Vizontele

Vizontele is a Turkish comedy-drama film written by Yılmaz Erdoğan and co-directed by him and Ömer Faruk Sorak. Produced by Beşiktaş Cultural Center, the film was released in early 2001 and became one of the most watched Turkish films of its time. The story, based on Erdoğan's childhood memories of the arrival of the first television in Hakkari, was filmed in Gevaş district of Van due to filming difficulties.

The film tells the story of the arrival of television – or "vizontele" as the locals call it – in a remote town in 1974, where news is the last to reach. When the officials sent by TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation) return without being able to set up the receiver, Mayor Nazmi asks for help from Emin, who is thought to be the town's eccentric but is actually tech-savvy and knowledgeable about radio repair. The comical struggles of searching for a signal, the obstacles created by Latif protecting the interests of the open-air cinema, and the secular-religious tensions of the town accompany the story, but the first news that arrives—that the mayor's son was martyred in the Cyprus Operation—suddenly turns the comedy into sadness.

Yılmaz Erdoğan, who plays the lead role of Deli Emin, is joined by actors mostly from the Beşiktaş Cultural Center, including Demet Akbağ, Altan Erkekli, Cem Yılmaz, Zeynep Tokuş, Şafak Sezer, Tolga Çevik, and Serhat Özcan. The film, with music by Kardeş Türküler, won three awards at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, including best actor, best actress, and best music. A sequel, Vizontele Tuuba, was also made in 2003-2004.