Director’s Talk: 'Manguel’s Journey to Türkiye: In the Footsteps of Tanpınar' with Melik Külekci

As part of the MARUF25 program, and with Yapı Kredi Publications as the main supporter of the Urban Library, a special screening parallel to the Urban Cinema program will take place. Following its premiere at Yapı Kredi Culture & Arts in June 2025, Manguel’s Journey to Türkiye: In the Footsteps of Tanpınar invites MARUF25 audiences on a richly layered journey through Turkey’s literary and cultural landscapes.

The film draws upon the observations of the multifaceted writer Alberto Manguel, who was invited to Turkey in 2013 as part of the Istanbul Tanpınar Literature Festival (İTEF). Based on his travels to Istanbul, Erzurum, Konya, Ankara, and Bursa while writing In the Footsteps of Tanpınar: Five Cities, the documentary brings to the screen both Tanpınar’s enduring legacy and Manguel’s own intellectual journey.

Originally directed by Didem Şahin in 2013, the film was completed by director Melik Külekci following Şahin’s untimely passing. Külekci will join the audience for a brief post-screening conversation, offering insights into the creative process and the layered cinematic exploration of following Tanpınar’s footsteps.