Taking an original hit and bringing it to the top once again in a different culture… Director Giorgos Papavassiliou spoke to Episode about his first creative decision in adapting the Turkish series Valley of Hearts (Siyah Kalp) for Greece, the biggest challenges of the project, and the modern-day “Odyssey” he set out to create for the Na M’Agapas (Love Me) audience.
Read our exclusive interviews with the cast of Love Me here.
Do you think directing an adaptation is easier or more challenging than working on an original story? And in this case, what was the most demanding part for you?
Giorgos Papavassiliou: Directing an adaptation is often more challenging than creating something original. The broadcaster, producers, and even viewers who know the original will constantly compare the adaptation to it, especially when the original has already reached such a high standard of quality. For me, the biggest challenge was matching the high standards of the original Turkish series, while working with a smaller budget, and still meeting the expectations of Alpha TV, who were big fans of the original.
On top of that, while Turkish and Greek cultures share many similarities, there were dramaturgical elements that needed to be reshaped for a Greek audience. Deciding how to adapt those aspects was also a major challenge.
After watching the Turkish version, at what point did you say to yourself, “This is how I should approach the story”? What was your first creative decision for the Greek version?
Giorgos Papavassiliou: When I was asked to adapt the Turkish series for Greek television, and after watching the wonderful work my Turkish colleagues had done, I was convinced it could also be a big hit in Greece. My first creative decision was to take the strong, emotional family drama rooted in Turkish cultural elements and merge it with Greek archetypal and psychological aspects.
When telling such an emotional story about family ties, what did you focus on visually and narratively? What kind of world did you want to present to the audience in the first episode?
Giorgos Papavassiliou: Alongside blending Turkish cultural and emotional elements -which, of course, resonate universally- with Greek archetypal and psychological traits, my main focus was to create, both visually and narratively, an Odyssey-like journey for the characters, especially the twin siblings, one that is both internal and external in nature.
How did you work with the actors on their characters? Did you give them the freedom to stay authentic, or did you prefer to guide them within a certain framework?
Giorgos Papavassiliou: I always choose to provide the actors with a clear psychological and dramaturgical guide in line with the visual and narrative needs and goals of the series. Beyond that, I’d describe my approach as being a “democratic dictator.”
How do you think this story will resonate with Greek audiences? And in adapting it to a local context, which themes did you want to emphasize most?
Giorgos Papavassiliou: My focus is the same as the Turkish version: a powerful, highly emotional family drama, but with a little more psychological depth. I’m confident we’ll achieve great results in Greece, and that the series will be a hit.
