Directed by BARIŞ ATAY
Cast: Funda Eryiğit, Onur Ünsal, Cemalettin Çekmece, Caner Erdem, Sermet Yeşil
2018 / 97 min. / with English subtitles
Aras and Marba are husband-and-wife travelers who had to leave their homeland because of conflicts. They cross deserts and mountains on foot, almost starving, hoping to be able to start a new life somewhere. When their endurance is at an end, while they are on top of a mountain, they see a house in the middle of a large, green field. They knock on the door, having agreed among each other to present themselves as siblings rather than husband and wife. Specifically Marba wishes so, because Aras is a beautiful woman and Marba is scared of the possibility of being killed by men who would want his wife for themselves.
Their hosts Niac and Bocaj answer the door with guns. When these two travelers become guests in their house, the struggle for power between Niac, the tough-looking older brother, and Bocaj, the talkative one, escalates even more. They both want to get with Aras using their own methods. Bocaj acts playful, while Niac has a more menacing behavior. But these two share a big secret: They once attempted to kill their brother Fesoj. Years ago, Niac and Bocaj were jealous of the attention their parents were giving to Fesoj who was a beautiful baby, and they threw him into a well. Fesoj didn't die but became disabled. He lost his ability to speak and he kind of started to act like an animal. So, Bocaj treats him like his pet.
As Bocaj is constantly around Aras trying to flirt with her, Niac makes an unexpected gesture and gives gifts to the young woman. Bocaj counters this move by sharing their secret with Aras. By introducing her to Fesoj, he thinks he can maybe form some sort of bond with her as accomplices. Bocaj has also peeped on Aras while she was taking a bath and realized that she is pregnant and that Marba is her husband.
Tensions reach a breaking point when Niac goes into Aras' room and rapes her. Now, the hostility among the occupants of the house is out in the open. Marba tries to run away with Aras, but Niac catches them and kills Marba. Aras realizes that only she can save herself and decides to run away, but she also releases Fesoj as she leaves the house. Meanwhile, Bocaj builds up his courage and decides to kill Niac.
Niac shoots Bocaj, and Fesoj injures Niac. While the two brothers, now two enemies covered in blood, are fighting each other, Aras and Fesoj make a run for their freedom.
Selected Festivals and Awards
- Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, Turkey (2019): Best Actress (Funda Eryiğit), Best Art Direction (Devrim Ömer Ünal)
- Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey (2019): Special Mention
Director BARIŞ ATAY
Barış Atay (1981, Germany) left his studies in biology at Çukurova University when he was in his third year. In 2004 he won a scholarship to study theater at Yeditepe University and graduated in 2009. In 2011 he received his master’s degree in cinema/TV at Kadir Has University. He is one of the founders of Kadıköy Emek Theater and continues his theater career there. In 2014 he created Barikat Film and made his directing debut with Eksik (Lack).
