Pacifica Institute and Westwood Productions honored Mahsun Kirmizigul, one of Turkey’s top new directors at a special screening of his film “I Saw the Sun” (“Gunesi Gordum”).

Before turning his attention to filmmaking, Kirmizigul was a successful singer and TV star, and remains an A-list celebrity in Turkey, and his directorial debut in 2007, “White Angel” (“Beyaz Melek”) earned him acclaim at home and abroad.

“I Saw the Sun” played to a packed house at the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Dec. 15 screening in Los Angeles. The event brought together Pacifica’s diverse community of friends ranging from professionals in the city’s educational and religious communities, to members of the press and diplomats.

“‘I Saw the Sun’ is a film about peace and I think it fulfills its duty in that respect,” Kirmizigul said. “People just want to resolve their problems and as an artist I felt it was my duty to make this film.”

Guests at the screening agreed: Retired judge, the Honorable Robert Spitzer said, “The themes in the film are new and provocative,” while Dr. Marilyn Gotschall of Whittier College said, “The movie reminded me of the immigration stories from Latin America to the States; the tragedy of families being broken up and the mishaps that happen along the way. It is a universal story whenever there is war and conflict.”

“It was excellent,” added Dr. Vasili Berdoukas from Greece. “It was a very strong movie and had a very powerful message.”

“The greatest goal of this movie in my mind is not to take sides,” Kirmizigul said. “We want people to get together, embrace one another and live together in peace.”

Mahsun Kirmizigul visited Pacifica Institute

During the interview at the reception and screening in Linwood Theater, Mahzun said “This film is different from a lot of the others because, first and foremost, it is based on reality,” The story centers on immigration, the Kurdish conflict and gender issues, and follows the fate of a family moving from a village in eastern Turkey to the city of Istanbul."

On his visit to Pacifica Institute the next day after the screening, Mahsun added that some of the real life tragedies were witnessed by himself and inspired him to put the stories into wide screen cinema. Kırmızıgül, himself a native of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, also stars as the lead actor.

The film received reviews from acclaimed critics when it first opened in theaters in March, with most reviews praising Kırmızıgül's potential and attracted more than 2.5 million viewers in Turkey and grossing over 12.5 million dollars since its debut last March.

“I Saw the Sun's” selection to represent Turkey in next year's Oscars comes at a time of heightened debate in society on whether the government's Kurdish initiative will offer a plausible solution to the long-lasting and multifaceted issue that has plagued Turkey's Southeast for the last 25 years.

Mahzun said that “I Saw the Sun” will first have to run against submissions from other countries to make it into the five-film shortlist of nominees for the foreign language Oscar. The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be awarded on March 7 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Click here to see all the pictures from the screening of "I Saw the Sun"...

Click here to see all the pictures from Mahsun Kirmizigul's visit to Pacifica Institute...