Ferzan Özpetek

Ferzan Özpetek — Biography

Ferzan Özpetek was born on 3 February 1959 in Istanbul; his sister is Zeynep Aksu. He settled in Italy in the 1970s, studying at Rome's La Sapienza University and the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art.

For fifteen years he worked as an assistant director alongside filmmakers including Ricky Tognazzi, Lamberto Bava, Francesco Nuti and Sergio Citti before stepping behind the camera himself. His 1997 feature Hamam (Steam: The Turkish Bath) screened in Cannes' Directors' Fortnight and became a box-office hit in several countries, bringing him international recognition; the 1999 follow-up Harem Suare played in Cannes' Un Certain Regard before touring the London and Toronto festivals.

He went on to become one of the best-known names in Turkish-Italian cinema with films such as The Ignorant Fairies (2001), Facing Windows (2003), Loose Cannons (2010) and Red Istanbul (2017), earning David di Donatello, Nastro d'Argento and Globo d'oro awards along with a Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. His 2024 film Diamonds (Diamanti) broke box-office records in Italy, becoming one of the most talked-about films of his recent career.