Merve Dizdar has won the Best Actress award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival for her teacher role in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses.” She became the first Turkish actress winning the award.
Turkey’s Merve Dizdar on May 27 won the Best Actress award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival for her role as a teacher in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest “About Dry Grasses.”
In her acceptance speech at the prestigious festival, 36-year-old Dizdar dedicated the award to “all my sisters who… take action to strengthen the struggle of women, who risk everything and never give up hope no matter what, and all fighting spirits waiting to experience the good days they deserve in Turkey.”
“My character Nuray is a woman who struggles for her beliefs and existence and has to pay a price for this cause. I would like to work for a long time to get to know and understand her, but unfortunately, being a woman in the geography I live requires knowing the feelings of Nuray by heart since the day I was born,” she said.
After hearing that she won the best actress award, Dizdar seemed surprised. She became the first Turkish actress winning the award.
Ceylan’s 197 minute-long “About Dry Grasses” focuses on a young art teacher Samet hoping to be appointed to Istanbul after his mandatory duty at a small village. Samet’s life changes after he meets another teacher Nuray, played by Merve Dizdar.
Film critics praised the movie and the acting skills of Dizdar. Peter Bradshaw on Guardian said, “Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s garrulous, densely considered drama About Dry Grasses was another of his absorbing and Chekhovian works; it was given a particular fierceness by Merve Dizdar, who wins best actress as a disabled woman Nuray, whom the conceited male lead — a teacher in trouble for an inappropriate relationship with a pupil — has got his eye on. She radiates a kind of wounded intelligence and shrewd scepticism, amounting to contempt, for the male world in which she is surrounded, and the men who appear to be interested in her.”
Who is Merve Dizdar?
Born on June 25, 1986, she hails from Izmir. She embarked on her acting journey at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Fine Arts, where she honed her craft and obtained a degree in acting. Following her graduation, she further polished her skills by earning a master’s degree in acting from Kadir Has University in Turkey.
Merve’s passion for acting led her to join esteemed theatre companies such as Semaver and Craft Theatre. Here, she showcased her talent on stage, captivating audiences with her performances and earning recognition for her exceptional abilities.
Making her cinematic debut in Bir Ses Böler Geceyi, Merve began to make her mark in the world of television and film. She secured recurring roles in popular series such as Kavak Yelleri, Geniş Aile, and Bir Yastıkta, gaining attention and acclaim for her acting skills. Notably, her breakthrough role in the series Beş Kardeş garnered critical acclaim, solidifying her standing as an actor.
In 2020, Merve’s talent was recognized with the prestigious Golden Butterfly Award – an annual Turkish music and television award held since 1972 – for best actress.