Engin Akyurek, The Actor and The Camera

Sefirin Kizi, Emra Kabakuzac.

By ©Cathie Hubert 2020 Artist, author, designer, French teacher.

Diploma: Master in Cinematographic Studies, Nice University

In films, long shots are usually used to put the characters in context they are informative and often show them in action, whereas close ups are used to reveal intimate emotions.

In Sefirin Kizi, the people revolving around Sancar and Nare are most of the time, filmed in medium shots or long shots, whereas Nare and Sancar emotions and intimate relationship unfold when the camera comes close. The series alternates both and the spectator is carried away on this roller coaster, driven by the main male character Sancar Efe, performed by the soon to become acting icon EnginAkyürek.

His body language in relation to the camera is the focal point, the core of how the story unfolds  one of the reasons why the story brings about so many emotions within the spectator, He navigates between the action scenes and the dramatic emotional scenes with mesmerizing facility.

In the long and medium shots, the hot blooded efe Sancar, barges in, runs, turns, comes and goes, threatens, falls, dances, takes over houses, orders people around, fights, rages. Pacing the screen, he dances with the caméra, his arms like wings, his feet solid into the ground, elegant, sturdy and proud. Sunlike actor, his body takes over the space he moves in, pushing the limits of the screen, a stage performer like no one else these days.

On the other side of the spectrum, when everything narrows down and the camera comes close to the actor’s face,  we go from outside to inside, from noise to silence, we enter Engin Akyürek  lyrical world, the extraordinary ability he has, to be one with the camera or rather his ability to act from his soul as if the camera was not filming.

It takes a few examples only. Episode 14, Sancar cries outside his cabin and finally says Nare’s name. The slightest palpitations of grief on his skin, trace the story of his pain. Suddenly what is left is the silent helplessness of Sancar. The camera so close, comes and finds him, amplifying the emotional intensity of the heart broken efe.

Episode 13, when Sancar goes to the mill to threaten Akin, the camera approaches him on the side, focusing on his charcoal like eyes and exposes the darkness Sancar has entered. What is burning in his heart and soul is visible, the angles, the close ups are like fragments of Sancar’s experience. He is one with the camera. It takes a lot of soul searching and depth for Engin Akyürek to be able to express the murderous despair living inside Sancar at that point. And these are a few of the many examples all along the series.

The bigger than life actor travels from movement to stillness and he shines in both, torn between what he thinks he must do, his pride, his vital energy and the silence of his mouth when his eyes speak.

In this new serie Sefirin Kizi , acting out his emotions, the actor has reached a new level of intensity, mesmerizing the public with his visceral body and soul acting and we are left shaken and happy to be able to witness such wonders.