Wait wait wait, are the cameras rolling? Lights, camera, action!

Born in Kırklareli in 1913, Dursune Şirin is possibly Turkey's first Black actress. Her first role was in Aydın Arakon's 1949 adaptation of Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar's Efsuncu Baba (1949). This was the first portrayal of an Arab Bacı or "Arab sister" on screen. Şirin would go on to have a lengthy set of credit, acting in almost seventy different films across the bulk of Yeşilcam's era. Of those seventy, she was casted as a bacı, kalfa, or dadı, or a domestic servant. She's often described as the "unutulmaz Arap Bacı Kalfa", or the "unforgettable Arab sister" for her consistent portrayal. But, the "Arap bacı" wasn't just a cinematic figure - it was also how female African domestic servants were referred to in the Ottoman Empire & well after. Despite her lengthy credit bill, there is not much public information on her life outside of the big screen. She passed away in 1972, at 58 years old and is survived by her son İbrahim Şirin.

There are some films hosted by Fantastik Klasik Film on Youtube, such as Haremde Dört Kadın (1965), where you can see Dursune Şirin perform.