Discoveries from Turkey World Cinema

A remake of the movie "At The Bar" (2007). A group of people find themselves in a terrifying nightmare in a bar.

At the filming movie about the crusaders, in Turkey, with one of the stunts died in accident. Death of a stuntman was rigged by criminals, who smuggled a large shipment of drugs in the coffin. Producer Anton is killed, money stolen...

Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia) - 1978. Three French journalists are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview of the regime's leader, Pol Pot. The country seems ideal. But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. The regime is looking for culprits, secretly carrying out a large scale genocide. Under the eyes of the journalists, the beautiful picture cracks, revealing the horror. Their journey progressively turns into a nightmare.

Ümit, who lives in a poor neighborhood, makes a living by singing on the streets. One day, at his son's circumcision ceremony, he runs into his wife Necla, whom he separated from years ago. The couple separated years ago due to a misunderstanding. Ümit is still angry with his wife. Necla, however, decides to seek custody of their son, Murat. With her father's help, she wins the custody case. Murat takes the opportunity to run away to his father's side. However, Necla's fiancé sets a trap to put an end to the situation and has Ümit sent to prison.

Lives of several low-level gangsters get intertwined after a game of craps in their underground casino ends in a bloody shootout.

While tracking down a serial killer, the detective discovers that the killer is also a painter. The murderer creates horrific paintings using the blood of his victims. While trying to solve the murders, the detective tries to understand the motives behind the murderer and the way the murderer expresses himself.

A group of old friends get together to be with their beloved aunt/grandmother who took care of them when they were kids for her last days. And things get complicated.

Yaşar, Apo, Kovboy Ali, Cevat, and Ertuğrul's only goal in life is to fill their stomachs and never be separated from their greatest passion, wine, even for a single day. These five people, who live day to day, know how to take advantage of the stormy political atmosphere of the time to achieve their goals. These five homeless individuals living on the streets find themselves facing a curfew on the morning of September 12, 1980. However, the only "home" they can go to is the streets themselves. As a result of a series of comedic misunderstandings, they find themselves imprisoned alongside political prisoners in the same jail.

A struggling, suicidal young comedian meets a car thief who is willing to teach him a few things about his profession.

Özgür accidentally comes across the money of a mafia leader.

Fed up with South America’s heat, the Maya, lured by rumors of golden soil, migrate to Anatolia, settling near Bağcılar and blending their advanced techniques with Turkish tribal culture. Their rapid rise, however, alarms Byzantium: peace-loving Emperor Klitor III is an avid Maya admirer, but his scheming wife, Empress Klitorya V, and his brother Muhteris conspire to eliminate Klitor, then abduct all Maya women to the imperial dungeons. Their twisted plan? By “improving” Byzantine lineage with Maya genetics while the men take local wives—“only God should know loneliness”—they intend to dilute the Maya’s flawless DNA into common stock.

When her sister is murdered by a group of politically connected rich kids, Sayara, a quiet gym cleaner from Turkmenistan, begins to follow in her father's footsteps, seeking a path of revenge.

In Trabzon, snow falls heavily like never before in the last days of autumn, and the roads are blocked. In this setting, two people who attend the same school but have never met have a chance encounter at a bus station, waiting for the same bus that has run late. They fall in love at first sight.

Murat, who lives in Istanbul, decides to return to his hometown of Cappadocia after being fired from his job. As he plans to start a new business there, his path crosses with his cousins Bedri and Fehmi, who are trying to escape the consequences of a crime they committed. However, the carefree spirit wandering around the town will both prevent Bedri and Fehmi from escaping and support Murat in establishing his new venture.

Istanbul cirminal underworld; a place of merciless families and swaggering hitmen afraid of no one. Kadir Korkut, nicknamed the "Demon" is the most fearsome of their kind. When he wants to retire for the love of a blind German pianist, it starts a chain of events which will paint the night red. His boss and foster father, Kara Cemal betrays and coerces Kadir by poisoning him to perform two final hits on the two largest rival families in order to receive the antidote. Outgunned, outmanned and facing impossible odds he has to team up with an outed undercover police mole Cem, and somehow survive his final night of revenge and redemption.

A good man trys to help a blind girl to see again but he doesn't have enough money for the operation.

Erkan lives in his village home with his only grandfather. He is devastated by his grandfather's death. His cousins want to sell the house immediately after his grandfather's death. They evict Erkan from the house through the courts. Erkan will do everything in his power to prevent the house from being sold. The new owner of the house, Demet, moves in. Erkan grows close to Demet, and they become lovers. Meanwhile, the cousins both put the house up for auction and try to ruin Erkan and Demet's relationship. Just as the house is about to be sold, Osman the grandfather reappears. He had not actually died; he had been playing a trick on his cousins. Osman the grandfather drives the cousins away and gives the house to Erkan and Demet.

Commander Logar escapes from the planet G.O.R.A. to Earth and finds Arif. Arif gets tricked by the evil Commander Logar into thinking that his intentions have changed but Commander Logar sends Arif 1.000.000 years into the past. After finding himself in the stone age, Arif begins to help the local tribe to defend themselves against a different, much more violent tribe and tries to find a way back to his time.

Three brothers living in Balat, one of Istanbul's old neighborhoods, each struggling to make ends meet in their own way: Gürkan, who earns a living as a taxi driver; Orhan, who runs a rice shop; and Duran, who is hopelessly in love. While continuing their daily struggles like everyone else and trying to resolve their ordinary problems, the lives of these three brothers are turned upside down by a triangle of murder, mafia, and kidnapping triggered by an accident that befalls them one day.

Salih is a mechanic and the son of a respected barber named Ali. A woman named Tina arrives at Cholera Street, where she takes up residence and works as a prostitute.

A family man leads a band of survivors through a zombie apocalypse.

Atilla the Hun gives a Silver Saddle to Altar as a gift. The intention of Kostok is the get rid of the Huns and seize the valuable saddle. Little Tarkan's foster mother is forced to leave him in a cave. His cry attracts the attention of a wolf, who raises Tarkan like his own cub.

Based on a true event, Pardon tells the tragicomic story of three friends who end up in prison when they are mistaken as members of a terrorist organization. Ibrahim's fear of uniforms makes him runaway whenever he sees one. Because of this, police mistakes him with a terrorist and takes him and his friend Muzo into custody. Fooled by the police during the interrogation they name another friend, Aydin, in hope of saving themselves. As they all end up in prison, they remember the families and lovers they left behind.

With the death of a billionaire engaged in illegal practices, his billion-dollar fortune is up for the grabs. As his art collection is being prepared to be sold at an auction, two Turkish thieves from Germany are hired to steal valuable paintings from the art collection. Meanwhile, Seckin the fashioner designer - also the brother of Binnur, wife of the late billionaire - prepares for a fashion show in the same hotel that the robbery is going to take place. With the intervention of police, the beautiful model and her ex-lover, a hip papparazi, the two "Laz" mafia bosses seeking revenge, and the getaway driver straight out of Selcuk Erdem caricatures, the robbery is bound to go wrong. Prepare for a twist at the end as the plot unfolds towards a climactic ending...

Mukhtar Yusuf Ağa’s unregistered village in eastern Anatolia has been championed through letters to government officials, and his lost son İbrahim, rescued and registered by Father Hana, is finally returning at age 30 with his American love Jessica; the question is whether Tinne can become their true homeland.

Last Petting

Cemil, a wannabe actor auditions for the villain role in a film. He can't get the role but the role gets him.

In a remote village, some strange creatures are patrolling around. After 5 pm, no one dares to go out. A young journalist comes to the village and stays for 10 days but nothing happens. He gives the camera to a 14-year-old boy in the village and then he leaves. The plan was that if the boy sees something strange, he would record it for the journalist and send the tapes back to him. After a while the boy and 6 other people are found murdered, and the camera was still recording...

Chaos erupts when members of two notorious Istanbul mobs arrive at a seaside town for family vacations.

Mustafa Kemal had just begun his journey after proving himself in 1915 at the Gallipoli front. He would go on to face major battles on the eastern front against the Russians and later against the British in Syria, ultimately becoming the only Ottoman officer not to lose a battle during WW1. However, despite all his success, he would encounter an unexpected challenge upon his return to Istanbul.

Hakan and Nihal have been married for many years. Shortly after they find out that Nihal is unable to have children, she disappears. While searching for her, Hakan makes some painful discoveries. He must face his inner demons to discover what happened to his wife.

Shakir, who lives in Kayseri, has a great legacy from his uncle who died in Istanbul. His uncle sends a telegram to Kayseri and dies before seeing Shakir, but a relative who does not want to share the legacy begins to make plans to eliminate him.

Çiçek is a girl who grew up in a small village. She has so many questions about her own life with no answers. And then her life is changed by Dogan, her literature teacher.

Tahsin has been working as a gardener for the Altınel family for many years and falls in love with Ayperi, a beautiful maid who has been working in the house for five months. When the family, who owns the house, goes on vacation, Tahsin finally gets the chance he’s been waiting for to confess his feelings. However, everything changes when Timuçin, the mischievous son of the house who didn’t go on vacation with his family, suddenly comes home in the middle of the night with his friends to throw a party.

Gülşah, a little child, is the nightmare of the nannies hired to take care of her. Growing up without a mother, Gülşah kidnaps all the nannies brought to the house with her tricks. When her latest nanny doesn't give up that easy, she comes up with a different plan.

The story of two couples, Ayla and Yadigar and Seher and Hüseyin, who know each other on a journey through the secret history of nudity. This journey begins with two women starting nude modeling in an art academy, beyond the husbands' knowledge. But it doesn't take them long to find it out.

Işık visits a friend's summer home to spend some time alone after growing up under the strain of her surroundings and family. Here, she reflects on her prior issues and the challenges she has encountered as a woman.

If Iskender, a 12-year-old archer with extraordinary abilities, does not return from 2020 to the time he lived, the course of history will change.

At 2 Ela lost her ability of seeing and hearing because of a severe illness. And then she became a total disappointment of her family due to her untamed behaviors. But everything changed after an unorthodox teacher stepped into their lives to educate Ela while healing himself.

A bag full of money lands in front of you. Is it luck? The answer to your prayers? Part of a predetermined plan? Or all of the above? Set in the chaotic streets of Istanbul, 40 is a story of three strangers making their way in a city of 12 million, all searching...for one bag. Shot entirely on location, '40' combines intense story telling with documentary style cinematography embarking on a synchronistic journey dealing with faith, love, luck, destiny, human trafficking...and a bag of cash that falls from the sky.

A high school graduate, Yusuf could not pass the university entrance exam. Writing poetry is his greatest passion and some of his poems are being printed in various obscure literary journals. But neither these poems, nor the rapidly falling price of the milk they sell, are being of any benefit to Yusuf and Zehra's lives. When Yusuf finds out about Zehra's secret affair with the town's stationmaster he gets disconcerted. Will he find the way to cope with his anxiety for the unknown future, the rapid change that he is going through and the pain of taking a step into adulthood and leaving his youth behind

Yakup, a Turkish music teacher seeking political asylum in New York, is trying to keep his head above water as he navigates the US immigration system. Working illegally in a restaurant kitchen with a lively group of fellow immigrants, he is laser focused on laying the groundwork to bring his wife and daughter abroad. In a desperate attempt to expedite the process, he seeks help from a group of shady fellow countrymen who resort to risky methods to get people out of Turkey. But things quickly go sideways and chances to reunite with his loved ones deteriorate by the minute.

Ferhat is a spoiled man who takes over his father's company. Ferhat's right hand is his childhood friend, the company's finance manager, Gökhan. They are not very kind to their employees. One day they will be friends with the restaurant owner. Ferhat falls in love with the restaurant owner's daughter Elif. But Elif is not a delicate and pure young girl. Her career, her hard character, and her witless intelligence, which are full of special trainings and superior services, will make Ferhat much more difficult.

A scheming tobacco farmer sets out to ruin his competition by diverting the local water to his own property.

Neriman wants to leave her difficult living conditions behind and start a new life far from the city.

“Bocuk” traces the remnants of a Balkan-Turkic belief said to date back to the Middle Ages, still alive in a remote village of Thrace. This docudrama explores the contemporary meaning of an ancient winter ritual and documents the local narratives surrounding it. Blending fear with tradition, the film invites viewers to discover the extraordinary Night of Bocuk, a practice still observed across generations in Turkey.

Two strangers meet on a journey from Ankara to Izmir. Although having a rough start, their relationship takes a different path when they realize they have to confront themselves and would like to clean the slate as they get to know each other.

Fırat and Filiz are a couple in their 30s. Because their marriage has entered a period of stagnation, they go to a quiet, small hotel near Assos for a holiday. At the hotel, they meet Özkan and Aysun, local villagers who are running the entire hotel and the seaside restaurant. As Fırat and Filiz observe the relationship dynamics between the local couple, they start to mimick them. One day, while on a hike up a deserted hill, supposedly searching for a historical ruin, Filiz mimics Aysun’s way of speaking and seduces Fırat. The balance of power shifts in relationships, and the story moves toward an unexpected result.

Tuncel Kurtiz is an international actor who has worked in various countries such as Turkey, Germany, and Sweden throughout his fifty-year career. He has starred in countless works in cinema, stage and television and has received many awards, including the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. He has directed two documentaries and a feature-length fiction film. Kurtiz's acting performance ranges from popular melodramas to major plays such as Mahabharata (Peter Brook), encompassing many different genres and styles. As an actor, Kurtiz believes in the creative power of chaos: 'Chaos is the most difficult to create / Not a false chaos / Many things come out of chaos'. Through testimonies, film excerpts, and archive footage, this documentary reflects Tuncel Kurtiz's diverse body of artistic work in all its dimensions for the first time. In the background of this detailed portrait are Turkey's turbulent years and the reality of exile.

Musa Rami, who has become a legend with his struggle against the mafia, is a police officer at homicide division. One day prior to celebrating his 63rd birthday, with a surprise party arranged by his family, he finds out that he has cancer and two months left before his death. In these two months, will he be able to fight against the mafia that has intensified its threats against his family and simultaneously reveal his deep love to Funda, who is a university student 40 years younger than him?

The team gets stuck in the town of "Fenk" in Elazığ while running away from Orhan's men. They take refuge in Murtaza Ağa's farm, where they start working to stay out of sight and make a living. Murtaza Ağa is known for being a cruel and stingy landlord. Just as the group is at their wits' end, they receive a call from Abdi's wife, Neriman, and are forced to flee the farm in a hurry and head to Kastamonu. On their way, they steal Murtaza Ağa's money and kidnap his daughter.

A group of female friends take a holiday bachelorette trip, where they let their hair down, flirting with strangers, and indulge in a party lifestyle.

After his father’s death, poor Berhudar is left dealing with his father’s huge debt to the mob. In one of his many attempts to find a way out of his problem, he meets Ezel. He hopes she will help him get out of the mess he is in. Little does he know the she’s dealing with a very similar trouble...

The story of young girls who fall into brothels while looking for a job through newspaper ads.

Hayri, a father of two who works as a courier, dreams of opening a millionaire's house. While delivering a package, Hayri has an accident and ends up in the hospital. There, he meets a man who mistakes him for someone else and gives him an illegal package to take to Bursa in exchange for money. Wanting to turn this misunderstanding into an opportunity, Hayri takes the package. On the road, he meets Serkan and is joined by some thugs who are after the package, embarking on an adventure filled with fun and excitement.

A college teenager encounters love while being thrown in the harsh but poetic wind of his dreams. Even though he tries to resist, love has now taken over him. Is his passion for photography and his American love, Jenny, an obstacle to the revolution? Is life strong enough to break down this hard wall? A lament to the lost generation of an era through the great love of Rüzgar.

Part one in the epic Göktürk Trilogy follows the humble beginnings of the greatest empire Asia had ever seen.