| Semum | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Hasan Karacadağ |
| Written by | Hasan Karacadağ |
| Produced by | Hasan Karacadağ |
| Starring | Bigkem Karavus Burak Özçivit Kurtulus Sakiragaoglu |
| Cinematography | Seyhan Bilir |
| Music by | Justin R. Durban |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | Turkey |
| Language | Turkish |
| Budget | $1,200,000 (estimated) |
| Box office | $1,827,047 |
Semum is a 2008 Turkishhorror film produced, written and directed byHasan Karacadağ which reportedly recounts the true story of a woman who lives inİzmir,Turkey.[1]
The story is based onIslamic beliefs aboutdevils (Şeytanlar), who torment their victim. In contrast toIslamic jinn films, the movie focuses onmetaphysical evil (Satan or demons) and deals with questions regarding theexistence of God ina secular Muslim majority society, instead of social transgressions.[2]
Twenty-seven-year-old Canan (Ayça İnci) and her husband Volkan (Burak Hakkı) have just moved into a large, new house. Life seems to continue on its routine track in the young couple's new house until one day, when Canan starts feeling that strange things are happening to her although she cannot understand what or why. Canan gradually starts turning into an evil creature as a mysterious and malicious being, calledSemum, takes control of her body and actions day after day.
The first part of the movie is about Canan's life being ruined by the mysterious demon. In the second half of the movie, metaphysical questions are discussed from an Islamic perspective, regarding good, evil, God, and theDevil.[3] God is presented by aHoca, while the demons representʿAzāzīl, another name for Satan (Iblīs) in Islamic traditions.[4]
Despite similarities to the Western demon-movieThe Exorcist (1973),Hasan Karacadağ claims that his work is an independent work. Although both movies utilize Satan as an element of fear, he based his version on the traditions of Islam.[5]
Talking about the film inToday's Zaman the director argues that, "he tried to create a model of a Turco-Islamic horror film and that he would make the world recognize this model, of which he seesSemum as the first example."[1]Semum will be compared withThe Exorcist and starAyça İnci will be compared withLinda Blair, the director toldToday's Zaman, noting that the Turkish horror films made so far have been far from satisfactory.[1]
The film was shot on location inIstanbul,Turkey.[6]
The film opened in 142 screens across Turkey on February 8, 2008 (2008-02-08) at number 1 in the box office chart with an opening weekend gross of $441,665.[7]
The film was the thirteenth highest grossingTurkish film of 2008 with a total gross of $1,827,047.[7]
Todd Brown, writing forTwitch Film, notes that this film, like the director's previous hitDabbe, "once again draws on Islamic mythology and demons as its inspiration," but that, "he had a better budget to work with this time and the cinematography is a good bit better while also indulging Turkey's traditional campy edge".[8] "Cinematography and design work is dead solid and I do believe I detect notes of bothDeath Note andConstantine in the demon and hell effects," he adds.[9]