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Türkiye and Indonesia have signed a cooperation agreement to co-produce a historical feature film inspired by the centuries-old ties between the Ottoman Empire and the Indonesian archipelago.
The memorandum of understanding for the film, titled "Kizil Baharat – Denizin Yetimleri" in Turkish, was signed at the Jakarta Film Summit 2026, held Oct. 20-21 in the Indonesian capital.
The agreement is between the Jakarta Film Commission and Türkiye’s Kutay Film. It covers filming logistics, local production resources, coordination of technical crews and the selection of shooting locations.
The film will be marketed as "Rempah Merah" in Indonesian and is expected to carry the international title "Bloody Spicy." About 70% of the shooting is planned for Indonesia and 30% for Türkiye.
Combining historical drama, war and adventure, the film is set in the 17th century and draws on relations between the Ottoman Empire and the Sultanate of Aceh, as well as other parts of Nusantara, the historical name for the Indonesian archipelago.
It will explore the spice trade routes, struggles during the colonial era, and the quest for freedom.
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Director and screenwriter İskender Bingol, who developed the project, said the film is also intended to explore themes of love, sacrifice, brotherhood, justice and liberty.
Plans call for historic ports and naval battles to be brought to the screen through a mix of live-action footage and visual effects.
The Turkish cast will include Elif Tayhan, Ekrem Emir Kaltar, Ziya Cakir, Burak Ari, Enes Bingol, İsmet Catalkaya, Onurhan Demir, Vefa Taylan and Emir Soylu.
Producers hope to assemble an international ensemble that includes Indonesian actors, and talks are planned with well-known figures from Hollywood.
The film’s producers include Bingol, Savas Ugurlu, Mustafa Basusta, Ali Korkmaz, Tri Ratnaningsih and Tayfun Evren. On the Turkish side, the work is being carried out by Kutay Film and Tamga Film, in cooperation with industry representatives in Indonesia.
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