Turkish cinema in sixties took place in a dream world. The movies of that era refused to look directly at Turkish society. Hudutlarin Kanunu, on which Yilmaz Güney met director Lütfi Ömer Akad, is one of the movies that changed this state of affairs. Akad's genuine creative vision influenced Güney's style as an actor: one can easily see the difference in Güney's acting before and after Hudutlarin Kanunu. Akad's influence was a positive one. . .
Güney's natural performance marked a change in Turkish Cinema. This was the beginning of what would later be called "New Cinema" in Turkey. With its powerful cinematography and its direct and realistic depiction of social problems, Hudutlarin Kanunu is one of the early milestones of Turkish cinema. Given the manner of storytelling and the style of photography, one might almost say that Akad's film is a Western.
Hudutlarin Kanunu depicts vital problems in the society of South East Turkey. Lack of education, no agriculture, and unemployment compelled people to live by the "law of the border" (Hudutlarin Kanunu) – in other words, smuggling. Hudutlarin Kanunu underlines the importance of education, which is the crucial element of socio-economical progress in third world countries. It also helps us to understand the reasons behind the ongoing, veiled war along Turkey's South East border. Forty five years ago, Lütfi Ömer Akad was alerting Turkish society of the likely consequences if preventive measures are not taken in time. He alerted us with a great and lasting film, Hudutlarin Kanunu.
Ömer Lüfti Akad's Hudutlarin Kanunu comes as a revelation to first-time viewers – a work of great visual and dramatic force, of terrific purity and ferocity. It was made during the year that its star and co-screenwriter, Yilmaz Güney, made his own directing debut. And it's not surprising for first time viewers to learn that this stunning collaboration marked a shift in Turkish cinema, and ushered in what became known as "the director generation." Once again, the World Cinema Foundation's advisory board member Faith Akin has brought us a great and inspirational film.
