Special Documentary from Istanbul Governorship for the 100th Anniversary of the Great Victory
30.08.2023
For the 100th anniversary of the August 30 Victory Day, the Governorship of Istanbul prepared an emotionally charged documentary titled "The Great Offensive - Kara Ali Sergeant and his son Mehmet". Based on a true life story, the documentary was shot in Konya, Istanbul and Kütahya. Directed by Mesut Gengeç, the documentary is based on the epic story of Kara Ali Sergeant from Çetmili and his son Corporal Mehmet, who was the Regiment Standard Bearer during the August 30 Great Offensive.
The Great Offensive, which took place in Dumlupınar on August 30, 1922, under the command of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, went down in history in golden letters as a great victory in which a nation showed the spirit of unity and solidarity to the whole world.
One of the heroes who rushed to the front in this unprecedented heroic epic was Kara Ali Sergeant from Çetmili.
Martyred in His Son's Arms
In 1912, Kara Ali left his village Çetmi in Konya to join the Balkan War, leaving behind his wife Gülsüm, son Mehmet (8) and daughter Hatice (4). In World War 1, Kara Ali Sergeant, who served in Galicia, Hejaz, Yemen and Caucasus fronts, lost an arm in these wars; while running from front to front, he lost contact with his family.
When the War of Independence began, Kara Ali Çavuş, who was stationed on the Eastern Front, was a soldier of the 15th Corps under the command of Kazım Karabekir, the only army that was not demobilized. As the Turkish Army was preparing for the Great Offensive, Afyon Kocatepe witnessed an unprecedented meeting in the history of world warfare.
Cpl. Mehmet, the son of Kara Ali Sergeant from Çetmili, had also enlisted for his patriotic duty; 10 years later, before the Great Offensive, father and son met at the front. However, only 5 days after this meeting, on August 31, 1922, Kara Ali Sergeant from Çetmili was martyred in the arms of his son. Corporal Mehmet was among the first troops to enter Izmir and he was martyred in front of Izmir on Saturday, September 9, 1922.
Prepared with Detailed Archive Study
The Governorship of Istanbul presented this emotional story of heroism in a documentary prepared for the 100th anniversary of the August 30 Victory Day. Costume, space and art works reflecting the atmosphere of the period were carried out for the documentary, which was shot after a detailed archive work. The documentary was directed by Mesut Gengeç, with Prof. Dr. Ergun Yolcu as concept consultant, Prof. Vahdettin Engin as history consultant and Muammer Karadeniz as project coordinator.
The script was written by Bülent Günal and the music of the production was composed by Yıldıray Gürgen. The documentary, in which Kerim Aydemir played Kara Ali Sergeant from Çetmili, Batuhan Uygun played his son Corporal Mehmet and Zehra Güneş played his wife Gülsüm, gave the audience moments full of emotion.
#30AğustosZaferBayramı'mızın
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) August 30, 2022
100. yılı anısına hazırladığımız🇹🇷
“Büyük Taarruz-Çetmili Kara Ali Çavuş ve Oğlu Mehmet” belgeselimiz,🇹🇷
duygu yüklü gerçek bir kahramanlık hikâyesini anlatıyor📽️🇹🇷
İşte filmimizin linki🎞️🇹🇷
👇👇👇https://t.co/SptHQO9ys7
