A man arrives in a remote Turkish village with his two children in order to visit his father. The family reunion, however, is blighted by a group of intruders who appear on their extensive plot of land. This powerful debut, compelling in the way it builds up a sense of heavy atmosphere, won two awards at this year’s Berlinale. One of the producers on the film was the exceptionally talented director Seyfi Teoman, who tragically died recently.
This striking debut by Turkish director Emin Alper is set in an isolated valley in rural Turkey, where a man comes to visit his father, a herdsman, accompanied by his two children. The serene summer’s day, however, is gradually disrupted by the proximity of uninvited guests from beyond the hills, who come to graze their goats on this particular piece of land. The sense of threat slowly builds up, with each side intent on defending their territory. This visually exquisite film, in many ways reminiscent of the work of another successful Turkish filmmaker, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, manages to create a singular atmosphere while, at the same time, drawing attention to the paradoxes of the situations and instilling them with gentle irony. The intruders make it possible for the otherwise diversified family to come together in solidarity, but also to conceal their own guilt. The film may thus be seen not only as a parable about the contemporary Turkish political scene, but also as a testimony of the nature of human society in general. Coproducer Seyfi Teoman, himself an excellent director, tragically died in May of this year.
94 min / Color, HD CAM
Director Emin Alper
/ Screenplay Emin Alper
/ Dir. of Photography George Chiper-Lillemark
/ Music Volkan Akmehmet, Inanç Şanver
/ Editor Özcan Vardar
/ Producer Enis Köstepen, Seyfi Teoman
/ Production Bulut Film
/ Cast Temer Levent, Reha Özcan, Mehmet Özgür, Berk Hakman
/ Contact Bulut Film
Emin Alper (b. 1974, Konya, Turkey) holds a PhD in modern Turkish history from Boğazici University in Istanbul. He became passionate about film during his time at college, however, unfavourable conditions in the profession prevented him from pursuing his career any earlier. He gained experience during his studies as an actor in short films by fellow colleagues, Apartment (Apartman, 2004) and Crash (Carpisma, 2005), and subsequently as a director himself with the short films Rifat (2006) and The Letter (2005). He is currently lecturing in the Humanities and Social Sciences Dept. of Istanbul Technical University. Beyond the Hill (2012) is his feature film debut; the film was premiered in Berlin, where Alper was awarded two prizes (Caligari Film Award for Best Film in the Forum section, and a Special Mention for Best First Feature).
Bulut Film
Fecri Ebcioglu Sok. No: 14 D, 343 40, Istanbul
Turkey
Phone: +90 (212) 287 19 49
Fax: +90 (212) 287 70 68
E-mail: [email protected]
Enis Köstepen
Producer
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