Sinan Can has won several prestigious awards as a journalist and documentarymaker in war zones. Last night he did Stars on the canvas open a book abouthis impressive profession. This moved many viewers. “A wonderful episode witha sympathetic man,” they thought.
In Stars on the canvas Well-known Dutch people pose for three artists whileÖzcan ‘Eus’ Akyol questions them. This time were Pepijn van de Wall Bake,David van der Linden and Gabriëlle Westra serve the artists. Afterwards, theperson portrayed chooses one painting. The two remaining paintings will beauctioned.
Sinan Can: ‘Participating in this program is more exciting than abattlefield in Iraq’
Can meets Akyol in the Sint Nicolaas chapel in his beloved Nijmegen, the citywhere the documentary maker feels most at home. Akyol reveals that he waseager to have Can on his program, but was afraid he would say no. Can didn’t,but he finds it exciting. “I don’t like looking at myself. I don’t find manythings exciting, but this is. More exciting than a battlefield in Iraq.”
Can does not immediately ring bells with the three artists, although one ofthem does recognize him as a “famous Nijmegen resident”. He introduces himselfto the trio. “I am a documentary maker and travel a lot through war zones. Itry to find the beauty in the pain and the ruins of war.” He says he iscurrently working on a series about the soft, poetic, hopeful side of theMiddle East.
Can thinks he has a ‘boring life’ in the Netherlands
While the artists start portraying, Akyol starts his fire of questions. “Ijust heard you say to the artists that you have a boring life here. Thatwasn’t a joke, was it?” Can confirms with a smile. “Maybe boring is a bit ofan ungrateful term, but it’s quiet. We live in a safe country in theNetherlands. For me, the transition is always quite big from a war zone to aquiet, peaceful and comfortable country.”
The first conflict Can experienced was in Iraq. “It almost immediately wentwrong with a bomb attack that I was there. I was fifty feet from that car whenit exploded. All kinds of people went towards it, but behind that car anothercar was parked, which they also exploded. This caused many deaths and injuriesin one go. Thirty people died and ninety people were injured. I was reallyscared and in a state of shock for the first time. I really thought: what haveI gotten myself into?”
Akyol thinks this could be a reason not to go to these areas anymore. “Thatdidn’t happen,” says Can. “It really became a reason to go there. There was anIraqi gentleman I complained to and he said to me, ‘It’s only hell when no onesees you suffer anymore.’ He said it was a journalist’s thankless job to hearand record those stories. If you don’t come, we will be forgotten.”
‘I must confess that I enjoy few things’
Such work can make someone sad, Akyol suspects. “I am also sad, I think,”confirms the documentary maker. “Even though I laugh a lot. I think I’m sadinside. It sounds very strange, but if you say to me: ‘What do you reallyenjoy intensely?’ Then I must confess very honestly: of few things. It may bea dark edge to your soul if you have seen so much misery in the past elevenyears. When you see how unscrupulous people can be.” Can therefore thinks thathe will have to stop in this corner of journalism in a few years.
The documentary maker has his own ways of getting rid of the negative energy.“I walk through Nijmegen a lot. Sometimes with friends, like with FrankBoeijen. That is someone with whom it is very nice to walk and talk.” Headmits that, even while walking, he reveals little of his emotional world toothers. “I am actually a kind of black box and it remains closed, because Ithink people will be sad. I do not want that. I just want people to stayhappy.”
Twitter is a big fan of Sinan Can: ‘Beautiful, modest man’
Can eventually goes for the painting by Gabrielle Westra. “If I had to make ajourney into my soul, I could do it with your painting,” he beautifullyexplains his choice. Viewers fully understand that he chooses this painting.“Painting three really touches me. Rarely seen such a rich painting. In termsof image and story,” someone writes.
#starsonthecanvas> it was another wonderful episode with a sympathetic man @> sinancan77painting 3> was also my favorite>> — aly maring (@uiltjealy) December 10,> 2022
Like Sinan Can, I’m going for canvas 3 (F4)! It has really been thought> about from top to> bottom.#starsonthecanvas> pic.twitter.com/02B1SbExD6>> — Elsschot 🇳🇱🇪🇺🇺🇦 (@marcelbar8) December 10,> 2022
Can can also count on a lot of praise from viewers. “What a sympathetic andbeautiful person,” is the general trend.
This episode moved me so much.> #starsonthecanvas>> — EAMCalis-Pompe (@ellenpompe) December 10,> 2022
Just> #starsonthecanvas> looked back. I always watch live, but that was not possible yesterday. > What a beautiful broadcast! The three canvases were all beautiful and Sinan> Can is a very beautiful person
>> — Iris (@Iris00010) December 11,> 2022
Beautiful demure man, Sinan> Can
>> — 🧁🍒~ LouLou’s tweets~🍒🧁 (@sweet_loulou82) December 10,> 2022
Another nice broadcast. Great guy. Also very good as Eus interviews.> #starsonthecanvas>> — Maria (@Marian41890495) December 10,> 2022
You can watch Stars on the screen via NPO Start.