Kenan Imirzalioglu North America
Kenan's Movies:
Deli Yurek: Bumerang Cehennemi (“Crazy Heart: Boomerang Heart”) Movie (2001)
Written and directed by Osman Sinav, this film was a spin-off from the 1998-2002 TV series of the same name.
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Synopsis: Yusuf Miroglu (Kenan Imirzalioglu) and his fiancee go to Diyarbakir to attend the wedding of Cemal, his close friend from military service. During the wedding, Cemal is killed in a mysterious assassination. Yusuf begins a search for the perpetrators and finds out several terrorist groups might be behind it. He seeks the help of his commander, a sergeant codenamed “Bozo”. They encounter complicated problems in the region involving drugs and weapons smuggling.
Yazi Tura (“Toss Up”) Movie (2004)
A Turkish drama produced, written, and directed by UÄŸur Yucel. In 2005. Kenan Imirzalioglu received the Best Actor Award at three film festivals.
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Synopsis: Two soldiers, Hayalet Cevher (Kenan Imirzalioglu) and Seytan Ridvan (Olgun ÅžimÅŸek) return home from military service in southeastern Turkey. They have dreams and expectations for their lives back home as civilians. Ridvan (nicknamed "the Devil") goes back to his village with his right leg missing. He finds that his fiancee' and his friends no longer treat him as they did before and becomes depressed. In the same mine explosion where Ridvan lost his leg, Cevher (nicknamed "the Ghost") lost the hearing in his right ear. Both are emotionally and physically scarred and find it difficult to adjust to normal civilian life. Cevher will go through another change after rescuing his father from the wreckage of the Marmara Earthquake.
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Son Osmanli Yandim Ali (“The Last Ottoman”) Movie (2006)
Action film directed by Mustafa Åževki DoÄŸan; based on the book by Suat Yalaz. This film went on general release across Turkey in January 2007 and was the fourth highest grossing Turkish film of 2007. Kenan Imirzalioglo received the Best Actor Award in 2007 from Lefke Avrupa University for this film.
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Synopsis: After the First World War, the Allies occupy Istanbul. Yandim Ali (Kenan Imirzalioglu) is a rogue who has been discharged from the navy, and plans to kidnap his married girlfriend (Cansu Dere). Ali does not believe the country can be saved until he meets Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk), who plans to start a resistance in Anatolia against the occupying Allies and the collaborators of an Ottoman government that exists only on paper.
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Kabadayi (“Love and Honor”) Movie (2007)
This film was seen by 920,000 people in the first 10 days of its release. Over two million people in Turkey saw it before the end of its theatrical run. Kenan Imirzalioglu received the Best Actor Award from Yesilçam Awards Ödülleri.
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Synopsis: Ali Osman, a former gangster, is living a quiet life in Istanbul after years of a life involving murder, bullying, and illegal activities. Slowly slipping into dementia, he has made peace with the bad life he led. One day he learns a long kept-secret that he has a son. Then discovers his son is being targeted by an insane mobster named Devran (Kenan Imirzalioglu) who wants his son’s singer/girlfriend for himself. After a bloody firefight in the bar where she performs, the boy and the girl take refuge with Ali Osman. who must now make a decision. Will he break his vow of peace and take the matter into his own hands? Or allow the dementia to make him forget everything?
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Edjer Kapani (“Dragon Trap”) Movie (2009)
A Turkish crime thriller, directed by UÄŸur Yücel, with music composed by Soner Akalin. Released in Turkey in January 2010, it reached 4.644 million USD at the box office. Kenan Imirzalioglu won the Sadri Alisik Theatre Cinema Awards, the Ayhan Isik Jury Special Award for this film.
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Synopsis: In Istanbul, a chain of murders begins where all of the victims are pedophiles. Although all were formerly convicted of their crimes, they have been released by the Istanbul Police Department. Two detectives, Police Commissioner Abbas and his Chief Celal (Kenan Imirzalioglu), investigate the murders and go after the killer. There are mixed feelings as this serial killer is actually punishing these criminals. Abbas and Celal begin to mark the crime scenes on a map and notice a pattern emerging.
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Uzun Hikaye (“A Long Story”) Movie (2012)
Kenan Imirzalioglu received an award in 2013 as “The Most Admired Actor” from Yildiz Technical University for this film.
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Synopsis: In the 1940's, at the age of six, Ali (Kenan Ä°mirzalıoÄŸlu) becomes an orphan. He immigrates from Bulgaria to Istanbul, Turkey with his grandfather Süleyman who raises him to be a brave and equalitarian individual. In his teenage years, Ali falls in love with Münire, the daughter of an outdoor cinema owner. Her parents will not allow their marriage so Ali abducts Münire. They spend their life with their son, Mustafa, moving from town to town at railway stations. He earns a living by his typewriting and accounting skills. He is nicknamed “the Socialist” because of his intolerance of injustice and discrimination. The long story starts and ends at the station.
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Cingoz Recai Movie (2017)
An action/comedy/crime thriller released in October 2017 in Turkey, France, Denmark and Germany. It was filmed in Istanbul, Turkey and St. Petersburg, Russia. Kenan Imirzalioglu was nominated in 2018 by the Turkey Youth Awards for the Golden Star Award as Best Movie Actor for this film.
Synopsis: Based on the early-20th century stories by famous writer Peyami Safa, Cingöz Recai tells the adventures of Recai, nicknamed Cingöz (meaning cunning and sly). A lovable thief, he always evades the police in creative ways and enjoys the chase. Although a criminal, a master of disguise, and an expert at pulling elaborate capers, he also helps people in need.
Kenan's Series:
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Deli Yurek Series (1998-2002)
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Synopsis: After finishing his military service, Yusuf Miroflu (Kenan Imirzalioglu) returns home. His family welcomes him with open arms and he begins to work in a car repair shop. One day, the daughter of a wealthy family brings in her damaged car for repair. When he returns the car, he is impressed by the wealth and stately home of the family and wants to be rich. He mistakenly thinks that Mafia leader Kara Hamit can help him. He goes to talk to him and ends up in the middle of an ambush against the life of Kara Hamit. This turn of events changes Yusuf's life.
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Alacakaranlik ("Twilight") Series (2003-2005)
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Synopsis: Tahir Kemal Bozoglu is an experienced and legendary chief superintendent of a homicide desk in Sanliurfa. After serving many years there, he wants and secures a post in Istanbul. He is divorced and this will allow him to spend more time with his 8-year-old daughter. When he beings his new post, Tahir removes a young and honest commissioner, Ferit Caglayan (Kenan Imirzalioglu), who is trying to prove himself but makes a serious mistake at a murder scene. Ferit becomes very upset by this because Tahir is his idol, and his life starts to slip into chaos. He has been in love with Melike since their school years but forgets her when he falls in love with Songul, whose friends have a bad influence on his life. Tahir has qualms about Ferit's situation and wants to rescue him.
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Aci Hayat ("Bitter Life") Series (2005-2007)
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Synopsis: Mehmet (Kenan Imirzalioglu) and Nermin are desperately in love. Living in the suburbs of Istanbul, they stay one step ahead of poverty by working hard. Their only aim to get married and have a nice home. Mehmet works as a welder in a shipyard, Nermin is a manicurist in a well-known salon. They never earn enough money to realize their dream. Ender, one of Istanbul's playboys, sees Nermin and falls in love with her. Not able to realize her dreams, Nermin gets upset, drunk, and makes the biggest mistake of her life in spending the night with Ender. With no choice but to marry him, she leaves her poor life and her only real love behind to start a new life as the rich wife of Ender.
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Ezel Series (2009-2011)
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Synopsis: Omer Ucar (Kenan Imirzalioglu) is an apprentice at a neighborhood garage in Istanbul. The garage is owned by his best friend Kerpeten Ali (Baris Falay). Omer trusts Ali and his other childhood friend Cengiz far too much. Omer is in love with Eysan (Cansu Dere) and makes plans to marry her. But Ali, Cengiz and Eysan make plans that will change Omer's life in a way he never expects. Betrayed by his trusted friends and the woman he loves, Omer returns as Ezel Bayraktar to exact his revenge. (This story of revenge is based upon the book by Alexander Dumas, "The Count of Monte Cristo".)
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Karadayi ("Black Uncle") Series (2012-2015)
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Synopsis: In the 1970's, Mahir Kara (Kenan Imirzalioglu) lives with his family in Istanbul. Mahir and his father Nazif make and sell shoes in their neighborhood shop. Nazif faces the death penalty after being wrongfully accused for a murder he did not commit. Mahir takes his place as head of the family and sets out to find the real killer and prove his father's innocence. This journey draws his respectable family into a war with the criminals behind this crime. And Mahir's quest for justice is further complicated by an impossible love involving the judge who holds the fate of his father in her hands. The role of Feride, the judge, is played by Turkish actress Berguzar Korel.
Mehmed Bir Cihan Fatihi ("Mehmed the Conqueror") Series (2018)
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Synopsis: The 6-episode series follows the life of Mehmed II (Kenan Imirzalioglu) and his family and court in the mid 1450's. Mehmed was the young Sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453. It is set against the backdrop of a decaying Byzantine Empire and the expanding Ottoman Sultanate. The series features imperial power struggles, conflicted family dynamics, and palace intrigue in a broad retelling of a pivotal era in history.
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"Alef" Series (2020) -- Filming has been completed on this series. directed by award-winning director Emin Alper, with script written by Emre Kayış, and starring Kenan Imirzalioglu. It will be simultaneously screened on BluTV and FX sometime in the first half of 2020.
Synopsis:
The eight-episode series tells the story of two detectives trying to solve mysterious murders, following the discovery of a body in the Bosphorus. Ambitious detective Kemal (Kenan Ä°mirzalıoÄŸlu), his experienced partner Settar (Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan), and YaÅŸar (Melisa Sözen), a university lecturer, begin to look at a series of murders. ​The storyline carries traces of Ottoman and Islamic History and many mysterious elements. The audience will be drawn into the attempts to solve a very big puzzle.
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