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This week at TIFF begins a retrospective of the work of Turkish filmmaker Yilmaz Güney. He was one of Turkey’s greatest stars and directors, and this retrospective, entitled The Way Home, includes screenings from both areas of his talents.

Güney’s life was as fascinating as his films, and he spent half of it in Turkish prisons for his leftest politics and support of Kurdish nationalism. The films being screened for this retrospective are a small sampling of his filmmaking efforts, but “are an important testament to how filmmakers and artists have had to figure out ways to create and persevere amidst difficult political climates and how they’ve faced censorship and oppression.”

The Way Home: The Films of Turkish Master Yilmaz Güney begins on January 26 and runs until February 5 at TIFF Bell Lightbox (at the corner of King and John Streets). For all the details and showtimes, please visit the TIFF website, where you can also read critic and TIFF programmer James Quandt’s essay on Güney’s life and work.