Born in Istanbul in 1941 and dying there in 2009, Zeki Ökten started as an assistant director in 1961 and directed his first film in 1963. He worked as an assistant for about nine years under Ömer Lütfi Akad, Halit Refiğ, Memduh Ün and Atıf Yılmaz, and became recognised in the 1970s with social comedies and dramas. Kapıcılar Kralı (1976) won him the Golden Orange for best director in 1977, and Faize Hücum (1982) in 1983. Sürü (The Herd, 1979), written by Yılmaz Güney, then in prison, won prizes at Locarno and Antwerp. Düşman (1979) and Pehlivan (1984) won honourable mentions at Berlin.
Filmography
- Kapıcılar Kralı (1976)
- Sürü (1979)
- Düşman (1979)
- Faize Hücum (1982)
- Pehlivan (1984)