Filmmaker Ilker Catak’s ‘Yellow Letters’ pits artists against the powerful

Filmmaker Ilker Catak explains how his political thriller – exploring authoritarianism and the artistic process – grew out of a desire to examine the complexities of marriage. "Yellow Letters", which won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, serves as a cautionary tale. Catak says the story is not confined to Turkey – where his characters’ lives are upended by creeping censorship – but offers a broader warning about the fundamental freedoms that must be defended.

By Olivia SALAZAR-WINSPEAR