BLISS (Mutluluk)
Turkey, feature film, color, 2007; 126 min
In Turkish with English subtitles

Directed and Produced by: Abdullah Oguz
Production Company: ANS Productions
Co-Producers: George Lykiardopoulos, Highway Productions
Screenplay: Kubilay Tuncer, Elif Ayan, Abdullah Oguz
Based on the book written by: Zülfü Livaneli
Director of Photography: Mirsad Herovic
Editing: Levent Celebi – LewQ, Abdullah Oguz
Music: Zülfü Livaneli
Cast: Talat Bulut, Ozgu Namal, Murat Han. others

Based on the international bestseller by the winner of Barnes & Noble 2006 “New big author discovery” award Zülfü Livaneli BLISS is the first film about the taboo subject of honor killing. Directed by Abdullah Oguz the film stars ÖZGÜ NAMAL as rape victim Meriyem whose family’s menfolk decide to kill her to save the family’s “honor” (therefore the term “honor killing”), and her unlikely executor-turned-savior, MURAT HAN as Cemal. Filmed almost entirely on beautiful lake locations in Eastern Turkey, BLISS follows Meriyem and Cemal on a journey that brings both the traditional and modern faces of Turkey together. Joined by a disilusioned intellectual from Istanbul on his boat that goes nowhere, the two protagonists face head-on the ongoing argument between tradition and modernity.

Awards 2007/2008
European Council Strasbourg - Prix Odyssee Human Rights Award
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival - Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Music, Best Sound Design, Best Make-up
Funchal International Film Festival Portugal - Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress
Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival - Audience Award
Cinemafest Puerto Rico - Audience Award
Kerala International Film Festival India - IFFK Jury’s Special Prize
Pune International Film Festival India - Best Actress
SİYAD Critics Awards Turkey - Best Music
Miami International Film Festival - Audience Award
Nurnberg Turkish/German Film Festival - Audience Award; Young Jury’s Special Prize

Festivals
The films has been shown and/or invited to more than 25 festivals to date.

Director Abdullah Oguz
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Abdullah Oguz graduated in economics from Marmara University and founded ANS International, a video company, in New York in 1983. Nine years later he established the company in Turkey and it soon became one of the premier production companies in the country, supplying Turkish television with thousands of hours programming, from original dramas to game shows. Oguz is also prominent in the music video industry, and in 2003 ANS began producing feature films for theatrical release. He directed his first feature, THE IVY MANSION - LIFE, in 2003, and followed that in 2005 with JAILBIRDS.

Filmography
Bliss (2007)
Jailbirds (2005)
The Ivy Mansion (2003)

Beta SP Source
ANS International Productions
New York, N.Y.