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Martha Vonk goes Istanbul (2007)

In the Turkish city of Istanbul, hundreds of people make a living selling carpets. Whether it's on the square near the Aya Sophia, beside the Blue Mosque, or on the bridge over the Bosporus, carpet peddlers do their best to attract tourists' attention and sell their one-of-a-kind, hand-woven wares. Like many others, Ahmet spends his days schmoozing with tourists, hoping that they will buy a carpet in his store. But unlike his competition, he has a trump card in the form of his Dutch wife Martha Vonk, and his stories about her drum up a good deal of business. The tourists buy his story and come along with him, but Martha is nowhere to be seen. What's the story with this enigmatic woman? Does she really exist?

If you are visiting Istanbul and want to visit Ahmet's shop : Divanyolu Cad. Seftali Sok. No. 20, Sultanahmet / Istanbul.Next to the Sultanpub, in front of Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque.

'Martha Vonk goes to Istanbul' is a co-production of Selfmade Films with NCRV. This film was made possible with the support from the Dutch Cultural Broadcasting Fund.

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