The story of "Mercedes Kadir," also known as Fatih Kaydı, a 36-year-old man who spent his days believing a stick was a car, and passed away on April 18, 2020, is being portrayed on the big screen. The film will showcase the relationship between the people of the city, who embraced and respected him, offering him tea and making way for his '"car" at traffic lights.
Residing in Tecde Neighborhood, a district of Yeşilyurt, Fatih Kaydı, known as "Mercedes Kadir" by everyone in the city, used to roam from neighborhood to neighborhood with his approximately 3-meter long, 10-kilogram wooden stick decorated with various objects, including the Mercedes logo, which he believed was a car.
Walking kilometers every day with his stick, "Mercedes Kadir" became a sort of mascot for Malatya. People from the city showed him great respect, offering him tea and making way for his '"car" at traffic lights. His bond with the stick he believed to be a car was so strong that almost everyone in the city had a special affection for "Mercedes Kadir."
"This relationship is one of the forgotten values in our society."
Director Serdar Akar, who will adapt Mercedes Kadir's story for the cinema, stated that he was impressed when he received the script written by Gökhan Demirci.
Akar expressed that they were going to bring Mercedes Kadir's story to the big screen and said:
"What impressed me was the society's interest in extraordinary individuals, their ability to live together, to sustain life with them, and to engage in mutual relationships with them. Whether they are shopkeepers or from other walks of life... In my childhood, there were such kind-hearted people, and we had many interactions with them, but now, you don't see it as much. It's due to the changes in society. These things are not as common as they used to be, just like many other things... This relationship is one of the forgotten values in our society. These relationships also indicate the advancement of a society. Also, the benevolence of Kadir being portrayed in the script and how his benevolence had lead to a child's recovery were also essential to me."
"The pains of an earthquake are not easily forgotten."
Akar shared that he had heard Kadir's story from many people and expressed that he felt he was a special and auspicious individual.
Regarding the comedy film, Akar mentioned his hope that it would bring a little smile to the faces of the people in the city affected by the earthquakes on February 6th. He stated, "The pains of an earthquake are not easily forgotten; wounds are not easily healed, and it's not something that will pass so easily. Even if just a bit, by reminding us of the past, maybe we can alleviate some of it, but we know that it is something unforgettable, not something to be forgotten easily. Hopefully, we will do our best and come out of it with our heads held high."
