ÜMMİYE KOÇAK

Ümmiye Koçak who was born in Çelemli Village of Adana in 1957 as one of the ten siblings in her family and therefore did not have the opportunity to study beyond elementary although she wanted to pursue a higher level of education. However, that did not prevent her self-development through books. The first book she read was “Mother” by Maksim Gorki.

Moving to Arslanköy, a mountain village in Mersin, after she got married, she used a unqiue way to share with the outside world the experience of village women: setting up a theater ensemble of village women in 2001, “Arslanköy Women’s Theater Ensemble”.

The first play staged by the ensemble was “Taş Bademleri” by Remzi Özçelik. Next, they compiled their stories to produce a play called “Kadının Feryadı” (The Wialing of a Woman”. Ümmiye Koçak took the stage at the Sabancı International Adana Theater Festival in 2006 with the play “Hasret Çiçekleri”.

Saving the money she made working on the fields, she wrote the screenplay of the movie “Yün Bebek” (Cotton Doll) and directed it. Her movie debut, which made its premier at the 49th Antalya Altın Portakal Film Festival brought Koçak the award “Best Eurasian Femal Artist in Movie” at the New York Eurasian Film Festival.

Ümmiye Koçak, 57, married for 32 years and mother of three wrote 11 plays. She performed 500 times on stage with the Arslanköy Women’s Theater Ensemble”, drawing about 30 thousand viewers to the theaters across Turkey.

PLAYS AUTHORED

Erik Eşkisi

Ozon Tapakası

Kara Kuyu

Doktor Beleş

Turunçgil Hayattır

Çiçekler Solmasın

Hasret Çiçekleri



TV SERIES

İstanbul

Hanımn Çiftliği

Hayat Devam Ediyor

Kasaba

Seher Vakti



AWARDS

Adana International Theater Festival

Ankara International Theater Festival

Enterpreurship Award by Darüşşafaka Educational Institutions

Award at the Bornova International Festival for Female Artists

Support to Education Award by Toros College

Award by the NGOs (KADER) for Campaigning Against Violence Against Women

The Art Award of the Year by MESİAD, Mersin Association of Industrialists and Businessmen

Award for Support of 2012 School for Mothers project by TIKAV

Enterpreneurship Award by the Samsun NGO

New York Eurasian Film Festival: Best Female Artist in Movie



STORIES

Yün Bebek (full-length film feature)

Vatan Sevgisi

Irazcanın Düşleri

Kanayan Yara

Kader

Obruk

Ayaksız Ayakta Durmak

Baba Ben Geldim

Muhtar Adayı Hasret Ana