Türkisch für Anfänger Film Review: Painful School Theater on Arte

The German film adaptation of the popular TV series "Türkisch für Anfänger" is airing on Arte on September 2 and will be available in the Arte Mediathek until October 1. Directed and written by Bora Dagtekin, the creator of the original series that ran from 2006 to 2008, the film attempts to reboot the story by stranding the characters on a deserted island. The cast includes Josefine Preuß as Lena, Elyas M'Barek as Cem, Pegah Ferydoni as Yağmur, and Katja Riemann. The review criticizes the film for failing to translate the series' charm to the big screen, calling it an embarrassing school theater production. The critic, Volker Sievert, argues that Dagtekin misunderstands the differences between TV and film, resulting in a movie filled with crude jokes and overacting. The review is published on kulturnews.de, a German culture news website.