Lale Oraloğlu

Lale Oraloğlu — Biography

Emine Lale Oraloğlu (15 August 1924, İzmir – 15 January 2007, Istanbul) was a Turkish stage and film actress, screenwriter and director. Recognised in theatre and cinema from the 1950s onward, she was also a professional athlete in her youth. Her father was the Tatar-born scientist and writer Lebib Karan (1887-1964).

In 1960 she founded the Oraloğlu Theatre, which she ran for 43 years, touring its productions across Anatolia. When her staging of the play "Kadınlar I-Ih Derse" was banned by the governorship, she went on a hunger strike, a protest that led to the play reopening.

Active in film between 1952 and 2006, Oraloğlu wrote seven screenplays and directed five films, becoming one of Turkey's first female film directors. Through her production company Alev Film she produced three films, and her starring vehicle "The Broken Pots" (Kırık Çanaklar) was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival. She received several awards for both acting and screenwriting.