Country
Germany
Synopsis
German-born Umay flees her oppressive marriage in Istanbul, taking her young son Cem with her. She hopes to find a better life with her family in Berlin, but her unexpected arrival creates intense conflict. Her family is trapped in their conventions, torn between their love for her and the traditional values of their community. Ultimately they decide to return Cem to his father in Turkey. To keep her son, Umay is forced to move again. She finds the inner strength to build a new life for herself and Cem, but her need for her family’s love drives her to a series of ill-fated attempts at reconciliation. What Umay doesn’t realize is just how deep the wounds have gone and how dangerous her struggle for self-determination has become… Written by Independent Artists Filmproduktion
Trailer
Reviews
‘It is a riveting and heartbreaking story of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship, who must not only free herself from that marriage, but also the cultural prejudices and judgments that would keep her there.’
‘It’s a very powerful movie, dealing with a very urgent issue.’
‘We are looking at superb directing and writing here by a first time feature film-maker, which is a wonderful surprise that leaves us craving for more of her works to come. Perhaps it is her passion to promote anti-violence against women as well as women’s rights, allowing her to be devoted towards this film as a mass media tool of propaganda for a good cause.’
Awards and Nominations
Seven nominations for the 2010 German Film Awards, in the categories Best Film, Best Debut Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Score.
LUX Film Prize for the Best European Film 2010, the New Faces Award (Best First Feature), the DEFA Board’s Emerging Artists Prize (Best First Feature 2010), the Grand Prize for Best Film at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival as well as many others from film festivals including Ghent, Sao Paolo, and Calgary.
