Movie No. 3 (2013): JOURNEY TO THE SUN
Director: Yesim Ustaoglu
Cast: Newroz Baz, Nazmi Kirik
In Kurdish and Turkish, with English subtitles
The highlight of the film is the 'journey' of Mehmet as he 'takes home' his friend Berzan from Istanbul to a remove village near the Iraqi border. But events leading to that journey make us understand what these two friends have been going through after migrating to Istanbul from different parts of Turkey. One locates leaking water pipes as a living, the other sells music cassette tapes. One is wrongfully arrested for carrying a gun, the other a member of Kurdish terrorist underground. But they find each other and become good friends.
The films is almost like a documentary on human rights, living conditions of migrant workers, and Turkish government's prosecution of Kurds. Despite others dismissing this film for its theme, I find this absorbing until the final scene, which itself is a visual poetry.
Date seen: January 1, 2013
Rating: 4.0/4.0
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