One of the season’s most touching dramas, Cennetin Çocukları (international title Children of Heaven), opened the first chapter of its screen journey with a grand premiere in Istanbul. The Seed, the iconic event space at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Sarıyer, hosted the warm and hopeful world of the series for one night. At eventvideom, we had the joy of immortalizing all the sincerity and elegance of the evening — from the sparkle of the red carpet to the cast’s emotional moments — through our photography and video lenses.
What is Cennetin Çocukları (Children of Heaven) about?
Produced by Motto for TRT 1, Cennetin Çocukları tells a story of hope, love and rebirth among people who have taken hard blows from life. At its center is İskender, a man who grew up on the streets, in orphanages and in prisons, and spent years as a hardened face of the underworld, whose path leads him to Arafköy — a peaceful, almost heavenly Aegean town.
In pursuit of his greatest dream, the warmth of a family table, İskender comes face to face with the trials of rebuilding himself. Weaving themes of forgiveness, compassion and second chances, the series touches the heart through its journey toward becoming a better person.
Directed by Soner Caner, the drama finds its pastoral, breathtaking atmosphere among the stone houses, olive groves and narrow streets of Ayvalık, in Balıkesir.
The cast: a meeting of masters
A leading reason for the show’s appeal is a cast that brings together experienced names of Turkish film and television — the names fans are looking for:
- İsmail Hacıoğlu — recognized by wide audiences for his performance in the acclaimed film Ayla, he leads the series as İskender, a man confronting his difficult past.
- Özgü Kaya — beloved for her role as “Türkan” in Üç Kız Kardeş (Three Sisters), she was one of the most-noticed faces of the night.
- Melisa Şenolsun — a rising star of the new generation.
- Zafer Algöz — a master actor as “Şeref,” a figure who shifts the balance of the town.
- Yurdaer Okur — an experienced actor known from productions such as Yargı and Kuruluş Osman.
- Şebnem Doğruer (Cennet Ana), Ali Düşenkalkar (Süleyman) and Eren Hacısalihoğlu (Arif) — forming the emotional backbone of the story.
This meeting of experienced actors and young talent created a warm parade of stars, both on screen and at the premiere.
A warm night at The Seed
On the shores of the Bosphorus, the elegant atmosphere of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum’s The Seed carried an intimate feeling that matched the series’ themes of hope and family warmth. As guests posed for the cameras on the red carpet, details drawn from the show’s emotional world gave the night a special touch.
While our team captured these prestigious portraits, we also documented the natural flow of the night — the cast’s candid conversations, the director and crew’s warm moments, the speeches on stage. The most valuable frames of a premiere often come in unplanned, heartfelt seconds, and capturing them takes being in the right place at the right moment.
The night, captured by eventvideom
For the Cennetin Çocukları premiere, eventvideom provided end-to-end event photography, event video and video production. With our experienced crew and multi-camera setup, we captured the red carpet and VIP portraits at press and social-media quality, produced a cinematic aftermovie, documented the speeches and stage moments, and delivered selected frames the same night.
Documenting the launch of a story as moving as Children of Heaven was a real pleasure for us.
Planning a premiere, launch or gala in Istanbul? Get in touch and let’s capture your event together.
