Turkish family drama 'Hayde Bre' is a triumph
- By Pang Li
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China.org.cn, June 15, 2011
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Poster for "Hayde Bre." [File photo] |
"Hayde Bre," which is in the running for the Golden Goblet at the Shanghai International Film Festival, explores the deep split between urban and rural societies and the struggles of everyday people in the big city. Saban Agha, who is played by the superb Sevket Emrulla, is a senior citizen from a Macedonian village who is forced to move by his stepdaughter, Saadet (Nilufer Acikalin), to Istanbul to live with her family.
Director Orhan Oguz based Sabam on his grandfather. He said that when people move from a village to the big city, they usually find conflicts with their former way of life, which people all over the world can resonate with. He is absolutely right, especially as the phenomenon has become increasingly common in China among seniors and finding a way to make the migrants feel at home in big cities become an urgent task for society to address.
Emrulla is believable as Sabam, whose understate portrayal makes his angry explosion at the end of the movie seem even more emotional and jaw-dropping. But Acikalin's performance impresses the most. She is energetic, intense and sometimes breathtaking in a brilliant portrayal of the complex Saadet.
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Director Orhan Oguz, Nilufer Acikalin and producer Yasemin Kucukcavdar Guler meet with the audience before the screening of "Hayde Bre" at the Shanghai Film Art Center on Monday. [Pang Li/China.org.cn] |
Saadet, a mother of three who has a paralyzed husband, struggles to make ends meet with only an embroidery job to pay the bills. Despite the great pressure, she has refused to leave her husband, but she eventually succumbs to her desires and has an affair with an admirer. Then, when her mother dies, she persuades her stepfather to move in with her family against his wishes, selling his house and land. Like real-life people, Saadet has complicated emotions and faces many tough decisions. Though Saadet's choices are not always the "right" ones, Acikalin brings so much depth and nuances to the character that make her easy to sympathize with, or even in disapproval, understand her actions. Acikalin's acting is certainly top-notch and she deserves an award.
Oguz's elegant direction and his beautiful script undoubtedly contributed to the success of the film. Audiences cannot help but feel immersed in the atmosphere and experience of bittersweet daily life in Turkey.
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