"Çiğdem" Triumphs Across Europe: Amsterdam Zuid Representative Rocco Piers Attends Screening!

Kurtuluş Baştimar’s First Feature Film Receives Standing Ovation in the Netherlands

Making a powerful entry into European cinema, Kurtuluş Baştimar’s Çiğdem captivated audiences in the Netherlands following its grand screenings in the UK and Germany. Shown as part of the Zaans Anadolu Film Festival in Zaandam, the film became the most talked-about production of the event.

Among the honorary guests of the screening was Rocco Piers from the Amsterdam Zuid local administration. Piers was seen watching the film with great attention and gave it a standing ovation at the end. This moment was described by the audience and the film community as “one of the strongest debuts in Europe.”

With its socially conscious narrative, deep script focusing on the struggle for education in rural areas, and Baştimar’s masterful direction, Çiğdem is not just a film—it has become a symbol of resistance and hope.

Crowned with the Best Screenplay award in the UK, the film has now expanded its impact on the European cinema stage with its screening in the Netherlands. The praises directed at Baştimar prove that this film is not merely a first step, but rather the herald of a new cinematic approach.