Sellale

Sellale (2001)

Genres - Comedy, Drama  |   Run Time - 120 min.  |   Countries - Turkey  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Jason Buchanan

Set in the Harbiye district of Antioch two months before the military intervention in May of 1960, director Semir Aslanyurek's comedy drama studies the economic and political tensions of the time by focusing on a local family's struggle with dissenting beliefs. As Cemal's (Canan Hosgor) father and uncle embark on a series of heated political arguments, their frustrations with one another eventually result in drastic measures. Building a wall in their common courtyard in order to keep their families apart, the two men nevertheless continue their feud by climbing the wall and continuing their arguments. Contrasting the fiery, irrational animosity of the splintered family with the peaceful tradition of local citizens who whisper their dreams to the waterfall of Harbiye, young Cemal accompanies his sister Sehra (Zuhal Tatlicioglu) to the waterfall where they youngsters share their dreams. Serving as an apprentice to local barber Bald Selim (Tuncel Kurtiz), Cemal agrees with Selim that a plan to blast the waterfall with dynamite in order to widen the mouth and build a dam is ludicrous. When the construction results in a substantial amount of the water being lost, Cemal and Sehra fret that they will have nowhere to share their dreams.