"Give Me A Reason To Believe That Art Can Change The World": Fatih Akin Talks Festival Politics, Digital Vs. 35mm & More

It’s been quite a year for Fatih Akin. The noted Turkish-German filmmaker's Armenian genocide film “The Cut” hit cinemas, after much ado last year about whether the film would premiere at Cannes or Venice. The historical drama is his biggest film to date, and the third installment in his "Love, Death and the Devil Trilogy," accompanying previous installments “Head-On” and “The Edge of Heaven.” “The Cut” was met with mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office, but Akin shows no signs of letting that slow him down. 

In Morocco for the Marrakech International Film Festival, where he is presenting a masterclass, Akin was candid and reflective on the challenges he faced with “The Cut” and on the future of his career. There’s been an air of questioning throughout the festival, as jury members, guests and filmmakers have contemplated the recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, attempting to make sense of the senseless violence amongst the beauty and warm...