Semum

Lore & Background

The film follows twenty-seven-year-old Canan (Ayça İnci) and her husband Volkan (Burak Hakkı), who have just moved into a large, new house. Canan gradually starts turning into an evil creature as a mysterious and malicious being called Semum takes control of her body. The first part of the movie depicts Canan's life being ruined by the demon; the second half discusses metaphysical questions from an Islamic perspective regarding good, evil, God, and the Devil. God is presented by a Hoca, while the demons represent ʿAzāzīl, another name for Satan (Iblīs) in Islamic traditions.

Reader's Guide

Semum is significant as an early example of a Turco-Islamic horror film, a model director Hasan Karacadağ claimed he would make the world recognize. The film opened at number 1 in the Turkish box office on February 8, 2008, grossing $441,665 in its opening weekend across 142 screens, and became the thirteenth highest grossing Turkish film of 2008. Despite similarities to The Exorcist (1973), Karacadağ asserted his work is independent, basing his version on Islamic traditions. Critics noted improved cinematography and design compared to his previous film Dabbe, with influences from Death Note and Constantine. The film was shot on location in Istanbul, Turkey.

Did You Know?

• The film reportedly recounts the true story of a woman living in İzmir, Turkey.
• Director Hasan Karacadağ described Semum as the first example of a Turco-Islamic horror film model.
• The claim that the film opened at number 1 in the Turkish box office on February 8, 2008, is not supported by widely available, reliable box office data.