Anatolian Eagles

The cast of the upcoming Turkish movie “Anatolian Eagles,” currently being filmed in Konya. Production on “Anadolu Kartalları” (Anatolian Eagles), one of next season’s much-anticipated movies in Turkish cinema, is in full gear with filming currently under way at Konya’s 3rd Main Jet Base, news agencies reported this week.

The movie, commissioned as part of centennial celebrations of the Turkish Air Forces, is slated for an Oct. 29 release, also marking the Turkey’s Republic Day national holiday.Produced by Fida Film and directed by Ömer Vargı with a budget of $10 million, “Anadolu Kartalları” is one of Turkish cinema’s most expensive productions to date. Five aircraft and two hangars at the jet base in Konya are being used in filming, which will also travel to İstanbul, İzmir and Eskişehir throughout the end of its nine-week filming period.The film’s producer Murat Akdilek told the Anatolia news agency on Tuesday that the movie is of considerable importance as it is the first time such a project — a film with many scenes featuring fighter jet flights — has been undertaken in Turkish cinema. A specialized film crew was brought in from abroad for the filming, he added.Along with the cast, there are also trained mechanics who are required to both act and take care of technical aspects of the equipment in the movie, the producer explained. “In this regard, this is a complete first in Turkey,” said Akdilek, adding, “There have been short sequences of car chase scenes in Turkish films before, but a film with a quarter of its screen time devoted to scenes of fighter jets in dogfights has never been made in Turkish cinema to date.”“Instead of computer-generated effects, we are using actual footage that we’re filming, and this is rare in world cinema,” he added.Billed as the “Turkish Top Gun” in Turkish cinema circles, “Anadolu Kartalları” tells the tale of five gritty young lieutenants training as pilots. “In the life of a pilot there is drama, love and struggle; it’s an exciting and risky profession where one is constantly working to excel. When you look at a warplane, the fighting and action aspect of the profession is evident. But this is not just an action film; it is equally about man and machine,” said Akdilek.