971)

A young girl named Aysecik lives on her parents' farm, when an animated tornado carries her and her dog Banju in their house to Rüyalar Ulkesinde (Dreamland). Seven Cüceler (dwarfs) (... See full summary »

Director:

Tunç Basaran

Writer:

Hamdi Degirmencioglu

Stars:

Zeynep Degirmencioglu, Süleyman Turan, Metin Serezli

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zeynep Degirmencioglu	...	Aysecik
Süleyman Turan	...	Teneke Koruadam - Tin Woodman
Metin Serezli	...	Korkuluk - Scarecrow
Suna Selen	...	Kötü Cadi (Wicked Witch of the South)
Ali Sen	...	Korkak Aslan (Cowardly Lion)
Mine Sun	...	Melek
Cemal Konca	...	The Great Wizard Keskin Zeka (as Cemâl Konca)
Sitki Sezgin
Ilhan Hemseri
Mürvet Issever
Aüszük Çudidifer	...	Babekler (Doll)
Semra	...	Kardesler (China Sister)
Seda	...	Kardesler (China Sister)
Seyhan Gümüs	...	Misafir Sanatkâr (Guest Artist)
Ferdi Celep	...	Keloglan

Storyline

A young girl named Aysecik lives on her parents' farm, when an animated tornado carries her and her dog Banju in their house to Rüyalar Ulkesinde (Dreamland). Seven Cüceler (dwarfs) (dressed like MGM Munchkin soldiers, only red and white) who assist the Good Witch of the North appear at various times to help. She meets a Scarecrow, an Iron Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion, and dances to music from what appears to be an invisible radio. They encounter fighting trees, a river, and a country of China dolls on their way to the Wizard, a ball of fire who sends them after the Wicked Witch who enslaves them. When the Wizard is unable to help Aysecik get home, they must journey again for help, encountering the China Country once more, and a legion of hammer-throwing cavemen.

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Plot Keywords:

turksploitation | trash movie | exploitation film | z movie | munchkin | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the films exterior shots were filmed on location in thick dense forests and nature reserves. Most of the cast and crew lodged at a local tourist cabin camping site for the duration of production.

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Connections

Featured in Remake, Remix, Rip-Off: About Copy Culture & Turkish Pop Cinema (2014)

User Reviews

great literary adaptation

One of the most faithful adaptations of the L. Frank Baum classic ever made, this film suffers only in the costume design and the fact that Türkiye did not have sync-sound in 1971. The film has a beautiful touch of the surreal, with a small Emerald city appearing in the middle of a Turkish plain. The music is filled with American folk tunes. The cinematography, direction, and editing are brilliant, and the adorable Zeynep Degirmengiolu is a fine Dorothy (called Aysecik, a role Zeynep played in many films for children), though in her age about that of the MGM Dorothy, and not Baum's little girl protagonist. The Scarecerow comes across as a "pansy" homosexual stereotype, though the actor would play Aysecik's boyfriend in _Hayat Sevince Guzel_. The crew must go to visit Glinda, and starts a second quest in the book, to see the good witch, here called Nilifas.

Details

Country:

Turkey

Language:

Turkish

Also Known As:

Aysecik in the Land of the Magic Dwarfs

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hisar Film, Oren Film, SES Filmstuyosunda Sesleadirllman

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color