Mehmet Kurtulus is not only celebrating his 51st birthday today, April 27, but also the premiere of the television two-part series “Mordach – Tod in den Bergen” (April 27/29, 8:15 p.m., the first), which is well worth seeing. In the thriller, he plays an opaque Frankfurt BKA officer who is suspected of murder in the Alpine idyll… But his role as undercover investigator Cenk Batu, which he played from 2008 to 2012 in the Sunday crime series “Tatort”, is also unforgettable. In an interview with spot on news, the actor reveals what he thinks about the fact that he is still asked about it today. He also tells how he once explained the phenomenon of this extremely long-lived TV series at a US university.
Kurtulus: The “crime scene” is really something special. The first thriller in the series ran more than 50 years ago. There’s no other series in the world that has done that – that’s why I was invited to New York. It was very exciting to talk about the “crime scene” there.
Kurtulus: Among other things, I described that the “crime scene” in Germany also has documentary value. Every single film is always a snapshot – a social study that takes place in a specific, socially relevant milieu. This means that if we are curious today about what it was like on the streets of Duisburg in the early 1980s, then the Schimanski “crime scenes” of the time are a reliable source. These thrillers are never “just” entertainment, but also a document of the times.
Kurtulus: That still happens from time to time today. I feel humbled and amazed – because there were actually only six films and it’s been over ten years since the last one.
Kurtulus: On the contrary. It means I’ve been involved in something that people have enjoyed. These people like to remember it when they see me and share it with me. There really isn’t anything more beautiful.
Kurtulus: I still live in Germany. For example, I was recently in Morocco to shoot an American production. We stayed at Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate. There I was also gifted with a wide variety of experiences – which I was allowed to write in my (life) book and take home with me. In the end, home is where you laugh.
Kurtulus: That depends entirely on my guests. Pot hitting or blind man’s bluff could possibly also be on the agenda. Do you know? In any case, I think it’s a very nice birthday present.
