Cahide Sonku

Biography

Cahide Sonku (27 December 1912 – 18 March 1981) was a Turkish actress, model, writer and the first female film director in Turkey. Sonku was the founder of her own movie production company, Sonku Film, in 1950. Sonku' first theater and cinema experience was during her secondary school education. She was accepted into Darülbedayi when she was only 16 years old, and in time she took her place among the most popular actors of Istanbul City Theatres. She started acting with "Seven Village Zeynebi" first at the People's Houses Theater, then at the Istanbul Municipality Conservatory, and then at Darülbedayi (1932-City Theaters), discovered by Muhsin Ertuğrul who was an important figure in Sonku's career. Sonku founded the production company "Sonku Film" in 1950 and however went bankrupt in 1963 due to a fire that burned down the company building. She continued working at the City Theater through Muhsin Ertuğrul's influence, then left and struggled with alcohol addiction in the last years of her life. Sonku received the Turkish Film Critics Association service award in 1979 and died in 1981 at the Alkazar Cinema in Istanbul, at the age of 61. She was buried in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. Ca…

Movies & TV Shows

1. The Wren (1966)
2. The Girl From The Marsh Croft (1934) — Aysel
3. A Song to Long For (1953) — Seniha
4. Victim of Lust (1940)
5. Ayşecik Yavru Melek (1962) — Büyükanne
6. The Stranger's Daughter (1966) — Saime
7. Serseriler Kralı (1967)
8. Mıstık (1971)
9. Siyaset Meydanı (1994) — Self(archive footage)
10. Akasya Palas (1940) — Pakize
11. Yahya Peygamber (1965)
12. Kıskanç (1942)
13. Senede Bir Gün (1946)
14. Yayla Kartalı (1945) — Nermin
15. The Devoted Mother (1949) — Cavidan
16. Sevgim ve Gururum (1965) — Esma Hanım
17. Vatan ve Namık Kemal (1951) — Zekiye
18. Yuvamı Yıkamazsın (1947)
19. Kovboy Ali (1966) — Cahide
20. Horse, Woman and Gun (1966)
21. Düşman Kardeşler (1965)
22. Beyaz Atlı Adam (1965)
23. Fato: Ya İstiklal Ya Ölüm (1949)
24. Söz Bir Allah Bir (1933) — Leyla
25. İlk Ve Son (1955)
26. Yeşilçam Sokağı (1977)
27. Dağların Kızı Ruhsar (1952)
28. Beyaz Atlı’nın Dönüşü (1968)

Directed

1. A Song to Long For (1953) — Director
2. The Devoted Mother (1949) — Director
3. Vatan ve Namık Kemal (1951) — Director