Mehmet Tanrısever

Mehmet Tanrısever — Biography

Mehmet Tanrısever was born in 1953 in the Bağyurdu area of Bozkır, Konya. After finishing primary school he entered working life early, first making a name for himself in business as the owner of Mert Çelik, a steel cookware manufacturer, before his attention turned toward filmmaking.

In 1989 he founded the production company Feza Film and began his career as a producer with Abdullah from Minye, directed by Yücel Çakmaklı, one of the landmark titles of Turkey's Islamic cinema movement, which became a major box-office success; he went on to produce its sequel, Abdullah from Minye 2. Through the 1990s he continued as producer and screenwriter on films such as The Exile, Benim Zaferim, Çizme and Garip Bir Kolleksiyoncu.

Tanrısever made his directorial debut with The Exile, which won awards at international festivals. With 2011's Free Man he brought the life of Said Nursi to the screen, and in the years that followed he wrote, directed and acted in further films including Free Slave and Bozkır Kuşlara Bak Kuşlara.