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 A
BROKEN LOVE STORY (Kirik Bir Ask Hikayesi)
Turkey
1981 / 95m / English subtitles / Cert. 15
Director: Ömer Kavur
Cast: Kadir Inanir, Hümeyra, Halil Ergün, Kamuran
Usluer, Neriman Köksal
A classic
piece of melodrama told with great simplicity by Omer Kavur.
Fuat is forced into a prospective marriage to a rich girl,
Belgin, to help his family's financial plight. His friend
Bedri ends a meaningless life by committing suicide. Fuat's
growing love for Aysel gradually becomes a symbol of rebellion
that will free him from a system that imprisons, represses
and isolates the individual. But, as Fuat discovers, sometimes
escape is impossible.
 THE
BROKEN POTS (Kirik Çanaklar)
Turkey
1960 / 105m / English subtitles / Cert. 12A
Director: Memduh Ün
Cast: Lale Oraloglu, Turgut Özatay, Mualla Kaynak
A family
drama of poverty and isolation. Lale is tired of trying to
deal with her alcoholic husband, her wicked father-in-law
and her naughty child. Her husband's infidelity is the last
straw and so she leaves. The new mistress of the house soon
throws out the old man and his granddaughter. They have nowhere
to go, and as they roam the streets looking for shelter, their
only consolation is the memory of the good old days. But,
life does not treat them badly, and one day their luck turns.
 DESPERATE
ROAD (Amansiz Yol)
Turkey
1985 / 90m / English subtitles / Cert. 15
Director: Ömer Kavur
Cast: Kadir Inanir, Zuhal Olcay, Yavuzer Çetinkaya
A road
movie that attempts to show the struggles of a couple who
find themselves unable to escape their unfortunate circumstances
and, perhaps more importantly, the ugly side of Turkey. The
driver of a long-haul truck drives the whole length of Turkey,
between Istanbul and Mardin, trying to find his estranged
wife. He left her to try to get rich and lost touch after
he had been imprisoned. Now, he is desperate to find her.
But when he eventually tracks her down, a nasty surprise awaits
and he is drawn into a conflict which destroys his new-found
happiness.
 HOPE
(Umut)
Turkey
1970 / 100m / English subtitles / Cert. PG
Director: Yilmaz Güney
Cast: Yilmaz Güney, Gülsen Alniaçik, Tuncel
Kurtiz, Osman Alyanak, Enver Dönmez
Cabbar
is trying to make a living in Adana for his family of five
children, his mother and his wife, hunting for work with his
horse-driven cart. His horse is old and tired, and there is
no work to be found. He puts his hopes on a new horse he buys
with a loan, and on his lottery tickets. However, his dreams
of a better life vanish when his horse dies in an accident.
He has nothing left. He makes a last desperate attempt by
following an old religious hodja to find a hidden treasure.
This is a powerful masterpiece based on Yilmaz Guney's father's
life story. It is told in a semi-documentary style, very much
influenced by the neo-realist movement. It was at first banned,
but subsequently released with huge success.
 RED
RIVER, BLACK SHEEP (Kizilirmak Karakoyun)
Turkey
1967 / 85m / English subtitles / Cert. 12A
Director: Lütfi Ö. Akad
Cast: Yilmaz Güney, Nilüfer Koçyigit, Kadir
Savun
In this
fine example of magic realism, Akad uses folkloric themes
to give this love story story its magical quality. The daughter
of the lord of the village and a poor herdsman cannot get
married for traditional reasons, but the village elders find
a way out of this dilemma: if the herdsman manages to make
his thirsty sheep cross the river without drinking from the
water then the marriage will be allowed. The herdsman (played
by Yilmaz Guney) succeeds, but the father of the bride plays
a devilish trick on them.
 REVENGE
OF THE SNAKES (Yilanlarin Öcü)
Turkey
1962 / 106m / English subtitles / Cert. 12A
Director: Metin Erksan
Cast: Fikret Hakan, Nurhan Nur, Erol Tas, Aliye Rona, Kadir
Savun
Kara Haydar
is a poor peasant with a large family and a small piece of
land. One day he discovers that the village sheriff has given
permission to another villager, Haceli, to build his house
right in front of his. Haceli is rich and influential. Kara
Haydar however does not want to give up his rights so easily.
This film is a brave attempt to portray the problems of land
ownership in rural Turkey from a realistic point of view.
For this reason the film was initially banned and was only
later passed for exhibition after the intervention of the
then President of Turkey.
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