When a couple breaks up, their children are torn between two cultures in the drama The Split. Sol Jensen (Bennu Gerede), a woman from Iceland raised as a Catholic, meets Halil Atesh (Mahir Gunsiray), a Turkish man and a student of Islam. They fall in love and eventually have two daughters together, but when they split up, Sol takes custody of the girls. Sol's new lover, Fridrick (Baltasar Kormakur), isn't used to children, and suggests the kids could stay with Halil for a while the couple sorts things out. Sol agrees, and Halil takes the children with him on a visit to Turkey. Halil does not return, and Sol discovers Halil has fallen in with Islamic fundamentalists in his family, who insist he keep the children away from his ex. An attempt by Sol and Fridrick to kidnap the girls is a disaster, and the Turkish government prevents them from visiting the country or seeing the girls for three years. By the time Sol is able to return, she discovers her daughters now speak Turkish and wear traditional Islamic head dresses -- depending on your viewpoint, they've either been brainwashed against their mother's will, or they've been educated in the faith of their father. The Split was directed by Turkish filmmaker Canan Gerede, and was produced in collaboration by Turkish and Icelandic firms.
by Mark Deming
synopsis
