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Cahide Sonku

Acting Born Dec 27, 1916 Sana'a, Yemen 24 credits

Biography

Cahide Sonku (27 December 1912 – 18 March 1981) was a Turkish actress, model, writer and the first female film director in Turkey. Sonku was the founder of her own movie production company, Sonku Film, in 1950. Sonku' first theater and cinema experience was during her secondary school education. She was accepted into Darülbedayi when she was only 16 years old, and in time she took her place among the most popular actors of Istanbul City Theatres. She started acting with "Seven Village Zeynebi" first at the People's Houses Theater, then at the Istanbul Municipality Conservatory, and then at Darülbedayi (1932-City Theaters), discovered by Muhsin Ertuğrul who was an important figure in Sonku's career.

Sonku founded the production company "Sonku Film" in 1950 and however went bankrupt in 1963 due to a fire that burned down the company building. She continued working at the City Theater through Muhsin Ertuğrul's influence, then left and struggled with alcohol addiction in the last years of her life.

Sonku received the Turkish Film Critics Association service award in 1979 and died in 1981 at the Alkazar Cinema in Istanbul, at the age of 61. She was buried in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. Cahide Sonku Prize is awarded in her memory at the annual Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.

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Known for

Film

A Song to Long For

as Seniha

Full filmography

  • Siyaset Meydanı (1994) as Self(archive footage)
  • A Song to Long For (1953) as Seniha
  • Kovboy Ali (1966) as Cahide
  • Yahya Peygamber (1965)
  • Mıstık (1971)
  • Yayla Kartalı (1945) as Nermin
  • Düşman Kardeşler (1965)
  • Söz Bir Allah Bir (1933) as Leyla
  • Kıskanç (1942)
  • Vatan ve Namık Kemal (1951) as Zekiye
  • Beyaz Atlı’nın Dönüşü (1968)
  • Fato: Ya İstiklal Ya Ölüm (1949)
  • The Girl From The Marsh Croft (1934) as Aysel
  • Ayşecik Yavru Melek (1962) as Büyükanne
  • Beyaz Atlı Adam (1965)
  • Dağların Kızı Ruhsar (1952)
  • Senede Bir Gün (1946)
  • İlk Ve Son (1955)
  • Yeşilçam Sokağı (1977)
  • The Stranger's Daughter (1966) as Saime
  • Victim of Lust (1940)
  • The Devoted Mother (1949) as Cavidan
  • The Wren (1966)
  • Sevgim ve Gururum (1965) as Esma Hanım