'Almanya - Willkommen in Deutschland,' a comedy centered on a Turkish guest worker in Germany, grossed more than $11 million at the German B.O.
BERLIN -- In Germany, Turkish-themed films are beginning to generate major box office coin even as Turkey's own cinematic output is making waves on the international stage and dominating the B.O. at home.
While Turkey is experiencing a skyrocketing ascent as a powerful emerging economy, Germany is looking back at the beginning of Turkish immigration, which helped fuel West Germany's own economic boom.
This year Germany's Turkish community is celebrating its 50th anniversary: In 1961 Germany and Turkey signed an agreement allowing guest workers to immigrate here. It's the subject at the heart of Yasemin Samdereli's "Almanya -- Willkommen in Deutschland," the second-most-successful German film of the year.
The pic, which has earned more than $11 million at the domestic box office, follows an aging patriarch who became Germany's 1,000,001st guest worker in 1964 and who returns to Turkey with his family nearly 50 years later.
The pic won a Silver Lola award for top film this year as well as the screenplay prize for Nesrin Samdereli, the director's sister, at the German Film Awards.
Greek officials met with investors from Turkey to showcase a sale of state-run assets, reflecting a reversal in the fortunes of the Mediterranean rivals as Greece faces possible financial collapse and Turkish growth rivals China’s. Officials of the Greek asset-sales agency, investment office and Foreign Ministry made presentations and held talks with Turkish businessmen in Istanbul today.
