The filmmakers initially planned to shoot the movie in 2019, but this was delayed due to casting problems followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, Serenay Sarikaya was accepted to play Bergen, but due to shooting delays, she decided not to be involved in the movie.[1] Following Sarikaya's withdrawal, Farah Zeynep Abdullah accepted the role of Bergen. Production had to be completed in secret due to death threats against the producers.[2]
The film's release in Turkey earned over US$10 million. By 29 July, it had become the eight-highest grossing domestic feature film in the country.[3] Its release throughout West Asia also found widespread success, earning US$4.8 million between 16 June and 22 July[update], and it was described as the most successful Turkish film in the region.[4][5]Bergen was also the first Turkish movie to be released in Saudi Arabia.[6]
Following its release, Halis Serbest, the murderer of Bergen, filed defamation lawsuits against the film's creators. In response to this and other threats, the opening gala in Istanbul had to be protected by riot police. The mayor of Kozan, where Serbest lives, banned showings of the film on the basis of being inappropriate for children; however, major Turkish cinema associations and unions condemned this decision and claimed it has actually been done to appease Serbest.[2][7]
Reception
In Turkey, the film was seen as an exploration and condemnation of violence against women and femicide in the country.[3] This was partly attributed to purposeful decisions made in the film, such as refusing to show Bergen's murderer as a "fully realised character" but rather a stand-in for the perpetrators of patriarchal violence, with his name only being shown once during the end credits. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, stated that "Everyone who rejects violence against women must watch this film" and used it to advocate for Turkey's return to the Istanbul Convention.[2]
