New Year’s Restored Classics: A Cinema Ritual That Deepens with Time

Cinema

New Year’s Restored Classics: A Cinema Ritual That Deepens with Time

27 December 2025 Saturday, 14:00

At Kundura Sinema, the final days of the year close with two timeless films from the history of cinema.

As we await a new year, we gather for restored classics that we remember anew every year and whose meaning deepens with every viewing.

It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas trace a fine threshold between loneliness and solidarity, between despair and the desire to begin again.

Bringing together the dramatic depth and the musical splendor of classic American cinema, these two films give the holiday season a cinematic expression in both form and feeling.

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Event is Over

USE OF THE VENUE

By presenting your ticket, you may enter Beykoz Kundura 2 hours before the screening, enjoy our food and drink areas, and visit the Kundura’s Memory: A World Fit into a Factory exhibition with a free reservation.

Please note that your event ticket/reservation does not grant access to the film studios located within Beykoz Kundura, and we kindly ask that you do not leave the designated area.

Photography with a professional camera is not permitted without written permission. We kindly ask that you hand over your recording devices at the security point at the Beykoz Kundura entrance.

CINEMA

The certified ventilation systems at Kundura Sinema run on 100% fresh air and contain no mixing chamber.

The seating area and common areas in the hall are disinfected regularly before and after screenings.

The venue is suitable for the entry and viewing of our audience members with disabilities.

Our seats are not numbered.

Bringing outside food and drinks is prohibited.

SCREENING

All films are screened in their original language with Turkish subtitles.

In the event of a technical failure in the electronic subtitle system, we will first try to fix the problem; if this is not possible, the screening will continue without subtitles.

Audience members will not be admitted to the hall once the screening has started. We kindly ask our audience to arrive on time for screenings.

Pursuant to Article 7 of Law No. 7163, films that have not been evaluated and classified may only be shown at festivals, special screenings and similar cultural and artistic events with an 18+ age rating.

Recording with any recording device such as a camera, photo camera or mobile phone during the screening is prohibited.

Beykoz Kundura will make audio and video recordings throughout the event, and the recorded footage will be published solely for promotional purposes on Beykoz Kundura’s website and social media accounts. Beykoz Kundura will use the event recordings only for promotional purposes and may share these recordings with the event’s artist.

GETTING HERE

You can come to the venue by car. Parking is free.

Saturday, December 27, 14.00

White Christmas

1954 / USA / 120' / Color / English / Turkish Subtitles/

Directed by Michael Curtiz, White Christmas (1954) is a lavish production that turned music, dance and the holiday spirit into one of the brightest classics in cinema history. Etched in memory through its songs by Irving Berlin, the film represents the golden age of the Hollywood musical tradition.

Set in postwar America, the story explores themes of friendship, solidarity and optimism through the stage partnership of Bob Wallace and Phil Davis. When the two performers, who are trying to revive a mountain inn in Vermont, cross paths with Betty and Judy, it opens the door to a joyful companionship that turns the film into a warm holiday tale.

With the energetic performances of Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, the elegance of Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, masterfully crafted dance sequences and Technicolor images that reflect the splendor of the era, White Christmas is one of the finest examples of the classic Hollywood musical. The film’s iconic song “White Christmas” won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards and became an inseparable part of holiday tradition.

With its music, choreography and nostalgic atmosphere, White Christmas holds a special place in cinema history as a holiday classic rediscovered every year and cherished across generations.

Click here for tickets. Click here for the combined ticket.

Saturday, December 27, 2025, 17.30

It's a Wonderful Life

1946 / USA / 130' / Black & White / English with Turkish Subtitles/

Directed by Frank Capra, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is a powerful masterpiece that turned the themes of hope, solidarity and rediscovering one’s own worth into a holiday classic etched into cinema history. With its emotional depth and timeless story, it has won a place in the hearts of audiences across generations and is regarded as one of the most moving dramas in American cinema.

The film centers on an existential turning point for George Bailey, who on Christmas Eve feels the full weight of a life crushed by personal and professional troubles. As he stands in despair at the edge of a bridge contemplating suicide, George is stopped by his guardian angel, Clarence, and is given the chance to see what his beloved town of Bedford Falls would be like without him.

This imaginary journey reveals the deep void George’s absence would leave in the community and the people he has touched throughout his life without even realizing it. This shattering vision helps George grasp once again the value of life, the power of solidarity and the importance of his own existence. Asking Clarence to return him to his old life, he chooses to go back to the community he built with love and to the problems he had been avoiding.

With its compelling storytelling, unforgettable performances and deep insight into the human spirit, It’s a Wonderful Life remains one of the essential films of the holiday season; it was nominated for 5 Academy Awards in 1947 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Sound) and received a Technical Achievement Award for its innovative work in visual effects.

Click here for tickets. Click here for the combined ticket.