Colony Republic (Film)

Kolonya Republic is a Turkish comedy film released in 2020 and directed by Murat Kepez. The film belongs to the absurdist comedy genre and offers a humorous perspective on Türkiye’s social and political structure. The screenplay, written by Eray Akyamaner, Uğur Güvercin, Murat Kepez, Ayberk Sak, Sıla Çetindağ, and Şükrü Özbey, critiques contemporary events in Türkiye while aiming to entertain audiences with amusing characters.

Kolonya Republic features a narrative built on an absurdist comedic structure. The film humorously portrays chaotic political conditions within the country. Director Murat Kepez makes various allusions to Türkiye’s social fabric, while each character represents individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds, eliciting laughter from the audience. The central storyline revolves around the fictional establishment of a state called the Kolonya Republic. The relationships between its founders, presidents, and other officials are comically used to critique the paradoxical aspects of Türkiye’s social and political system. As the country’s population confronts the absurd governance and system of this “Republic,” the film presents humorous chaos, sometimes rooted in politics and other times in familial dynamics.

• Çağlar Çorumlu – Peker Mengen
• Büsra Pekin – Mualla/Ajan Smith
• Mahir İpek – Hilmi
• Uğur Bilgin – Bahtiyar
• Ersin Korkut – Salih
• Gülhan Tekin – Macide
• Öner Ateş – Ümit
• Patrycja Widlak – Buse
• Hakan Ummak – Faruk
• Hamza Yazıcı – Alien Yasin
• Malcolm Keith Kay – American President
• Ali Fuat Onan – Payidar Dayı
• Yuri Ryadchenko – Russian President
• Esther Arzik – Russian First Lady
• Cemil Özbek – Chinese President
• Serkan Atar – Commander Cemal
• Naim Karaman – Behçet
• Aykut Ispir – Young Man at Kübitak
• Erdoğan Kolçak – Mertcan Üreten
• Gamze Yılmaz – History Teacher
• Kutay Avcı – Muzaffer
• Mehmet Aytekin Akkoca – Suat Usta

The film’s extensive cast presents comedic perspectives representing diverse social classes and character types.

The production of Kolonya Republic stands out as one of Türkiye’s significant contributions to the comedy and absurdist drama genres. Director Murat Kepez chose to convey social criticism through humor and co-wrote the screenplay with multiple authors. The film was released in Türkiye on 12 December 2020 and distributed by UIP Türkiye. Produced under the leadership of Necati Akpınar and Zumrut Arol Bekce, the film addresses current political issues in Türkiye with a humorous tone, offering audiences a broad spectrum of comedic situations.

The film achieved moderate box office success in Türkiye. According to Box Office Türkiye data, the film generated approximately ₺5,230,400 in box office revenue after its release. However, no definitive information is available regarding its budget. This level of box office performance indicates that the film resonated with a wide audience, reflecting its alignment with Türkiye’s sense of humor and its political allusions.