Read the Jan. 6, 2008 interview in The Desert Sun.
Actor Erkan Can stars in Turkey's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards, Takva: A Man's Fear of God. In Özer Kiziltan's first film, the established actor portrays Muharrem, a devout Muslim clerk who seeks purity despite the temptations of a modern world. To bridge the language barrier in the real world, Can answered translated questions via e-mail.
The Desert Sun: Do you identify with Muharrem? Would you call yourself a religious man?
Can: No, I'm not a religious man. When I interpret a character as an actor, of course I draw upon people around me, but Muharrem has nothing to do with Erkan Can.
TDS: How did you prepare for this role?
Can: I first worked a lot with the scriptwriter, right from the start. Then we visited active sects in Istanbul. I observed a lot of details, from their costumes to the dhikr ceremonies, from their greetings to their body language. When I arrived on the set, I was prepared; I found out what the director wanted and I tried to do it.
TDS: The film portrays minute details of a dhikr ceremony. Why was it important to be so detailed?
Can: Dhikr is a ritual of Islam. It isn't very important, but then again it isn't trivial. My view is that there is just the right amount of it in the film.
TDS: Was it hard to portray the transformation from devout to enlightened?
Can: It was both difficult and easy. It was difficult because the inner spiritual state of the two states is very different. Piety is not a good thing, but when he is pious, Muharrem is a more compassionate and gentle man. His venture into the outside world is a good thing, but it stiffens Muharrem — he even beats up a man. He chucks out a tenant because he drinks alcohol.
It was difficult to convey this transformation, especially in a film. The easy part of it was that for an actor it is always enjoyable and interesting to play contradictory characters.
TDS: Özer Kiziltan is a first-time feature film director. What was he like as a director?
Can: It was Özer's first film, but we have known each other for years. Özer is a director who studied film, and I'm really glad to have worked with him. With his film we had the opportunity to express what we had to express, and I'm very happy about that.
TDS: How have Turkish audiences reacted to the film?
Can: A lot better than we expected. We were quite successful at the box office in Turkey. When it was shown on TV, the film came first in the ratings. It received awards at all festivals in Turkey. Religious circles accepted the film as a sincere criticism. It's difficult to separate religious men in the crowd, but we had many women viewers who wore headscarves.
TDS: What do you hope international audiences will understand about your character?
Can: This film met viewers at festivals representing significantly different cultures, like Toronto, Berlin, Belgrade, Granada, Australia and Zagreb. Both the film and the character I play were well understood within those cultures. For instance, at the Tribeca Film Festival, not only did the cinema audience and New Yorkers understand the film, but a group of 30 from the New York Mosque which came also understood the film very well.
I think the film does not have a problem with getting through to different cultures; the problem is getting them to see the film. Takva hasn't yet been screened in Islamic countries, and it hasn't been distributed in the United States yet, either. I hope both these things happen, and both the American viewer and the viewer in Islamic countries like the film. That's what happened in Turkey, why can't it happen there?
TDS: How did you feel about the film being submitted for Best Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards?
Can: Naturally, I was delighted. It is a great opportunity for our film to reach a worldwide audience, but first the academy must include our film among the candidates. I know this is very difficult, because I know 63 good films from 63 countries are competing. It's very difficult, but I have hope, and I repeat, why not? This is America.