Yellow Letters
| Yellow Letters | |
|---|---|
| German | Gelbe Briefe |
| Directed by | İlker Çatak |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Ingo Fliess |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Judith Kaufmann |
| Edited by | Gesa Jäger |
| Music by | Marvin Miller |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Alamode Film (Germany) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 128 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | Turkish |
Yellow Letters (German: Gelbe Briefe) is a 2026 political drama film directed by İlker Çatak, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ayda Çatak and Enis Köstepen. It follows Derya (Özgü Namal) and Aziz (Tansu Biçer), a couple of Turkish theater artists who lose their jobs due to political persecution in Turkey.[1]
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on 13 February 2026, where it was nominated for the Golden Bear. It will be theatrically released in Germany by Alamode Film on 5 March.
Premise
The marriage of an artist couple begins to unravel after a state arbitration at their play's premiere.[2]
Cast
- Özgü Namal as Derya[1]
- Tansu Biçer as Aziz
- Leyla Smyrna Cabas as Ezgi
- İpek Bilgin as Güngör Hanim
- Aydin Isik as Salih
- Aziz Çapkurt as Baran
- Yusuf Akgün as Fikret
- Uygar Tamer as Kadriye
- Jale Arıkan as Kübra
- Seda Türkmen as Sema
- Emre Bakar as Ismail Karacabraş
- Elit İşcan as Cemre
- Sultan Ulutaş Alopé as Rojda
- Emine Meyrem as Gülin
- İpek Seyalıoğlu as Zeynep
Production
Development
An international co-production of Germany, France, and Turkey. In 2021, the project received a €10,000 production grant by the German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund.[3] It participated at the Berlinale Co-Production Market in February 2022.[4] In November 2022, the project was awarded €65,000 grant from the MOIN Filmförderung.[5] The project received €368,000 production grant from Eurimages in November 2023.[6]
Filming
Principal photography took place in Hamburg and Berlin, standing in for Ankara and Istanbul, and wrapped in July 2024.[7] It was also shot at the Berliner Ensemble Main Auditorium, involving hundreds extras.[8]
Release
Yellow Letters had its world premiere at the Main Competition section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026.[9] In February 2024, Be For Films acquired the film's international sales.[10]
The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in Germany by Alamode Film on 5 March 2026.[11]
References
- ^ a b Presseheft zum Film. In: berlinale.de (PDF-Datei, S. 3–5; retrieved 26 January 2026).
- ^ Barraclough, Leo (20 January 2026). "Trailer Debuts for Ilker Catak's 'Yellow Letters' Ahead of World Premiere in Competition at Berlinale (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "Funding Decisions German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund". Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (14 January 2022). "Berlinale Reveals Series, Generation, Co-Production Market Titles". Variety. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "Förderentscheidung vom 23.11.2022". MOIN Filmförderung. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ Geisinger, Gabriella (28 November 2023). "Eurimages announces funding for 29 international co-productions". Screen Global Production. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ Katz, David (21 March 2023). "Ilker Çatak to follow up The Teachers' Lounge with Yellow Letters". Cineuropa. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "Das BE als Filmkulisse!". Berliner Ensemble (in German). 12 July 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (20 January 2026). "Berlinale Unveils 2026 Competition With Amy Adams Drama 'At The Sea', Karim Aïnouz's Starry 'Rosebush Pruning' & 'Rose' With Sandra Hüller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (8 February 2024). "'The Teachers' Lounge' Director Ilker Çatak Reteams With Be For Films on 'Yellow Letters' (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ Schuster, Barbara (15 August 2025). "Alamode legt Kinostart von İlker Çataks „Gelbe Briefe" fest". The Spot Media & Film (in German). Retrieved 22 January 2026.