Mengü Yegin

Mengü Yegin popped into the world back in 1935, right in the heart of Istanbul—yeah, the city that never sleeps, but with better food than New York, honestly. He was one of those guys with more than one trick up his sleeve—cinematographer and actor, juggling both like it was no big deal. People might remember him from “Mahallenin Gülleri” (1984) where he was behind the lens, but also “Yazgi” (1976), and that moody classic “Sevmek Zamani” (1965). The films themselves? They sort of carry that old Turkish cinema vibe—melancholy, love, a bit of existential wandering, and you can feel the city’s pulse in the background. Yegin’s work wasn’t just about pointing a camera and hoping for the best. There was this kind of rawness, a subtle grace to his visuals. Istanbul isn’t just a backdrop in his movies; it’s almost like another character—crowded alleys, the Bosphorus glittering under moody skies, that sort of thing. His acting? Well, he brought this understated energy, the kind that creeps up on you. Off-set, he was married to Gülen Kipçak, and you get the sense there was a whole life lived beyond the camera. He passed away in 1993, again in Istanbul, closing the circle where it started. His films still echo with that bittersweet nostalgia and the restless spirit of the city he loved.