2023, Turkey/France/Germany, 197 minutes, feature, drama
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Script: Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Cinematography: Cevahir Sahin, Kürsat Üresin
Cast: Deniz Celiloglu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici
Producer: Mediha Didem Türemen
Samet, a young art teacher, completed his fourth year of compulsory service/ military service in a remote village in Anatolia. After a turn of events that he can hardly understand, he loses his hopes of escaping the dark life in which he seems to be stuck. Will his encounter with Nurai, who is herself a teacher, help him overcome his anxiety?
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Nuri Bilge Ceylan was born in Istanbul on January 26th, 1959. In 1976, he began studying chemical engineering at Istanbul Technical University, in a context of strong student unrest, boycotts and political polarization. In 1978, he switched courses to Electrical Engineering at Bogazici University. There, he developed a strong interest in image, entering the photography club at the university. This is also where he fed his taste for visual arts and classical music, by means of the vast resources of the faculty librarians. He also began to take film classes and attend screenings at the Film Society, which reinforced his love of cinema, born years earlier in the dark rooms of the Istanbul Cinematheque.
Filmography
2023 – About Dry Grasses
2019 – Making of the Wild Pear Tree
2018 – The Wild Pear Tree
2016 – Uzun Sürmüs Bir Kis
2014 – Winter Sleep
2011 – Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Festivals and Awards
2024 – Lumiere Awards – Best International Coproduction
2023 – Cannes Film Festival – Best Actress (Merve Dizdar)
2023 – Chicago International Film Festival – Best Supporting Performance (Ece Bagci)
2023 – Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD) Awards – Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Deniz Celiloglu), Best Actress (Merve Dizdar), Best Supporting Actress (Ece Bagci)