Istanbul Unveiled
Serif Yenen has produced and directed a travel documentary film on Istanbul: Istanbul Unveiled. The film has won eight international festival awards so far. He has also started showing the film in different countries, at museums, embassies, clubs, and other venues. After showing the film, he is happily taking part in a Q & A session about Istanbul and Turkey.
Istanbul Unveiled
Director: Serif Yenen, Levent Ayasli
Media Format: Multiple Formats, Full Screen, PAL/NTSC, Widescreen
Run time: 1 hour and 1 minute
Release Date: May 1, 2014
Actors: Jessica Berkmen
Subtitles: English, Turkish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese
Studio: Yenen Travel Publishing
Price:
DVD US $16.99
Blu-Ray US $23.99
You can buy DVD or Blu-Ray from Serif Yenen or Amazon.com
How Serif explains Istanbul Unveiled
During my professional life as a tourist guide in Turkey, one thing has become very clear: Visitors do not like to be called “tourists” nor do they want to be treated as tourists. The idea of being a tourist has come to connote being taken to pre-arranged events and to shops or locations where locals are well-experienced in dealing with foreigners, eliminating the possibility of spontaneity or sincere interaction with people. How can we change that?
Markets, restaurants, shows, and of course, major sights and museums should not be missed by those visiting our country, but by taking them to local places that are off the beaten track, rather than the usual “tourist” destinations, we would be allowing them cultural interactions. They would have the opportunity to interact with a large cultural cross-section of local people, having a much deeper experience.
Within this perspective, as a writer and publisher of guidebooks about Turkey and Turkish culture, I am dedicating myself to the production of travel guides and documentaries about Turkey and Turkish culture. The content is ready: the know-how has been gathered from 30+ years of tourist guiding experience in the field.
“Istanbul Unveiled” is a documentary film that is part of the “Cultural Interactions”.
