Netflix’s second original Turkish series “Atiye” is adapted from the novel “Dünya’nın Uyanışı” (Awakening of the World) by Şengül Boybaş. Writer Boybaş talks about the birth of the character “Atiye”.
She said that the beginning of the story was 2015, there was a strong instinct that directed her to Göbekli Tepe and the coincidences that she faced made her write this book. Göbekli Tepe was the thin curtain between death and birth. Although the top was covered with soil, it was watching over the area. When you look at Göbekli Tepe from where the tree is standing you can see the flow of the energy. It is like a door between sky and earth. She added when she experienced this, she could not interpret that and searched for a meaning. The periods developing afterwards brought the miracle. She said the book “Dünya’nın Uyanışı” and “Atiye” were the physical responses of these miracles.
Talking about the month December that brought her luck, “There is Atiye in everybody. Just push the right notes when playing the life song. I went to Göbekli Tepe in December 2015, my book was released in December 2018 and Atiye was broadcasted in December 2019. This is why the month December is lucky for me. Atiye is the character that I fictionalize in my inner world, the story is based on my real world. She has features like me or unlike me but the inner voice that questions the life is common. “Who am I?” “Why I am here?” “What’s my real aim?” and the most important is “What is life?”
Shotlist:
1. The writer Şengül Boybaş working in her office
2. The writer Şengül Boybaş talking about her book
3. Scenes from the trailer of the series “Atiye”
4. The fictional characters of the series printed on paper
5. A close-up shot of the book cover
Soundbytes:
0:00:05 When I first visited Göbekli Tepe, the atmosphere there made me write this book. When you go to Göbekli Tepe, an energy center, an energy area welcomes you there. There are ruins there which once had used over a thousand years and then covered by soil, tons of soil. I started thinking intensely after my visit there, I had thought of it for days, 24/7, I I fell asleep thinking about it and woke up thinking about it, I hugged the stele which I bought there, I thought a lot. 0:00:38
0:00:39 With all these in mind, I created Atiye to investigate and learn about all these. When you create a character, you first look at yourself, you both have similarities but also you have many contrasts. Because your character may have the courage to do what you can’t, may be able to sprint along a path where you can’t run, may be able to feel courageously what you can’t feel. Atiye is a messenger, a messenger that delivers messages to humanity. 0:01:14
0:01:15 And I believe that most people are messengers. Everybody experiences awakening in some way and wants to deliver this awakening to others, for example you are Atiye, I am Atiye, Aunt Ayşe is Atiye, Rachel is Atiye, Sarah is Atiye, Victoria is Atiye, everybody is Atiye. 0:01:38
0:01:39 The dress really fits Beren Saat very well, she did a successful job, a satisfying work, God bless them, I applaud them. 0:01:50
0:02:06 Before the steles were disvovered at Göbekli Tepe, there was a tree up there, women went there for praying in order to have children, women who had difficulties having children, there was a cult of birth there. During the excavation work, we also witness that there is also a cult of death. You can see this very thin curtain between birth and death there. My first visit to Göbekli Tepe was one week earlier than the New Year, it was December, my book was released in December and Atiye was released in December, this is really divine. 0:02:41
0:02:42 Netflix has a different understanding of broadcasting policy. They have a system. I do not want to interfere in what they are doing as a writer. Why? Because when you interfere, you will be the one dressing the character, directing the production. There are many different visions there. Both in scenerio team and the production team. 0:03:19
0:03:20 I felt very happy when I saw the result. Why? Because people got it right what it was all about. They have a fair approach, they don’t hurt anybody, they don’t ignore anybody, they don’t marginalize anybody, they give the context on an equal base. 0:03:40
0:03:43 You are unable to deliver the literary conversation by simplifying it, novel is like this, but in the scenario, they simplify the context, they make it more understandable, they directly transfer the message, I think this is very nice, nice 0:04:02
0:04:12 We are getting demands for the English translation, some for Spanish and some for German. “Don’t you have a German version? Don’t you have an English one?” We are getting many messages. We are in the process of negotiations with UK and Germany, it would be nice if it is translated. Everybody can know about it, we all speak the language of favour. When I finished writing “Dünya’nın Uyanışı” (Awakening of the World), I thought about from which publication house it would be released, would it be a series or a film or a book or a play, I thought about it a lot. 0:04:46
0:04:47 I have a friend who I love and value very much, she is one of the scenario writers of the series, Nuran Evren Şit. As she knew about it, she told me that Şengül this piece could be adapted for a series and I said yes it could be but how? She said “Let us put the energy and wait as it comes.” Including the production team, the casting and scenario team, this work made up of the strength of women. You know as women we are very interested in unknown things and they attract us very much, as men are more realistic they might think what is this, what is happening here, I don’t understand, but we create a world that will also be loved by men. 0:05:41