A directorial partnership whose love of cinema is evident in every frame of their work, Hakkı Kurtuluş and Melik Saraçoğlu conjure realms of pure cinematic pleasure inspired by a vast range of styles. Whether through sardonic documentaries or swooningly lyrical relationship dramas, this inventive duo use the conventions of genre to critically debate the traditions and moral codes of the society they are living in. A subversively hilarious short, We Bear Good News for Our Beloved Country… (2015) is a testament to their keen interest in the history of cinema, in which their iconoclastic humor questions the very foundations of historical research. Using a range of techniques from stop-motion animation to cut-paper collage, this satirical documentary ingeniously shows that the founding pillars of history are often built on lies and misinformation. Incurable (2021), a documentary that bears a similarly ironic tone, is structured as a portrait of an unfortunate man who spent almost his entire life locked in a hospital. A mischievous voice-over, reflecting the critical mind of the directors, turns this seemingly simple character study into an analysis of a nation’s hypocrisy.
The duo’s most ambitious project to date, Together, We Shall Die (2021) is a nostalgic love 
letter to Istanbul. Revealing the intense joys and hardships of an intimate relationship spanning many decades, this delicately shot romance scrutinizes the beautiful and bruising bonds that join a couple together. Set against the turbulent political climate of an ever-changing Istanbul, every camera movement, color, and stolen glance between lovers hints at a vast cinephilic memory.

A directorial partnership whose love of cinema is evident in every frame of their work, Hakkı Kurtuluş and Melik Saraçoğlu conjure realms of pure cinematic pleasure inspired by a vast range of styles. Whether through sardonic documentaries or swooningly lyrical relationship dramas, this inventive duo use the conventions of genre to critically debate the traditions and moral codes of the society they are living in. A subversively hilarious short, We Bear Good News for Our Beloved Country… (2015) is a testament to their keen interest in the history of cinema, in which their iconoclastic humor questions the very foundations of historical research. Using a range of techniques from stop-motion animation to cut-paper collage, this satirical documentary ingeniously shows that the founding pillars of history are often built on lies and misinformation. Incurable (2021), a documentary that bears a similarly ironic tone, is structured as a portrait of an unfortunate man who spent almost his entire life locked in a hospital. A mischievous voice-over, reflecting the critical mind of the directors, turns this seemingly simple character study into an analysis of a nation&#8217;s hypocrisy.
The duo&#8217;s most ambitious project to date, Together, We Shall Die (2021) is a nostalgic love 
letter to Istanbul. Revealing the intense joys and hardships of an intimate relationship spanning many decades, this delicately shot romance scrutinizes the beautiful and bruising bonds that join a couple together. Set against the turbulent political climate of an ever-changing Istanbul, every camera movement, color, and stolen glance between lovers hints at a vast cinephilic memory.

Lovers, Disruptors, Misfits: The Films of Hakkı Kurtuluş and Melik Saraçoğlu

LOVERS, DISRUPTORS, MISFITS: THE FILMS OF HAKKI KURTULUŞ AND MELIK SARAÇOĞLU

Toying with the conventions of genre, filmmakers Hakkı Kurtuluş and Melik Saraçoğlu stage inventive critiques of the traditions and moral codes of society. Whether through sardonic documentaries or swooningly lyrical relationship dramas, this brilliant duo conjure realms of pure cinematic pleasure.

Toying with the conventions of genre, filmmakers Hakkı Kurtuluş and Melik Saraçoğlu stage inventive critiques of the traditions and moral codes of society. Whether through sardonic documentaries or swooningly lyrical relationship dramas, this brilliant duo conjure realms of pure cinematic pleasure.