^{Photo: Emre Erkmen}

Amsterdam-based Topkapi Films, who co-produced All Of A Sudden, has long made it a policy to support auteur-driven films from emerging directors like Özge. As the company’s Arnold Heslenfeld puts it: “We are always interested in working together with the long-term with talent and we are interested in looking for projects we think will have a chance in the international market.” Heslenfeld also talks of “developing relationships… with the people behind that talent.” That is why the company has partnerships with production companies like Zentropa (with whom it worked on Thomas Vinterberg’s The Commune) and directors such as Belgian wunderkind Felix Van Groeningen or the acclaimed Iranian-born Babak Jalili.

Topkapi was introduced to filmmaker Özge by Bero Beyer, now IFFR artistic director but who had co-produced Özge’s debut Men On The Bridge and who had also worked as Feature Film Consultant at the Netherlands Film Fund where co-pro is high on the agenda.

All Of A Sudden is a drama about a wealthy and complacent man who, after being caught up in a completely accidental event, is made to face up to his own weaknesses and starts to question his seemingly stable and comfortable life. As Heslenfeld remembers, the Topkapi executives were initially uncertain about the first drafts that Özge provided. “They were not clear enough about what was the theme of the film but she really improved the scripts amazingly. That is, of course, her talent.”

Özge’s passionate producer Fabian Massah was young and relatively inexperienced. He was looking to Topkapi for guidance as well as co-production support. “We could help him a bit and advise him on what he could and couldn’t do…Fabian wasn’t leaning on us but he wanted to have our advice.” Topkapi was able to bring in financing from the Netherlands Film Fund. There was German regional film funding backing, some French support, and some money from Eurimages too – but nothing from Özge’s home country, Turkey.

But for Topkapi, this wasn’t just a case of providing cash. There was creative involvement too. Heslenfeld’s partner and co-founder of Topkapi, Frans van Gestel, advised on the editing. Dutch crew worked in key creative roles and part of the post-production was done in the Netherlands.

Pim Hermeling’s September Films is set to handle the Dutch release. These, though, aren’t easy times for foreign language arthouse fare in the Dutch market. The DVD market is disappointing and VOD isn’t yet making amends. TV and pay-TV also seem to have lost their appetite for auteur-driven films from names unknown to local audiences. That, Heslenfeld suggests, is why major festivals are now so important. With a Berlin premiere, All Of A Sudden (sold internationally by leading French company Memento) has the perfect potential launch pad.

Heslenfeld suggests that demand in the Netherlands for traditional, middle of the road arthouse has disappeared almost entirely. That is why Topkapi encourages filmmakers whose movies aren’t right for festival selection to re-think their work in mainstream terms. Nonetheless, the company’s commitment to new, edgy and distinctive voices like that of Asli Özge remains undimmed.

All Of A Sudden, Asli Özge. Script: Asli Özge Production: EEE Productions (DE). Co-production: Topkapi Films (NL), Haut et Court (FR), WDR-Arte (DE/FR).