UZAK (DISTANT)
Turkey, 2003, 110 minutes, Colour.
Muzaffer Ozdemir, Mehmet Emin Toprak.
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Uzak is an impressive Turkish film. It won the major awards at the Istanbul Film Festival as well as many international festivals including Cannes where it won a special jury prize and a joint best actor award for the two leads.
The film is set in Istanbul, not the tourist city, but a refuge for those who have come from the country. One man has set himself up in the city as a photographer, has become used to the city and its way of life. His cousin comes from the country after factories have closed down. His is an entirely different experience of the city, feeling alienated, not able to adjust to the styles of city living.
There is a distance between the two men. There is a distance between country and city. There is a distance between perspectives of audiences, especially western audiences, from the presentation of life in contemporary Turkey.
The actor playing the cousin, Yusuf, is a cousin of the director. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident before he was able to receive his award in Cannes. The other central character is a non-professional actor.
The film was written and directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. It was filmed in his apartment in Istanbul with his furniture and other effects. Ceylan went on to direct Climates which was also entered in competition in Cannes, 2006. Climates is not nearly as effective as Uzak though it is more ambitious with its portrait of a couple and their relationship breaking down.
1. An insight into life in Istanbul? Turkey at the beginning of the 21st century? The beauty of Istanbul, the recession, job opportunities, people living in a big city, the contrast with the country?
2. The opening in the Turkish countryside? The contrast with the city? The various locations used in the film, the city and the sea as a character? The apartment? The musical score?
3. The title, indication of themes? The city far away from the country and vice versa? Characters distant from one another? Characters wanting to travel far away, Yusef and his wanting to be a sailor? Mahmut and his ex-wife travelling to Canada? Emotional distance and psychological distance?
4. The focus on Yusef, the long walking across the field, the style of the camera work, fixed camera with slight panning? The reliance on editing for pace? Yusef and his taking the bus to the city?
5. The portrait of Mahmut: alone, the woman in his room, her departure and the janitor seeing her? His taking photographs of tiles? His work in the factory? His taking the photos to the boss? His affluence, starting in Istanbul without a cent? His books, videos and CDs? His lifestyle? Alone, watching television, watching Tarkovski-style film and then switching to pornography? His memories of the family in the countryside? Yusef's arrival, his having forgotten? Taking him in, the regulations in the house? His feeling Yusef's intrusion, watching the television, Yusef coming into the room to get a magazine, the rules for the kitchen, smoking, the sticky paper to catch the mouse, the toilet? His wanting Yusef to get a job? His work, being at home, wandering the city, the assignation with the woman in the apartment and asking Yusef to go out? His meeting with his ex-wife, the background of the separation, the abortion, its effect on her, her remarriage? His going to the airport to watch her leave? His anger at Yusef, the smoke, the untidiness? His laying down the law, the incident with the pocket watch, making Yusef feel bad? His wandering the city, sitting and contemplating - and the final close-up of his face and the long time for audiences to contemplate it and wonder about him and his future?
6. Yusef, ordinary young man, ringing his mother, wanting to send money, the ambition to go to see and earn money in dollars? His relationship with Mahmut, staying in the apartment, taking things for granted? His searching for jobs, not getting any? Going out, wandering around? His becoming a nuisance for Mahmut, smoking while Mahmut was away? The trip to Anatolia? His wanting Mahmut to ask for a job in the tile factory and Mahmut's refusal? His contemplating what he should do, packing up and leaving? To where?
7. The woman and the assignations with Mahmut? The silences and her departure? His ex-wife, separation, infertility, the abortion, her forgiving him, his wanting to tell her things but unable to, her new husband, their going to Canada?
8. The incidental characters, the janitor, the people at the offices, the characters around the city?
9. Audiences sharing the experiences of the two men, emotional, psychological? The experience of distance? An understanding of human nature?
