Ümit Ünal

Writing

Ümit Ünal

Born

1965-04-14 (61)

Place of birth

Izmir, Turkey

Known for

Writing

Credits

36 titles

He was born on April 14, 1965. He graduated from 9 Eylül University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Cinema-TV Department in 1985. The short films he made during the school received various awards. His first script, My Aunt, won the First Prize in the 1986 Milliyet Newspaper Script Competition and was filmed by Halit Refiğ. Eight scenarios were filmed between 1986-93. He wrote and directed his first film 9 in 2001. 9, 2003 Turkey's candidate for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar was selected and received awards at various festivals. In 2004, he directed the film Anlat Istanbul, which he wrote the script, together with 4 different directors. The film Ara, which was released, written and directed in 200…

Known for

İstanbul Tales poster
6.8

Five interconnected stories set in modern-day Istanbul based on the fairytales Snow White, Cinderella, Pied Piper, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood.

İstanbul Tales

2005

9 poster
7.6

In a poor neighbourhood of Istanbul, a young homeless girl has been found dead. Six people from the neighbourhood are being interrogated. While the police camera is recording, these six witnesses find themselves caught in manipulation and abuse, forcing them to give away their innermost secrets.

9

2002

Love, Spells and All That poster
5.4

In their youth, Eren and Reyhan, who grew up in Büyükada, had a great love. As soon as their families heard about this relationship, they separated them. Eren, the daughter of a wealthy family, returns to the island years later and finds Reyhan in an unexpected situation.

Love, Spells and All That

2021

Ara poster
5.8

Ara is the story of four people and an empty house. These people are stuck between their past and stormy relationships, between Istanbul and the "homes" they can't get back, between their innermost secrets and the lies they tell, between east and west. They are stuck in the "space between". The whole action takes place in an almost empty flat which is belong to one of the characters. The camera goes out only once. But various other visuals from commercials, TV series' that has been shot in the same flat, sneak into the film. Spanning around 10 years, the story is told between intervals of these visuals. Turkey has been through a huge change in the last 20-30 years. The modest country of the recent past is a faded memory compared to the consumerist life style of modern day. It is the time of ambitious people who can do anything to "live well", to "break through". This is the story of a small group of people who manage to "live well" but can't help getting lost in a spiritual vacuum.

Ara

2008

The Pomegranate poster
5.8

“The Pomegranate” tells the story of a woman; seeking her own justice. “The Pomegranate” questions the justice of four people with different beliefs in a house, in half a day and in their own realms of faith. Asuman is a fortune-teller with uncanny psychic powers who lives in the suburbs of Istanbul but tells fortunes of the rich at their own luxurious places.

The Pomegranate

2011

Billionaire poster
7.4

A civil servant in a small town, shunned by his family and his friends due to his lack of ambition, hits the jackpot in the national lottery. Not trusting anybody around him, he gradually starts to lose his mind.

Billionaire

1986

Film credits

Behind the camera

İstanbul Tales poster
6.8

Five interconnected stories set in modern-day Istanbul based on the fairytales Snow White, Cinderella, Pied Piper, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood.

İstanbul Tales

2005

İstanbul Tales poster
6.8

Five interconnected stories set in modern-day Istanbul based on the fairytales Snow White, Cinderella, Pied Piper, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood.

İstanbul Tales

2005

9 poster
7.6

In a poor neighbourhood of Istanbul, a young homeless girl has been found dead. Six people from the neighbourhood are being interrogated. While the police camera is recording, these six witnesses find themselves caught in manipulation and abuse, forcing them to give away their innermost secrets.

9

2002

9 poster
7.6

In a poor neighbourhood of Istanbul, a young homeless girl has been found dead. Six people from the neighbourhood are being interrogated. While the police camera is recording, these six witnesses find themselves caught in manipulation and abuse, forcing them to give away their innermost secrets.

9

2002

9 poster
7.6

In a poor neighbourhood of Istanbul, a young homeless girl has been found dead. Six people from the neighbourhood are being interrogated. While the police camera is recording, these six witnesses find themselves caught in manipulation and abuse, forcing them to give away their innermost secrets.

9

2002

Love, Spells and All That poster
5.4

In their youth, Eren and Reyhan, who grew up in Büyükada, had a great love. As soon as their families heard about this relationship, they separated them. Eren, the daughter of a wealthy family, returns to the island years later and finds Reyhan in an unexpected situation.

Love, Spells and All That

2021

Love, Spells and All That poster
5.4

In their youth, Eren and Reyhan, who grew up in Büyükada, had a great love. As soon as their families heard about this relationship, they separated them. Eren, the daughter of a wealthy family, returns to the island years later and finds Reyhan in an unexpected situation.

Love, Spells and All That

2021

Ara poster
5.8

Ara is the story of four people and an empty house. These people are stuck between their past and stormy relationships, between Istanbul and the "homes" they can't get back, between their innermost secrets and the lies they tell, between east and west. They are stuck in the "space between". The whole action takes place in an almost empty flat which is belong to one of the characters. The camera goes out only once. But various other visuals from commercials, TV series' that has been shot in the same flat, sneak into the film. Spanning around 10 years, the story is told between intervals of these visuals. Turkey has been through a huge change in the last 20-30 years. The modest country of the recent past is a faded memory compared to the consumerist life style of modern day. It is the time of ambitious people who can do anything to "live well", to "break through". This is the story of a small group of people who manage to "live well" but can't help getting lost in a spiritual vacuum.

Ara

2008

Ara poster
5.8

Ara is the story of four people and an empty house. These people are stuck between their past and stormy relationships, between Istanbul and the "homes" they can't get back, between their innermost secrets and the lies they tell, between east and west. They are stuck in the "space between". The whole action takes place in an almost empty flat which is belong to one of the characters. The camera goes out only once. But various other visuals from commercials, TV series' that has been shot in the same flat, sneak into the film. Spanning around 10 years, the story is told between intervals of these visuals. Turkey has been through a huge change in the last 20-30 years. The modest country of the recent past is a faded memory compared to the consumerist life style of modern day. It is the time of ambitious people who can do anything to "live well", to "break through". This is the story of a small group of people who manage to "live well" but can't help getting lost in a spiritual vacuum.

Ara

2008

The Pomegranate poster
5.8

“The Pomegranate” tells the story of a woman; seeking her own justice. “The Pomegranate” questions the justice of four people with different beliefs in a house, in half a day and in their own realms of faith. Asuman is a fortune-teller with uncanny psychic powers who lives in the suburbs of Istanbul but tells fortunes of the rich at their own luxurious places.

The Pomegranate

2011

The Pomegranate poster
5.8

“The Pomegranate” tells the story of a woman; seeking her own justice. “The Pomegranate” questions the justice of four people with different beliefs in a house, in half a day and in their own realms of faith. Asuman is a fortune-teller with uncanny psychic powers who lives in the suburbs of Istanbul but tells fortunes of the rich at their own luxurious places.

The Pomegranate

2011

Billionaire poster
7.4

A civil servant in a small town, shunned by his family and his friends due to his lack of ambition, hits the jackpot in the national lottery. Not trusting anybody around him, he gradually starts to lose his mind.

Billionaire

1986

Piano Piano Kid poster
7.5

In 1940s Turkey, the war is recently over, but the wounds are still fresh, and the WWII is going on next door. A different family lives in each room of a mansion. They all lead a scarce life but hold on to life with hope.

Piano Piano Kid

1991

No artwork available
8.0

While working on his novel, an author discovers a mysterious girl in his garden. Is she real or imaginary? Despite this uncertainty, he delves into the girl's world.

Yaz Yağmuru

1994

My Dreams, My Love, and You poster
6.9

Coşkun has been in love with the famous star Derya Altınay since his childhood. So much so that the fictional melodrama film heroines, who have opposite characters, have infiltrated the young man’s life. Coşkun has the opportunity to meet Derya; he pens an imaginary love story with her in mind. This script is eventually made into a film, and Derya plays the lead role, but the resulting film is far from his expectations.

My Dreams, My Love, and You

1987

The Playroom poster
6.4

Fırat and Filiz are a couple in their 30s. Because their marriage has entered a period of stagnation, they go to a quiet, small hotel near Assos for a holiday. At the hotel, they meet Özkan and Aysun, local villagers who are running the entire hotel and the seaside restaurant. As Fırat and Filiz observe the relationship dynamics between the local couple, they start to mimick them. One day, while on a hike up a deserted hill, supposedly searching for a historical ruin, Filiz mimics Aysun’s way of speaking and seduces Fırat. The balance of power shifts in relationships, and the story moves toward an unexpected result.

The Playroom

2024

The Playroom poster
6.4

Fırat and Filiz are a couple in their 30s. Because their marriage has entered a period of stagnation, they go to a quiet, small hotel near Assos for a holiday. At the hotel, they meet Özkan and Aysun, local villagers who are running the entire hotel and the seaside restaurant. As Fırat and Filiz observe the relationship dynamics between the local couple, they start to mimick them. One day, while on a hike up a deserted hill, supposedly searching for a historical ruin, Filiz mimics Aysun’s way of speaking and seduces Fırat. The balance of power shifts in relationships, and the story moves toward an unexpected result.

The Playroom

2024

The Shadowless poster
6.4

A barber working in Istanbul longs to be ‘both here and far, far away’. One day, he takes the day off and disappears abruptly without warning anyone. He then settles in a far-flung village. Some mysterious events start happening in the village as people disappear one by one.

The Shadowless

2009

The Shadowless poster
6.4

A barber working in Istanbul longs to be ‘both here and far, far away’. One day, he takes the day off and disappears abruptly without warning anyone. He then settles in a far-flung village. Some mysterious events start happening in the village as people disappear one by one.

The Shadowless

2009

The Voice poster
6.1

Derya works in a bank's call centers to support her elderly mother. One day her life is suddenly turned upside down as she begins to hear a strange voice whispering to her. The source of the voice is a mystery and it tells her things and facts no-one else would know. Word gets out, and many in the community start to believe she is receiving messages from the divine. But soon the voice starts to become louder and louder, its tone becomes more and more threatening and Derya’s life starts spiraling into a nightmare.

The Voice

2010

Berlin in Berlin poster
6.0

A young German engineer photographs a beautiful Turkish woman without her permission. Her husband finds out and starts a fight. In the midst of the argument the German engineer accidentally kills the husband.

Berlin in Berlin

1993

Kaptan Feza poster
5.5

Ömer's father is an actor in Yeşilçam. Ömer attracts attention because he looks very much like his father. One day, Ömer meets a little girl named Asu. Asu compares him to Captain Feza, a Yeşilçam space hero. Ömer is actually one of the puppets controlled by the mafia. However, to avoid upsetting the little girl, he will not step outside the role she has assigned him. While trying to escape the death that is chasing him, he will also strive to keep the fragile imaginary world of the little girl alive in his own way.

Kaptan Feza

2010

Kaptan Feza poster
5.5

Ömer's father is an actor in Yeşilçam. Ömer attracts attention because he looks very much like his father. One day, Ömer meets a little girl named Asu. Asu compares him to Captain Feza, a Yeşilçam space hero. Ömer is actually one of the puppets controlled by the mafia. However, to avoid upsetting the little girl, he will not step outside the role she has assigned him. While trying to escape the death that is chasing him, he will also strive to keep the fragile imaginary world of the little girl alive in his own way.

Kaptan Feza

2010

Serial Cook poster
6.4

Meet Neslihan. A perfect cook, an expert on Turkish cuisine, strictly loyal to her husband, an impeccable house wife... and a serial killer.

Serial Cook

2018

Serial Cook poster
6.4

Meet Neslihan. A perfect cook, an expert on Turkish cuisine, strictly loyal to her husband, an impeccable house wife... and a serial killer.

Serial Cook

2018

Oregon poster
4.6

Summer 1985, Istanbul. Hakan and Gaye want to give back a music tape to their friend Selen before they leave. Things won't go as planned.

Oregon

2023

Amerikalı poster
5.1

Revenge story in Istanbul. After being sent to prison, Şeref manages to escape and flee to the United States. Over the next twenty years, he works tirelessly and becomes a billionaire. With his vast fortune, he returns to Turkey after twenty years, driven by his longing for his homeland and his former lover. However, time has passed differently in Turkey than it has in America... Will Şeref, who returns to his country and loved ones with curiosity, be able to adapt to this change?

Amerikalı

1993

Devil, My Friend poster
6.8

Fatih is a musician who can never seem to get where he wants to be. One day, he sells his soul to the devil in exchange for fame. But over time, he realizes that people are worse and smarter than the devil.

Devil, My Friend

1988

My Aunt poster
6.8

Üftade has long been the object of men’s fury. Her only hope is to marry the young man she is in love with and escape her traumatic life in the home of her abusive stepfather. However, when her lover suddenly leaves her, Üftade's despair increases exponentially, and she begins to lose her mental balance due to the traumas of her childhood. Throughout the years, her suffering is witnessed by her nephew, who feels helpless to do anything about her condition.

My Aunt

1986

My Aunt poster
6.8

Üftade has long been the object of men’s fury. Her only hope is to marry the young man she is in love with and escape her traumatic life in the home of her abusive stepfather. However, when her lover suddenly leaves her, Üftade's despair increases exponentially, and she begins to lose her mental balance due to the traumas of her childhood. Throughout the years, her suffering is witnessed by her nephew, who feels helpless to do anything about her condition.

My Aunt

1986

I Still Hear poster
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

I Still Hear

2021

I Still Hear poster
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

I Still Hear

2021