Turkish Biopic ‘Bergen,’ About Pop Singer Blinded With Acid and Slain by Husband, Breaks Box Office Records With Arab Moviegoers
variety.comNick Vivarelli International CorrespondentA Turkish biopic about 1980s pop singer Bergen, who grappled with a violent husband that hired someone to pour nitric acid on her face and later shot and killed her, is becoming a sleeper box office hit across West Asia.The potent female empowerment film, titled “Bergen,” follows the singer’s meteoric rise from cello player to becoming Turkey’s “Queen of Arabesque,” all while struggling with a partner hellbent on sabotaging her career.
The pic is helmed by Turkish directorial duo Caner Alper and Mehmet Binay, who are known for works driven by civil liberties and gender issues such as the 2015 drama “Drawers,” about a teenage girl’s sexuality.Upon grossing a substantial $10 million-plus intake at Turkish cinemas, “Bergen” is now scoring brisk box office returns across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon and Oman.
The pic has drawn more than 300,000 admissions and made more than $4.8 million in these territories since its June 16 release.
Ticket sales have jumped after lacklustre opening week admissions of just over 15,000 grew to more than 107,000 during the film’s third week, and continue to perform well.
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