Born in Izmir in 1934 and dying in Istanbul in 2009, Halit Refiğ was a critic and engineering student who started as Atıf Yılmaz's assistant in 1957 and made his debut as director with Yasak Aşk (1961). He was a leading advocate of a Turkish 'National Cinema' based on local forms of narrative rather than imitating Western models, and introduced TV serials to Turkey. He directed about sixty works. Gurbet Kuşları (1964), a story of migrants from the village to Istanbul, was the first film to win the best film prize at the Antalya Golden Orange festival. He won best director there again for Hanım (1988) and Karılar Koğuşu (1989).
Filmography
- Şehirdeki Yabancı (1962)
- Gurbet Kuşları (1964)
- Haremde Dört Kadın (1965)
- Hanım (1988)
- Karılar Koğuşu (1989)