Inside Secret of Pearls

The cast of the Turkish drama Secret of Pearls takes TV Drama Weekly behind the scenes.

In the Turkish drama Secret of Pearls, Azem, once a beloved literature teacher with a happy life, finds everything upended when he’s imprisoned for murdering his wife—a crime he didn’t commit. The series, produced by BKM for Kanal D and sold globally by Kanal D International, debuted earlier this year to much success.

Screenwriter Yılmaz Erdoğan, who also stars, said that it was the concept of sacrifice that he wanted to play off of. “I was captivated by the relationship between love and sacrifice,” he says. “My hero took the blame for someone else’s crime and spent ten years in prison because of it. I wanted to think and write about the reasons and consequences of that. This man was a wise man, a teacher and a relic of an older moral code in modern times.”

He also highlights the concept of family and the fragile, thread-thin bonds between family members. “People are like precious pearls, but the thread that brings them together into a necklace is fragile,” Erdoğan says. “Once that thread breaks, can it ever be mended the way it was before?”

Co-star Selma Ergeç says she was impressed with the script right from the start, “especially the beautifully crafted dialogue.” She adds that a good story may seem local, but it is actually universal. “Secret of Pearls raises questions about humanity. It delves into how what appears on the surface can be so different from the underlying reality. Like life, tragedy and comedy are intertwined.”

For co-star Hazar Ergüçlü, it was “the flow of the script and the depth of the characters, how close they feel to reality,” that was the attraction. “Looking at the characters, we fully see human nature. There’s a part of all of us in each of them. I think this is what makes the series universal. Everyone who watches it finds a piece of themselves.”

Kubilay Aka, co-star, agrees that the international appeal lies in the “deep and universal themes about human nature.” He adds, “It’s a local production that also addresses real societal issues. Yılmaz developed a narrative in the series that carries elements of both Turkish culture and universal human experiences. Themes such as family ties, love and pain born from loss are universal, allowing viewers from all over the world to find themselves in the story.”

The project was a departure for Erdoğan, though. “Before this, I mostly made films. I only worked on one sitcom series, which became a phenomenon and introduced me to the public, for seven years, writing and acting in it. I’ve worked on some dramatic films, but this is the first time I’m writing a long-format television series. The structure of this dramedy (a dramatic story that doesn’t forget the ironic, contradictory and humorous details of life) is different from anything else I’ve done. Since we’re essentially shooting a 140-minute film every week, as is common in our country, it’s different in every aspect. While it’s exhausting, when you manage to reach the audience, it brings immense joy. As more people connect with it, the story and the project take on greater meaning.”

Erdoğan also speaks to the appeal of Turkish dramas in the global market. “It’s a multi-faceted issue, both in terms of content and storytelling,” he says. “But the main reason is that women, particularly in daytime slots around the world, have shown a strong interest in large-scale, well-crafted productions that convey emotions to the audience. The reason for this interest is that they’ve grown to love our storytelling and style. They believe in our love stories, conflicts and so on. The impact of star actors on audiences has also helped create a lasting viewer base. What makes a story is conflict. People around the world have found our conflicts relatable. If our conflicts are similar, then our lives are too.”

There’s also an excellence in production quality, adds Ergeç. “We have people who can work at a global level in every area of the industry. We’re fast, and now we have a black belt in problem-solving. Additionally, we produce work in a broad spectrum of genres. However, I believe the Turkish film and TV industry has the potential to achieve much more.”

Ergüçlü agrees that the production quality of Turkish dramas shines through. “From the decor to the setting, costumes and editing, each aspect receives a lot of effort, attention to detail and quality.”

Aka, meanwhile, puts it down to the universal themes and strong characters. “Turkish series integrate local cultural touches with effective storytelling, attracting the interest of viewers. This enables Turkish dramas to reach a wide audience.”