He became famous by making the movie of the Turkish bath (Hammam): Who is Ferzan Özpetek?

Born on February 3, 1959, in Istanbul, director, screenwriter, and actor Ferzan Özpetek went to Rome La Sapienza University for his university education. Özpetek, who improved himself a lot in terms of art at this academy, later had his first acting experience in the movie 'Son Contento'. He even served as assistant director.

He has worked with the best directors for 15 years.

Some of them; Ricky Tognazzi, Lamberto Bava, Francesco Nuti, Sergio Citti.

The movie Hamam, a masterpiece that takes place between Spain, Italy, and Turkey, was included in the 'Quinzaine des Réalisateurs', the most prestigious section of the Cannes Film Festival. It broke box office records in most countries.

Then, the movie Harem Suare was released in the 'Un Certain Regard' category at the Cannes Film Festival and was subsequently invited to the London Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival.

Ferzan Özpetek (born 3 February 1959) is a Turkish-Italian film director and screenwriter, residing in Italy. Ferzan Özpetek was born in Istanbul in 1959. In 1976, he decided to move to Italy to study Cinema History at Sapienza University of Rome. He completed his education attending art history and costume design classes at the Navona Academy. He also attended director classes at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art.

Ferzan Özpetek's third film managed to become the most important film of 2001. Each film of the successful director became a sensation and won numerous awards. Ferzan Özpetek, who personally received an award from the Italian president, was awarded honorary citizenship by the city of Lezze for his achievements.

Private life

Ferzan Özpetek has been with Simone Pontesilli since 2001. They got married when the civil union law, which provides legal recognition of same-sex unions in Italy, was accepted by the parliament in May 2016.

Özpetek dedicated his last book, You Are My Life, to Simone Pontesilli.

Hamam

His first film, 'Il Bagno Turco - Hamam', which was a co-production between Spain, Italy, and Turkey and produced together with Maurizio Tedesco, was highly appreciated by critics and was watched with interest at festivals both in Italy and other countries. The movie Hamam, which was released in Italian movie theaters in May 1997, was also included in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, the most prestigious section of the Cannes Film Festival. The film, which was regularly shown in Italian movie theaters in 1996-1997, met with its audience until February 1998 (39 weeks) when it was released as a video cassette. The film was sold to 21 countries, including France, England, Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and the United States. It broke box office revenue records in many countries such as Türkiye, Norway, and Sweden.

Harem Soiree

In 1999, Tilde Corsi and Gianni Romoli, together with Marie Gillain and Alex Descas, produced Ferzan Özpetek's second film, Harem Suare. The plot of the film, the story of which he wrote together with Gianni Romoli, takes place in Istanbul, the city where the director was born, and tells the love story between the eunuch Nadir and the sultan's most favorite concubine, Safiye, during the reign of the Ottoman Emperor Sultan Abdulhamid. The film Harem Suare was also highly appreciated by both critics and the audience and was released in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival in the same year, and was subsequently invited to the London Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival.

Ignorant Fairies

Ferzan Özpetek's third film, 'Le Fate Ignoranti - Cahil Periler', starring Stefano Accorsi and Margherita Buy, became the most important film of the 2001 cinema season with its international success, praise from critics, and box office revenues. Considered one of the most important agenda items of 2001, Ignorant Fairies won numerous awards such as 3 Globi d'Oro and 4 Nastri d'Argento.

Opposite Window

His film 'La Finestra di Fronte - Opposite Window', starring Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Massimo Girotti, Raoul Bova, and Filippo Nigro, was met with great interest by critics and the public and also achieved international success in 2003. The film, which won numerous awards such as 5 David di Donatello, 4 Ciak d'Oro, and 3 Globi d'Oro, was distributed by Sony Classic from the United States.

Sacred Heart

In 2005, Ferzan Özpetek's fifth film, Sacred Heart, produced by Gianni Romoli and Tilde Corsi and starring Barbara Bobulova, achieved many successes, including David di Donatello awards, winning in 12 different categories.

One Lifetime Is Not Enough

The director's film 'Saturno Contro – 'A Lifetime Is Not Enough', released in 2007, brought together a rich cast such as Stefano Accorsi and Margherita Buy, Pierfrancesco Favino Serra Yılmaz, Ennio Fantastichini, Ambra Angiolini, Luca Argenter, Lunetta Savino, Luigi Di Berti, and Isabella Ferrari. brought. 'A Life Is Not Enough', like the director's previous films, was an international success and won numerous awards.