Semih Sezerli

Semih Sezerli—now there’s a name that used to light up Turkish cinema screens back in the day. Born in Zonguldak on April 10, 1930, he kind of grew up with the industry, you know? He wasn’t just some guy picking up roles for the paycheck—nah, he actually helped shape the whole look of some films as an art director. That’s not something you see every day. You might’ve caught him in classics like “Babacan” (1975), “Erkek Sever mi?” (1966), or “Vukuat Var” (1972). And if you haven’t, well, you’re missing out on a slice of Turkish film history. Semih had this knack for blending into his characters, never too showy, but always magnetic. There’s something about his presence—one minute, he’s making you crack a smile; the next, he’s dead serious, pulling you right into whatever drama’s unfolding. People who worked with him always said he had this old-school dedication, the kind that’s almost extinct now, staying late on set, tweaking a prop here or a costume there, just to make sure it looked right. He was married to Ugur Kivilcim—not exactly tabloid fodder, but she was a big part of his life. Sadly, his story wrapped up in Tekirdag on December 14, 1980. It’s wild to think how much he squeezed into those fifty years, both in front of and behind the camera. Semih’s gone, sure, but you still feel that energy in the films he touched. Kind of makes you want to dust off an old VHS, right?