Cinema
Journey to the Sun
Güneşe Yolculuk
Yeşim Ustaoğlu · 1999
Synopsis
In Istanbul, two young men from distant regions become friends. Mehmet, from the west, hopes to find work and build a future with Arzu, who works in a dye works; Berzan, a Kurd, sells cassettes in the street and dreams of returning to the village to find his fiancée, according to Offi. Wrongly arrested during a police check, Mehmet is thrown out by his flatmates and loses his job, according to Istanbul Modern and Allociné; it is Berzan who helps him find a roof again.
Context
According to Offi, the director drew on press articles about the burned and evacuated villages of the south-east, whose inhabitants left for Istanbul. Co-produced by Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands, the film is photographed by Jacek Petrycki, with music by Vlatko Stefanovski; Newroz Baz and Nazmi Kırık play the roles of Mehmet and Berzan, and Turkish and Kurdish are spoken in it. It was released in France on 7 July 1999, distributed by MK2, and in Turkey the following year.
Who it is for
In Turkish and Kurdish, released in cinemas in France in 1999; a cassette in a French version is held at the BnF.
Prizes and reception
Blue Bear for best European film at Berlin in 1999, best film and best direction at the Istanbul and Ankara festivals.
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