This is the directorial debut of Muzaffer Ozdemir, Palme d’Or awarded actor of Uzak / Distant (2002) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and also an actor in the Ceylan films Kasaba / The Small Town (1997) and Clouds of May (1999). Dogan, a pessimistic and neurotic architect, falls ill while camping with his friends nearby Istanbul. His doctor advises traveling. Longing for his homeland, Dogan sets off on a short break to the town of his childhood, whence he did not have the opportunity to visit since years. But not even the countryside has escaped the homogenizing concrete web cast by the modern technological age and liberal mentality inimical to the Earth.
5/10 – The IMDB description is overly long for this one, it doesn’t leave much more to be said for it. It’s slow paced, just plenty of long, static shots of countryside and Dogan’s face. I fell asleep a few times through this, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly good either. One of those arty films where someone from the Guardian says “this is mesmerising” or calls it a “tour de force”. I’m all for a slow film, however this wasn’t for me.
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