The current atmosphere in Turkey is marked by conflict, tension and political polarization that spills over into culture. Yet a recent film, “Ayla: The Daughter of War,” takes on one of the rare events in Turkish history that is not controversial: the way Turkish soldiers helped South Koreans in the Korean War, during which Turkey was part of the UN coalition.
“Ayla” is the latest Turkish attempt to produce internationally competitive movies with big budgets and global appeal. Earlier this year, “The Ottoman Lieutenant,” a Turco-American production, flopped at the box office. Turks hope that “Ayla,” a tale of compassion and self-sacrifice between a Turkish soldier and a Korean child, will be more successful. Earlier this month, a 17-member committee of representatives from the Ministry of Culture and cinema organizations selected the film as Turkey’s nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
