Subconscious w/ Cem Yılmaz

We are in the Cem Yılmaz universe; a place where you experience the real world even when you think you are disconnected from it. It offers an alternative reality where you see all the flaws without being disturbed, confront the suppressed parts of yourself, and make peace with the outside world while being disconnected from it.

Hearing all the feelings that dwell inside our subconscious minds in a language we’re not used to must have an addictive effect, since once you step into this universe, it is not possible to break away easily. As I get to know Cem Yılmaz, the idea that we forget about the paths that people we’ve known for so long have traveled to arrive at this moment with their art, gets firmly established in my mind. Or that we ignore that there are different forms of production. Having started his storytelling journey by drawing, what really matters is creating for Cem Yılmaz, who continues today by making films, sometimes telling stories on stage, and sometimes creating AI generated works. He takes this issue, the biggest reality of his life, with a quite naive point of view such as “Everyone is born equally talented but these talents are lost over time because they are not focused on.” His movies and TV series are the greatest playground for his versatile sense of art, in which he undertakes many identities such as writing, directing, producing and acting, and completes his storytelling with a perfect universe where every detail is meticulously considered. “Do Not Disturb” is Cem Yılmaz’s first Netflix movie, and it focuses on Ayzek’s story who entered our lives with Comidark Films: In Between. The movie, which is shaped around many self-improvement statements such as “What are you waiting for to become the hero of your own life? Take a look at yourself from the heavens. How significant are you?”, is the scene of a night spent by five very different yet identical characters who come together in a hotel.

We meet with Cem Yılmaz, who says “I’m trying to create an emotion that everyone will reflect on”, and the leading actors Nilperi Şahinkaya, Celal Kadri Kınoğlu, Bülent Şakrak, Özge Özberk, and Ahsen Eroğlu. Now we invite you to take a closer look at Cem Yılmaz’s cinematography! Everything is possible here.

Can you tell us about the working process in Do Not Disturb?

Cem Yılmaz: The method I am describing now is the same both for comedy films and dramas. This movie was really convenient because of the limited number of actors. Everything was based on decor and locations, and the scenario didn’t require moving around different locations. There’s an advantage in having all the decors at your disposal; you can start shooting the moment you enter the hotel because everyone is ready to start working chronologically. We may have deviated from the schedule once or twice, but this was usually because we were shooting at around 02:00 at night.

I’m getting old. My hair turned more gray for instance. “Can dental treatment end?” That’s not a joke actually, the gap is measured and will be filled. It’s really a matter of flaw. Playing the role of something that looks so ugly… I’m not worried about good looks right now but I tried to look uglier. Do I look better than this character in real life? Probably. I haven’t been in any movies in which I look like myself for years. For example, I am slimmer and healthier, but I don’t look like that in the movies.

Cinema, illustration, storytelling and even music… Your production in many branches of art draws criticism. In one of your interviews you approached this situation from a quite naive point of view such as “Everyone is born equally talented but these talents are lost over time because they are not focused on.” How did you manage to keep this versatile sense of art alive?

Cem Yılmaz: Keep art separate from all of this because art is a subject that anyone can easily make fun of. What I mean by making fun of is that, since art is an abstract concept, it can’t be measured. I’ve never been a good cartoonist. I’m mediocre as an illustrator. Being a good illustrator requires a lot more training. I’m not a good cartoonist because I didn’t put enough effort into it. I spent a lot of time on stage, I was being funny by myself. That is something I’m very good at. Since cinema is something that is also about screenwriting, I happen to spend some time and I believe I’m getting better and better at writing. Music is my hobby. There’s a feeling inside me but as a craft, I’m not really good at music.

I’m fine with the feelings but I don’t have the same level of skill as a multi-instrumentalist. And he’s not the same person as me anyway. My opinion about these things is that being multidisciplinary in this abstract domain is something that comes from within. A course of events takes place when you see your own name on the posters as Cem Yılmaz since childhood. We were on a make-up test recently. I surprised the girls by mentioning a few names, techniques and colors. Due to my interest in certain things, I started to learn about cinema, design, color, paint and light, where all of these were blended together.

“We have movies about strange men and women in life, people maybe no one would make a movie about. In the past I would have listed them, but they all actually have one thing in common. That is, when you blur everything while watching, there’s a pattern in movies that enables people to say “They are the ones who did this.” This pattern comes to life with the chosen subject, production, music, costume and colors. Because I have never seen this much attention paid to a comedy film in Turkey. My difference becomes apparent at this point we cannot see. As a disadvantage, our films capture the interest of a very large audience. For example, this leads to hearing something like “I watched Ayzek. It’s not funny at all” about the film. Well, it’s not a film based on Ayzek anyway.”

-Cem Yılmaz

My interest in drawing comics started incidentally, I liked it when I was a kid. This interest surfaced again when I was 22 and took me back to that period of my childhood. The reason why I was not a stand-up follower before I became a stand-up comedian was that there was no such thing in Turkey at that time. As my interest in stand-up grew, I started to neglect drawing cartoons. I’ve been performing on the stage for almost 28 years. I may have had gaps here and there, maybe around three years, but I improved myself in this field and I know I’m good because I worked hard.

​How would you describe Cem Yılmaz cinematography to someone who has never seen your films?

Cem Yılmaz: If you asked about ten years ago, I would have said something like that they resemble cartoon movies; and also, we have movies about strange men and women in life, people maybe no one would make a movie about. In the past I would have listed them, but they all actually have one thing in common. That is, when you blur everything while watching, there’s a pattern in movies that enables people to say “They are the ones who did this.” This pattern comes to life with the chosen subject, production, music, costume and colors. Because I have never seen this much attention paid to a comedy film in Turkey. My difference becomes apparent at this point we cannot see. As a disadvantage, our films capture the interest of a very large audience. For example, this leads to hearing something like “I watched Ayzek. It’s not funny at all” about the film. Well, it’s not a film based on Ayzek anyway.

Did you intend to make a particular movie about Ayzek, who was introduced to our lives in Comidark Films: In Between? Or did the idea surfaced during the pandemic, just like in the movie?

Cem Yılmaz: I thought about him 15-16 years before Comidark. We were in the early 2000s. I was imagining him as a waiter working on the ferry, sleeping there as well. Something happens at the ferry and people come there to shoot a movie. It wasn’t shot because there were no feature films being made at that time and the story in my mind had not yet matured. After completing Erşan, I wanted to write a long, post-pandemic story for this. We thought long and hard about whether the characters should wear masks or not. It felt like forcing it to relate to the pandemic. That’s why we made it like the later stages of the pandemic, in which some people were wearing masks and some not, but during the shooting of the movie everybody was wearing masks in fact.

Metin’s story is shaped around many self-improvement statements such as “What are you waiting for to become the hero of your own life? Take a look at yourself from the heavens. How significant are you?” Today it’s a common behavior pattern that individuals find these kinds of motivational statements and people to adapt to the outside world. What is your opinion about this?

Cem Yılmaz: It is obvious that the root of such beliefs is about escaping from life. There are many escaping points. How can these be not ridiculed? Sometimes they cost lives. That’s why, it is not possible not to make fun of them, after seeing them for so many years.

“Everyone is a therapist.” 

Indeed they are. Last week’s weirdo is this week’s advisor. It turned into something like doing pilates for two months and two weeks and giving pilates training, for instance. This movie doesn’t intend to offer a treatment to this but perhaps, may invoke a sense of responsibility in some. This crowd exists on both ends. Both stay-at-home Ayzek and someone who graduated from two universities are talking about this effect in Planet Area. Let’s pay a bit of attention to the facts.

“Do Not Disturb” has a more dramatic tone than other Cem Yılmaz movies. What was your working process when creating the visual references in this film?

Cem Yılmaz: Comedy is something like drama. In addition to having comedy elements such as a good script, a good ensemble or a good story, it is also necessary to check whether the comedy genre works dramatically when all the humorous elements are removed. That’s the reason why I deliberately reduce the comedy elements in some movies for a purpose; in order to gain a knack for drama. You can secure transformation if you change the reactions, if you examine where people laugh. For example, if you don’t follow Ayzek’s “I think those who deem us suitable for each other are nuts” remark with “So do I”, you won’t hear a chuckle.

Sometimes the desire to make a movie that’s not funny at all becomes intriguing but you just don’t have the heart for it at the end of the day. I feel inclined to write some comedy. I have the desire to make a movie that’s not amusing. Furthermore, I want to do it with comedians. Because comedians are more skilled at these things.

Celal Kadri Kınoğlu: This genre called absurd has its own advantages. The audience chuckles throughout, but there is nothing directly funny in the text. When faced with a known situation, such a reaction occurs out of satisfaction. There are situations like this in Yeşilçam films. A serious topic turns into ridiculousness and we laugh. Here, an intuition appropriate to this genre is required. Because that’s when the reaction surfaces. Maybe if you give the same text to a student, he or she may not understand it. The more things you can understand in life, the better you can act. That’s why there is no end, we are dealing with the impossible. The further you are from yourself, the more you enjoy acting.

You are saying I’m trying to create an emotion that everyone will reflect on.” Is your production process still following this notion?

Cem Yılmaz: So hard, so pleasing. This business is very personal, but you want the audience to be interested in this, to gain approval. When I’m saying “to gain approval”, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

The movie is based on this idea, it says “Put yourself in the center, forgive yourself.” Maybe the character is good for nothing, why should I put myself in the center? This movie is made because of this idea. Because everybody has a very high opinion of themselves. The lives of such people are spent projection: They choose a victim for themselves; “He is pretentious” they call me. Whereas the movie makes fun of pretentious people.

Even the most humdrum movies are made in order to convey something. Otherwise, I’m not just trying to make you think while making you laugh. It should make you laugh, but it should also say something. Can there be comedy without a point of view?

What is the source of inspiration of Peri Sözler, who is an inspiration to Metin? What are your opinions about this trend that is gaining momentum on social media day by day? How do you react when you come across such accounts that we see every time we’re on Instagram?

Cem Yılmaz: This was something that belonged to our period of youth. Those issues were ridiculed enough back then. These trends ended over time, and now they are making a comeback with the third generation. That’s why this situation is a bit ironic, it is interesting that these trends recover. It’s been years since this all ended. Burning incense at home, baggy pants and necklaces… Those ended long ago, in the 90’s. These were all made fun of but they are making a comeback now. What harm would it do if a fashion item like 80’s sound and dagger collars made a comeback? Only Teoman would wear it again. Having such things return as a trend wouldn’t hurt us that much but now it’s you are like this or like that, everybody’s coming this way but Mercury is retrograding. What do you care about Mercury?

Can you tell us about the casting process of the film? I think everyone in this movie identified with their roles perfectly. When you start a movie, how does your casting process proceed?

Cem Yılmaz: Let’s start with Nilperi from the cast; I told her about it when the script was still a framework. I said Ayzek obsesses over these social media mentors, self-improvement gurus and marches on from there. Apart from that, I had never worked with Ahsen and Celal Kadri before. Of course I’ve known them from a distance for 30 years but we never met face to face. I imagined and placed them accordingly. I was already acquainted with Bülent, so I started writing thinking it would be suitable for him. When writing, we follow a method like this: The actors in the cast know in advance what kind of story they will be in, but they don’t know about the dialogues and the scene.

“The more things you can understand in life, the better you can act. That’s why there is no end, we are dealing with the impossible. The further you are from yourself, the more you enjoy acting.”

-Celal Kadri Kınoğlu

As a writer, director, producer and actor who firmly stands behind co-production and looks out for his crew, to what extent are you affected by the harsh criticism you receive about your cast selection and the roles you assign to yourself in your movies, both personally and in regards to your many duties in film making; does criticism affect your creative process at all?

Cem Yılmaz: I am doing whatever I can do. Of course there are limits to people’s capabilities. The conditions of the country and the industry are obvious. We do it by pushing towards the best conditions, but what are we doing? All of us people come together to act on what I wrote but my writing also has limits. But I don’t think what I do is empty of meaning. It may seem like I’m glorifying it more than necessary, but there are no other examples of what we do. I know that everyone who is successful comes from among those people who are involved in these fields, and I take that as a model. Anyone can direct, but not everyone who wants to make a movie can undertake all duties. It requires being driven from pillar to post.

What kind of responsibility does it bring to act in a story that you wrote, directed and produced?

Cem Yılmaz: I’m not having a hard time because I don’t do them all at once. When you break down everything into a beautiful schedule, all production, preparation and shooting operations progress easily. When you look at it, the shooting takes 8 weeks. That’s why preliminary preparation is actually very important. Everyone completes the work during preliminary preparation. So this part proceeds peachy since I don’t turn into a director who walks and talks like that and goes home stressing about it. We commence with the execution after completing the job with the assistant director Murat Dündar. There can be no discussion within the team regarding the actor, camera department, lighting department, make-up, costume or decor. It can only happen if someone wants to do better. We are doing fine in our own way now and it doesn’t have the potential to go down. However, such things may happen: it rained, clouds came, a fire broke out on the set… Otherwise, there is no discussion on the set in a creative sense. This is a must for us. We are used to it like this. For 25 years I’ve been on sets with 300 people. It’ss not like making a movie with 10 people. It has all been decided in advance what make-up or costume everyone would wear. When everything is over, a couple of people stay for post-production. In fact, we even review some of the music together because I also made two tracks. These are all separate processes when we look at them. Their schedules are also different. Therefore, they are not intertwined.

Let’s go back to the moment you read the script for the first time. What did you feel? Can you share your first impression about the movie and about your character?  How does working on a film with such a tight preliminary preparation process affect your acting?

Bülent Şakrak: It is very convenient for an actor. There was never a time when we showed up on the set unprepared. Everyone is preparing from the very beginning. Therefore, it becomes a space where you feel very comfortable, safe and free.

Nilperi Şahinkaya: When working with Cem, every time the first thing is that we determine an attitude for my character specifically. Her manner, the way she talks, the way she moves, her intonations. Once they are displayed, all proceeds easily. Baran Uğurlu in costume department prepares brilliant stylings and costumes. Those clothes immediately reflect the attitude. We also do costume rehearsals beforehand. That character is immediately formed in your mind and then it just flows. Very smooth. This is unique to Cem’s set.

Özge Özberk: It was very different for me; something like a milestone. The wig, eyeglasses and coat immediately determines your attitude. What you wear and see forms your character. The phase of getting into character disappears all together. The remarks don’t sound strange either, because you are that woman already.

In what time frame did you prepare for this movie?

Cem Yılmaz: It was always a topic that was talked about, but we prepared for it in about three months.

Celal Kadri Kınoğlu: The happiness of the actor is making the director understand what he wants. If the director is creative, sometimes the actor may not be fully aware of what he is doing but can give a great performance. The director should consider moving forward with this new idea. Especially if the writer is also the director, it means that we are at a point where the eyes are not mistaken and what he wants dawns upon him. They bring their inner-vision to life. We all aim for the same thing, want the same thing and enjoy the process, but the moment of acting involves a pleasure in which we don’t know exactly what to do. This is where the beauty of this business lies. In this context, communication is of course important between the actors, but it is also a great chance to have the director act with us.

Nilperi Şahinkaya: And sometimes a handicap.

Cem Yılmaz: I’ll tell you about how it is a disadvantage; because of the comedy you’re directing, you come out wearing a wig and a weird shirt and lose the ability to direct.

Nilperi Şahinkaya: In a scene Ayzek hangs around in his underpants, then Cem goes out to the monitor and you see him keep on directing with underwear. He directs you like “Do it this way” and such.

Celal Kadri Kınoğlu: What I love about this place is monotony. You see the same people every day. I love it when the same thing happens at the same time the next day in life. It’s an amazing thing. Someone knows what we drink and what we think. So, you know that you are in very safe hands, and for the rest, we already have very good doctors in Acıbadem.

“This business is very personal, but you want the audience to be interested in this, to gain approval. When I’m saying “to gain approval”, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. The movie is based on this idea, it says “Put yourself in the center, forgive yourself.” Maybe the character is good for nothing, why should I put myself in the center? This movie is made because of this idea. Because everybody has a very high opinion of themselves. The lives of such people are spent projection: They choose a victim for themselves; “He is pretentious” they call me. Whereas the movie makes fun of pretentious people. Even the most humdrum movies are made in order to convey something. Otherwise, I’m not just trying to make you think while making you laugh. It should make you laugh, but it should also say something. Can there be comedy without a point of view?”

-Cem Yılmaz

Why should we watch Do Not Disturb?

Bülent Şakrak: I believe it’s a very sincere and real work. I watched it in its final form twice. Therefore, I believe it is the most real and meaningful project I have ever been involved in in my career. It was a realistic and impressive work in every aspect, including the story. I believe that everyone living in this age will find a piece of themselves, and even agree. This is a very strange feeling. Forgive my arrogance, but I really think like this. This is exactly what I feel; it’s been a fantastic piece of work.

Ahsen Eroğlu: I think the audience will experience many emotions. Even those who watch to laugh will also cry, laugh, ponder, and ask. It’s a movie that will make the viewer experience many emotions at the same time.

Bülent Şakrak: I think Ayzek is a very unique character.

Celal Kadri Kınoğlu: When, in the future, someone studies psychology, sociology and philosophy at a proper university, and examines the concepts discussed here, such as social classes, the inability of different people to understand each other, and coming from different places, he or she will see that they are all suffering, but their speech conveys different meanings. They will examine the maladjustment, relationship between language and meaning. “To be loved or to be understood?” The characters all speak from their own perspective. They are all disappointed at heart. There is an extremely strange person here, but he has neither the people around him who will see the love he offers nor the knowledge to explain himself correctly.

Nilperi Şahinkaya: Ayzek experiences a conflict and questions it throughout the film. Because the movie starts with the Peri character asking “What are you waiting for to become the hero of your own life?”, and this is a question that has driven all humanity crazy. We believe that our dreams will come true and we can have a perfect life. The more we strive for this, the more crazy we become. Whereas life has its own facts. All the characters in here are flawed, and that flawed Ayzek experiences the struggle, and eventually reaches an answer on his own. We all question this in fact, and I thin

Interview by Duygu Bengi