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Kayıp Şehir

Kayıp Şehir

TV Series · 2012–2013 · 21 people

Kanal D broadcast Kayıp Şehir (The Lost City), a Turkish drama and thriller series, from its first episode on September 14, 2012, until it ended with its 26th episode on March 25, 2013. Credited to D Media and produced by Ayşe Durmaz, directing credits go to Cevdet Mercan, Osman Taşçı and Nisan Akman. The series looks at Istanbul's back streets and the daily struggle of the people who live there in a distinctive voice.

At its heart is the Toptaş family, a close-knit, typical Black Sea household that settles in a neighborhood after migrating to Istanbul and meets people clinging to life's loneliness there. Human tragedies caused by poverty, discrimination against women, Roma and others, the problems of workers and laborers, and the violent world of street children form the backdrop. The cast includes Gökçe Bahadır (Aysel), Tugay Mercan (İsmail), Nik Xhelilaj (Kadir), İlker Kaleli (İrfan), Elifcan Ongurlar (Seher), Nazan Kesal (Meryem), Uğur Polat (Ethem), Cansu Tosun (Zehra), Şebnem Hassanisoughi (Zeynep), İhsan Berk Aydın (Hakan) and Ercan Kesal (Mustafa).

The scripts were written by Yelda Eroğlu, Seray Şahiner, Leyla Olça and Yıldırım Türker, and the music credits name Demir Demirkan and Sezen Aksu.

DirectorNisan Akman
Production companyD Media
NetworkKanal D
Kayıp Şehir Kayıp Şehir

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Through different eyes

AI-assisted editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives. They are not reader reviews; those are below.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Kayıp Şehir chooses to tell Istanbul through its back streets rather than its postcard views. The Toptaş family, who migrate from the Black Sea region and settle in a neighborhood, stand in for the many families trying to gain a foothold in the big city. In the background are the human tragedies of poverty, discrimination against women and Roma, the problems of working people and the violent world of street children. Handling all of this together on a mainstream channel is no small task. Rather than leaving these issues as scenery, the series tries to tie them to the characters' daily struggle. For anyone thinking about migration and urban poverty, it is a notable testimony to the Istanbul of its day.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humor and heart.

This is heavy viewing for a family evening. Poverty, discrimination and the violent lives of street children sit right at the center of the story. It is not suitable for young children. If you watch it with teenagers, it is worth talking it over afterwards. The way the Toptaş family stick together does send a good message. Thought-provoking for adults and older teens, but anyone after a relaxed evening show should pick something else.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

With three directors and four writers, stylistic unity is hard to expect, and Kayıp Şehir does run that risk. Its ambition to bring drama and thriller together on social-realist material gives it solid ground, and the presence of names like Yıldırım Türker and Seray Şahiner among the writers signals a literary sensibility. But squeezing so many issues into 26 episodes, from migration and poverty to discrimination, labor and street violence, threatens to leave some storylines on the surface. Actors such as Nazan Kesal, Ercan Kesal and Uğur Polat, on the other hand, make for a cast capable of giving scenes the weight they need. Not flawless, but an attempt that does not surrender easily to the genre's habits.

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