IN MEMORIAM
THE GIRL FROM THE MARSH CROFT
Director: Muhsin Ertuğrul
Türkiye / 1934 / Black & White / 80' / Turkish; English subtitles
Screenplay: Nâzım Hikmet
Music: Cemal Reşit Rey
Cinematography: Cezmi Ar, Remzi Ar
Cast: Cahide Sonku, Talât Artemel, Feriha Tevfik, Mahmut Moralı, Behzat Butak
Adapted from a story by Selma Lagerlöf, the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, the film’s screenplay was written by Nâzım Hikmet under the pseudonym Mümtaz Osman. It was directed as a sound film by Muhsin Ertuğrul, a pioneer of Turkish theatre. The legendary Cahide Sonku, Turkey’s first female film director, stars in the lead role, while the music was composed by the renowned Cemal Reşit Rey and performed by the Istanbul Conservatory Orchestra.
Set in a village, the dramatic story follows Aysel, who becomes pregnant while working for the Satılmışzade family. When she claims the child’s father is the head of the household, a courtroom drama unfolds. Boldly addressing issues of social class and gender, the film features many “firsts” for its time and is recognized as a pioneering work in the tradition of Turkish village cinema.
Cemal Reşit Rey (1904–1985), a member of the Turkish Five, was a pioneer of polyphonic music in Turkey. Returning to the country in 1923, he taught composition and piano at Dar-ül Elhan (later Istanbul Municipal Conservatory) and in 1934 founded the core of the Istanbul City Orchestra, which he led for many years. Rey was among the first composers to harmonize Turkish folk motifs in polyphonic arrangements, beginning with On İki Anadolu Türküsü in 1926.
As a trailblazer in film music, Cemal Reşit Rey composed the original scores for works such as Türkiye’nin Kalbi Ankara, Aysel Bataklı Damın Kızı, and Lüküs Hayat. Awarded the title of State Artist in 1982, he continued teaching composition at Mimar Sinan University until his death on October 7, 1985.
Restored by Sinematek/Sinema Evi with the support of Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi.
Muhsin Ertuğrul
With his artistic vision, strong leadership, and disciplined approach, Muhsin Ertuğrul (1892–1979) is recognized as the founder of modern Turkish theatre. He established the country’s first children’s theatre and, during his tenure at both the Istanbul City Theatres and the State Theatres, encouraged local playwrights, bringing original Turkish works to the stage. A pioneer in cinema as well, Ertuğrul began his acting career in Berlin in 1918 and directed several films that laid the foundations of Turkish cinema. In 1922, he directed Turkey’s first feature film, İstanbul’da Bir Facia-i Aşk, and over the years, he directed more than 20 films with İpek Film. His last cinematic work was Halıcı Kız (1953), one of Turkey’s first color films. Ertuğrul’s theatre vision shaped the development of stage arts in Istanbul and across Anatolia; many state and private theatres established today owe their foundations to his initiatives. Through his work on stage and screen, he left a lasting legacy on Turkish culture.
Filmography
- Kara Lale Bayramı / The Black Tulip Festival (1918)
- Boğaziçi Esrarı / The Bosphorus Mystery (1922)
- İstanbul'da Bir Facia-i Aşk / A Love Tragedy in Istanbul (1922)
- Ateşten Gömlek (1923)
- Bir Sigara Yüzünden / For a Cigarette (1928)
- İstanbul Sokaklarında (1931) (First Turkish Sound Film)
- Aysel, Bataklı Damın Kızı / The Girl from the Marsh Croft (1934)
- Cici Berber / The Pretty Barbe (1933)
- Tosun Paşa (1939)
- Halıcı Kız / The Carpetmaker Girl (1953) (First Turkish Colour Film)