TURKISH TWIST TO WELSH DRAMA
WHY are thousands of people in Turkey tuning in to watch a new Welsh language TV drama? One reason is that two renowned Turkish actors, Memet Ali Alabora and Pinar Ogun, play leading characters in Fflam. The other is that, in something of a first, the Turkish language is spoken alongside Welsh.
For those who haven’t yet tuned in to Fflam, it’s a contemporary story that revolves around the themes of grief, romance and passion.
“The people of Turkey are very excited to watch Fflam,” said Memet Ali, who has lived in Wales for seven years now.
He added: “Surprisingly, there’s no history like this between the two languages. Most other languages have some relationship with Welsh, but not Turkish. I think it’s really exciting.”
Memet plays Deniz, the boyfriend of chef Noni (Gwyneth Keyworth).
Memet said: “I’m very passionate about Wales. If anyone asks me where I’m from, I say ‘Wales’. I was from Turkey, but now I’m from Wales.
“Deniz and I have a few things in common – we are both making a fresh start in Wales, far away from friends and family in Turkey. But for Deniz, Noni is his life. He adores her and she is the main reason he has learned Welsh.
“What motivated me to learn more than anything was my passion for the country. And also, I have so many friends who speak Welsh – it would have been absurd not to.
“The great thing about Wales is, everyone knows each other. After about five years, you are probably one person away from knowing everyone. It’s amazing, it creates that special feeling of belonging”
There will be a few scenes where Deniz talks to his sister Ekin (Pinar Ogun) in Turkish, with Welsh subtitles.
And, thanks to Pinar, who also appeared in Un Bore Mercher / Keeping Faith, the continental influence permeates even further.
Musician and composer Casi Wyn explained more: “Vox Pictures asked Sion Trefor and I to create a theme tune for Fflam. That evolved to composing an entire original score.
“Although we had the scripts and early versions of the first episodes, we were also keen to get a better understanding of Turkish music and culture. So I got in touch with Pinar, and she came back with a long list of Turkish pop and folk songs, as well as some traditional tunes.
“It’s so exciting to have both cultures featured side by side. In what is quite a dark time for the creative community, it’s also really exciting to know there are companies out there that recognise the talent within Wales and show such confidence.”
■ Fflam, Wednesdays, 9pm, S4C, English subtitles available. On demand: S4C Clic, iPlayer and other platforms. A Vox Pictures production for S4C