Cahide Sonku

Acting · Production

Born December 27, 1916, Sana'a, Yemen

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.

Filmography

• Siyaset Meydanı — Self(archive footage)
• 1977Yeşilçam Sokağı
• 1971Mıstık
• 1968Beyaz Atlı’nın Dönüşü
• 1967Serseriler Kralı
• 1966Horse, Woman and Gun
• 1966Kovboy Ali — Cahide
• 1966The Stranger's Daughter — Saime
• 1966The Wren
• 1965Beyaz Atlı Adam
• 1965Düşman Kardeşler
• 1965Sevgim ve Gururum — Esma Hanım
• 1965Yahya Peygamber
• 1962Ayşecik Yavru Melek — Büyükanne
• 1955İlk Ve Son — Producer
• 1953A Song to Long For — Seniha, Director
• 1952Dağların Kızı
• 1952Kahpenin Kızı — Producer
• 1951Vatan ve Namık Kemal — Zekiye, Director, Writer
• 1949Fato: Ya İstiklal Ya Ölüm
• 1949The Devoted Mother — Cavidan, Director, Writer, Producer
• 1947Yuvamı Yıkamazsın
• 1946Senede Bir Gün
• 1945Yayla Kartalı — Nermin
• 1942Kıskanç
• 1940Akasya Palas — Pakize
• 1940Victim of Lust
• 1935The Girl From The Marsh Croft — Aysel
• 1933Söz Bir Allah Bir — Leyla