Istanbul

1964 0h 13m FR

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 8

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

All of Pialat's Turkish films are uniquely interested in the country — especially Istanbul — as it was, not just as it is at the precise moment that Pialat is filming it. History informs these films in a big way, with the voiceover narration (which incorporates excerpts from various authors) introducing tension between the images of the modern-day city and the descriptions of incidents from its long and rich history. Istanbul is probably the most conventional documentary of Pialat's Turkish series, providing a general profile of the titular city, its different neighborhoods, and the different cultures and ways of living that coexist within its sprawling borders. As the other films in the series also suggest, Pialat sees Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, as a junction point between Europe and the East, between the old and the new, between history and modernity.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Pierre Asso
Narrator

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Maurice Pialat
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 13-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Turkish Chronicles" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Maurice Pialat, shot by Willy Kurant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0422504 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Maurice Pialat directs. Willy Kurant behind the camera. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 13-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
262 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Turkish Chronicles" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Maurice Pialat, shot by Willy Kurant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6IMDB entry: tt0422504 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.