extraordinary reality. Güney thought that we had to look at and reflect the realities of the streets we are wandering and passing rapidly through. The people shown in Umut are mostly “real” people, not actors or actresses. The environment and the living conditions are real, Güney did not use prepared film sets and lightings for Umut. The scenes showing Cabbar at home with his 5 children, wife, and mother are very good examples of his effort to show life and the environment closest to its reality. With this film, Güney introduces a kind of documentarism into the Turkish cinema. As the neo-realism movie makers, Güney created a cinema, where the audience is able to interpret the end of the film in whatever direction they want. For instance, there are no definite ends in neo-realism, likewise, Umut’s end is not definite either, the future is uncertain. Stylistically, Umut starts off as an exercise in stark realism, and gradually shifts to a more mytho-poetic register. Despite numerous awards and a theatrical run, the film was eventually deemed politically subversive and banned for a period by the authorities, which only helped make Güney even more popular than before among viewers. The prohibition of the film is a very good case to determine the social, economic, and political conditions of Turkey in the 1970s. Although prohibited, a copy of the film was smuggled abroad and showed in Cannes Film Festival. Afterwards, with the state council’s final decision the film was featured in Turkey as well as abroad, and attracted great attention. With this film, Güney captured prizes in Altın Portakal and Adana Film Festivals as best actor. Awards won Best film, 2nd Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, 1970 Best director, 2nd Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, 1970 Best scenario, 2nd Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, 1970 Best actor, 2nd Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, 1970 Best photography (Kaya Ererez), 2nd Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, 1970 Best actor, Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Selectors' Commission Special Prize, Grenoble Film Festival References External links Film page on Filmpot Turkish drama films 1970s Turkish-language films Best Picture Golden Boll Award winners 1970 films Films set in Turkey