Yellow Letters
2026 film by İlker Çatak
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Yellow Letters (German: Gelbe Briefe) is a 2026 political drama film directed by İlker Çatak, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ayda Çatak and Enis Köstepen. It follows Derya (Özgü Namal) and Aziz (Tansu Biçer), a couple of Turkish theater artists who lose their jobs due to political persecution in Turkey.[1]
- İlker Çatak
- Ayda Çatak
- Enis Köstepen
| Yellow Letters | |
|---|---|
German theatrical poster | |
| German | Gelbe Briefe |
| Directed by | İlker Çatak |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Ingo Fliess |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Judith Kaufmann |
| Edited by | Gesa Jäger |
| Music by | Marvin Miller |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Alamode Film (Germany) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 128 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | Turkish |
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on 13 February 2026, where it won the Golden Bear.[2] It will be theatrically released in Germany by Alamode Film on 5 March.
Premise
The marriage of an artist couple begins to unravel after a state arbitration at their play's premiere.[3]
Cast
- Özgü Namal as Derya[1]
- Tansu Biçer as Aziz
- Leyla Smyrna Cabas as Ezgi
- İpek Bilgin as Güngör Hanim
- Aydın Işık as Salih
- Aziz Çapkurt as Baran
- Yusuf Akgün as Fikret
- Uygar Tamer as Kadriye
- Jale Arıkan as Kübra
- Seda Türkmen as Sema
- Emre Bakar as Ismail Karacabraş
- Elit İşcan as Cemre
- Sultan Ulutaş Alopé as Rojda
- Emine Meyrem as Gülin
- İpek Seyalıoğlu as Zeynep
Production
Development
An international co-production of Germany, France, and Turkey. In 2021, the project received a €10,000 production grant by the German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund.[4] It participated at the Berlinale Co-Production Market in February 2022.[5] In November 2022, the project was awarded €65,000 grant from the MOIN Filmförderung.[6] The project received €368,000 production grant from Eurimages in November 2023.[7]
Filming
Principal photography took place in Hamburg and Berlin, standing in for Ankara and Istanbul, and wrapped in July 2024.[8] It was also shot at the Berliner Ensemble Main Auditorium, with a scene involving about 250 extras.[9]
Release
Yellow Letters had its world premiere at the Main Competition section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026.[10] In February 2024, Be For Films acquired the film's international sales.[11]
The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in Germany by Alamode Film on 5 March 2026.[12]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin International Film Festival | 22 February 2026 | Golden Bear | Yellow Letters | Won | [13][14] |
| Prize of the Guild of German Arthouse cinemas | Won | [15] |
