Berlinale 2026: İlker Çatak’s Intelligent ‘Yellow Letters’ – Artists vs Politics
by Alex Billington February 15, 2026
In these modern instances, with the world turning into extra & extra authoritarian by the day, it is necessary to talk out, communicate up, and take a stand. However doing so may be harmful, after all. Artists have all the time been a goal of authoritarian regimes – as a result of they usually use their artwork to talk out, communicate up, and stand towards the federal government and their oppression. German-Turkish filmmaker İlker Çatak’s newest movie is a story of two artists who begin to battle when an authoritarian regime comes for them and begins to censor, shut down, and oppress their way of life and their vitally necessary inventive expression. His new movie is titled Yellow Letters, also referred to as Gelbe Briefe in German, and it is set in Germany although he is utilizing the outstanding German cities to double as two outstanding cities in Turkey (Berlin is Ankara, Hamburg is Istanbul). The title is a reference to German tradition – in Germany, a yellow letter is an official, legally binding doc from courts, authorities, or police – usually indicating a summons, lawsuit, penalty order, or debt assortment. You do not need to get one among these, particularly if it is saying you are in bother on your artwork or one thing you said.
İlker Çatak is a German filmmaker born in Berlin with Turkish roots – he is an necessary a part of the Turkish diaspora in Berlin. Yellow Letters is his fifth characteristic to this point; he final made the extremely acclaimed The Lecturers’ Lounge, which was a crucial take a look at Germany’s faculty system. The story in Yellow Letters follows a household (dwelling in Turkey however primarily in Germany) of artists. Turkish actors Özgü Namal and Tansu Biçer star as married couple Derya and Aziz, who even have a teenage daughter named Ezgi (Leyla Smyrna Cabas). Derya is an acclaimed actress, and Aziz is a playwright & professor, and so they’re each inventive collaborators on varied initiatives and performs and past. All of the sudden they’re each in bother – Aziz for supporting a protest, and Derya for performing in a play crucial of the federal government and modern society. The following factor they know, they’re each out of labor, and should transfer to Istanbul with Aziz’s dad and mom. As time goes on, as they try to battle again and get attorneys, the stress will increase. That is what it is prefer to reside in these instances, the place society inches in direction of fascism on daily basis, the place any type of dissent or crucial considering is taken into account problematic. They have to redefine their way of life however it’s an uncomfortable, irritating, and finally very miserable transition. It is not essentially the most uplifting movie, however this sort of criticism & storytelling is necessary nonetheless.
One of the best factor about this movie is its double layer of which means because the idea itself. Yellow Letters is definitely about Germany and what’s been taking place in Germany over the previous few years – in relation to Palestine & past. However Çatak does this intelligent factor the place it is set and filmed in Germany however it’s not “about Germany” as a result of it is about Turkey and what’s taking place there, utilizing that framing to inform the story, although it is nonetheless actually really about Germany. It is apparent (particularly as somebody who additionally lives in Germany). That obtained me good, as a result of it is so brutally sincere in its crucial commentary about what’s taking place to society and artists nowadays. And the way they’re being silenced, shut down, and quietly instructed to close up and simply get actual jobs, all as a result of the highly effective individuals don’t love listening to their dissenting opinions & crucial commentary. As an alternative of going to jail, nevertheless, it is monetary oppression, and that psychological pressure could be very precisely depicted on this movie. Sure after all, this story is a reference to any authoritarian society and the way they use “yellow letters” to silence artists, however contemplating Çatak lives in Germany, his commentary feels particular. It does run a bit lengthy and lose its energy by the tip, however I nonetheless discovered most of it charming anyway. Particularly the 2 leads, who’re magnetic, fascinating personalities that I actually needed to maintain following past this level within the story.
Alex’s Berlinale 2026 Score: 8 out of 10Observe Alex on X – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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