Who Were We Running From? (Biz Kimden Kaçiyorduk Anne?) is a Turkish series directed by Umut Aral and Gökçen Usta Çaylar, starring Melisa Sözen. It is based on the novel by Perihan Magden.
A Turkish series that seems to want to set itself apart from the monotonous plot landscape carved out by the Turkish industry: this is an elegant thriller, it’s well produced and contains irony aplenty where the plot and the aesthetic are concerned.
As our friends at Decider say: is it worth giving it a chance? Yes, it certainly is.
Who Were We Running From? About the Series
A thriller that starts exceptionally well and that knows how to become the most Hollywood thriller in all its vital facets: and that without resorting to slyness, it has a plot that draws you in from the first minute and that does not let itself get bogged down on sentimental grounds.
A Turkish series that seems to want to set itself apart from the monotonous plot landscape carved out by the Turkish industry: this is an elegant thriller, it’s well produced and contains irony aplenty where the plot and the aesthetic are concerned.
As our friends at Decider say: is it worth giving it a chance? Yes, it certainly is.
Who Were We Running From? About the Series
A thriller that starts exceptionally well and that knows how to become the most Hollywood thriller in all its vital facets: and that without resorting to slyness, it has a plot that draws you in from the first minute and that does not let itself get bogged down on sentimental grounds.
- 3/23/2023
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid - TV
Farhadi’s ‘Everybody Knows’ will also screen in the Open Air programme.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will preside over the Competition jury at the 24th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs this August 10-17.
Farhadi’s most recent film, Everybody Knows, will also screen at the festival in the Open Air programme.
Starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, it was the opening film of the recent Cannes Film Festival on May 8.
A feature director since 2002’s Dancing In The Dust, Farhadi is best known for his films A Separation (2011) and The Salesman (2016), both of which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will preside over the Competition jury at the 24th Sarajevo Film Festival, which runs this August 10-17.
Farhadi’s most recent film, Everybody Knows, will also screen at the festival in the Open Air programme.
Starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, it was the opening film of the recent Cannes Film Festival on May 8.
A feature director since 2002’s Dancing In The Dust, Farhadi is best known for his films A Separation (2011) and The Salesman (2016), both of which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film.
- 5/29/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Canneseries kicked off this week in the French city and stars including Sandra Oh, Patrick Dempsey and Phoebe Waller-Bridge braved the wet and windy conditions to walk down the pink carpet.
Ten drama series played in competition at the event, which ran alongside Mip TV, and the organizers have now revealed the winners.
Israeli drama When Heroes Fly won the top award – Best Series. The drama, which was created by Omri Givon and stars Tomer Kapon, Michael Aloni and Moshe Ashkenzi, follows four friends, war veterans of a Special Forces unit, reuniting for one final mission: to find Yaeli, the former lover of one of them and sister of another. The thriller, which is from Israeli’s Keshet, is set in the Colombian jungle.
Francesco Montanari won the award for Best Performance for his performance in The Hunter (Cacciatore). The series, which was commissioned by Italy’s Rai and distributed by Beta Film,...
Ten drama series played in competition at the event, which ran alongside Mip TV, and the organizers have now revealed the winners.
Israeli drama When Heroes Fly won the top award – Best Series. The drama, which was created by Omri Givon and stars Tomer Kapon, Michael Aloni and Moshe Ashkenzi, follows four friends, war veterans of a Special Forces unit, reuniting for one final mission: to find Yaeli, the former lover of one of them and sister of another. The thriller, which is from Israeli’s Keshet, is set in the Colombian jungle.
Francesco Montanari won the award for Best Performance for his performance in The Hunter (Cacciatore). The series, which was commissioned by Italy’s Rai and distributed by Beta Film,...
- 4/11/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
As part of its inaugural television festival, Canneseries launches its first official competition April 7, in which 10 series from nine countries will compete for awards in five categories: best series, performance, special performance, screenplay and music.
“The idea is to show how high-quality TV series have become and introduce shows that aren’t necessarily selling outside of their home territory,” says Albin Lewi, artistic director for Canneseries. “Things are changing. We see that people accept content that is not in their own language. It’s a good moment to show the diversity of television.”
The jury will be headed by American author and screenwriter Harlan Coben, who will preside over a panel consisting of German actress Paula Beer, French director and screenwriter Audrey Fouché, Turkish actress Melisa Sözen, Chilean-Canadian composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer and “The Wire” actor Michael Kenneth Williams.
From April 7 to 11, festival participants can screen series from Belgium,...
“The idea is to show how high-quality TV series have become and introduce shows that aren’t necessarily selling outside of their home territory,” says Albin Lewi, artistic director for Canneseries. “Things are changing. We see that people accept content that is not in their own language. It’s a good moment to show the diversity of television.”
The jury will be headed by American author and screenwriter Harlan Coben, who will preside over a panel consisting of German actress Paula Beer, French director and screenwriter Audrey Fouché, Turkish actress Melisa Sözen, Chilean-Canadian composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer and “The Wire” actor Michael Kenneth Williams.
From April 7 to 11, festival participants can screen series from Belgium,...
- 4/5/2018
- by Carita Rizzo
- Variety Film + TV
Television is staking more ground in Cannes, and Harlan Coben thinks it’s about time. The author and creator behind Netflix’s upcoming “Safe” returns to the Croisette this weekend to head up the jury at Canneseries, a new TV festival competition taking place along side the annual MipTV market.
“Now that we’re in the golden age of television, I think it’s long overdue,” Coben told IndieWire. “I think everyone now is chomping at the bit for it. I’m really excited. I’m looking forward to walking around the convention hall, and looking at all the variety of TV that’s around, and the new perspectives. South Korea, Mexico, Israel — I really look forward to seeing what they’re doing with storytelling, because it’s just going to be different.”
Coben, as president of the jury, will be joined on the panel by actress Paula Beer (Germany...
“Now that we’re in the golden age of television, I think it’s long overdue,” Coben told IndieWire. “I think everyone now is chomping at the bit for it. I’m really excited. I’m looking forward to walking around the convention hall, and looking at all the variety of TV that’s around, and the new perspectives. South Korea, Mexico, Israel — I really look forward to seeing what they’re doing with storytelling, because it’s just going to be different.”
Coben, as president of the jury, will be joined on the panel by actress Paula Beer (Germany...
- 4/4/2018
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
The event launches in Cannes this April.
Canneseries, the international TV festival launching in Cannes this April (7-11), has revealed the ten series in its official competition selection.
Scroll down for full line-up
The titles include Killing Eve created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) and starring Sandra Oh and Fiona Shaw, and Aquí En La Terra, created by Gael García Bernal with Kyzza Terrazas and Jorge Dorantes.
The titles were selected by Canneseries artistic director Albin Lewi.
The festival was founded by David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes and presided by former French culture minister Fleur Pellerin. It will run alongside Miptv.
Canneseries, the international TV festival launching in Cannes this April (7-11), has revealed the ten series in its official competition selection.
Scroll down for full line-up
The titles include Killing Eve created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) and starring Sandra Oh and Fiona Shaw, and Aquí En La Terra, created by Gael García Bernal with Kyzza Terrazas and Jorge Dorantes.
The titles were selected by Canneseries artistic director Albin Lewi.
The festival was founded by David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes and presided by former French culture minister Fleur Pellerin. It will run alongside Miptv.
- 3/13/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
BBC America’s “Killing Eve” has been selected for this year’s first-ever Canneseries TV festival competition — making it the only U.S. show in a field of ten international productions. “Killing Eve” will be up for one of six awards handed out on April 11, along side new series from Belgium, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Norway, South Korea, and Spain.
The ten shows will be vying for Best Music, Best Screenplay, Special Performance Prize, Best Performance and Best Series trophies.
As previously announced, author and producer Harlan Coben has been named jury president for the competition, which takes place April 7 to 11. The U.S.-based Coben will be joined on the panel by actress Paula Beer (Germany), screenwriter and director Audrey Fouché (France), actress Melisa Sözen (Turkey), composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer (Chile/Canada) and actor Michael K. Williams (USA).
Coben’s new series “Safe,” which will air in France...
The ten shows will be vying for Best Music, Best Screenplay, Special Performance Prize, Best Performance and Best Series trophies.
As previously announced, author and producer Harlan Coben has been named jury president for the competition, which takes place April 7 to 11. The U.S.-based Coben will be joined on the panel by actress Paula Beer (Germany), screenwriter and director Audrey Fouché (France), actress Melisa Sözen (Turkey), composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer (Chile/Canada) and actor Michael K. Williams (USA).
Coben’s new series “Safe,” which will air in France...
- 3/13/2018
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Author Harlan Coben, creator of forthcoming Netflix drama Safe, is head to the jury at the first ever Canneseries event in April. Coben, who also created Sky drama The Five as well as over 30 novels, is head the jury at the event, which sits alongside Mip TV in France, alongside The Wire and Boardwalk Empire star Michael Kenneth Williams, German actor Paula Beer (Bad Banks), screenwriter and director Audrey Fouché (Memories Corner), Turkish actor Melisa Sözen (Winter Sleep…...
- 3/7/2018
- Deadline TV
Actors Paula Beer and Michael Kenneth Williams also on the panel.
Canneseries has revealed the six members of the jury for its Official Competition, which will take place from April 7-11.
Writer/producer Harlan Coben will be president of the Jury, with his upcoming Netflix Original drama series Safe starring Michael C. Hall closing the event at the Palais des Festivals on April 11.
Other jury members are actress Paula Beer (Frantz, Bad Banks); screenwriter Audrey Fouché (Memories Corner); actress Melisa Sözen (Winter Sleep); composer Cristobal Tapia De Veer (Black Mirror) and actor Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire).
The...
Canneseries has revealed the six members of the jury for its Official Competition, which will take place from April 7-11.
Writer/producer Harlan Coben will be president of the Jury, with his upcoming Netflix Original drama series Safe starring Michael C. Hall closing the event at the Palais des Festivals on April 11.
Other jury members are actress Paula Beer (Frantz, Bad Banks); screenwriter Audrey Fouché (Memories Corner); actress Melisa Sözen (Winter Sleep); composer Cristobal Tapia De Veer (Black Mirror) and actor Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire).
The...
- 3/7/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Melisa Sözen, Gordan Bogdan also set to join jury president Michel Franco.
The feature film jury for the 23rd edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 11-18) has been revealed.
Joining previously announced jury president Michel Franco will be Mark Adams, artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which recently wrapped its 71st edition. He was previously the chief film critic for Screen International.
Sarajevo’s jury is completed by Fatma Al Remaihi, chief executive officer of Doha Film Institute, Bosnian actor Gordan Bogdan (Sonja And The Bull), and Turkish actress Melisa Sözen (Winter Sleep).
Jury president Franco’s credits include After Lucia and April’s Daughter, both of which won awards in Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard strand.
He has also produced films include Lorenzo Vigas’s From Afar, which won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2015.
The jury will determine the winners of the Heart of Sarajevo awards, which will be...
The feature film jury for the 23rd edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 11-18) has been revealed.
Joining previously announced jury president Michel Franco will be Mark Adams, artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which recently wrapped its 71st edition. He was previously the chief film critic for Screen International.
Sarajevo’s jury is completed by Fatma Al Remaihi, chief executive officer of Doha Film Institute, Bosnian actor Gordan Bogdan (Sonja And The Bull), and Turkish actress Melisa Sözen (Winter Sleep).
Jury president Franco’s credits include After Lucia and April’s Daughter, both of which won awards in Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard strand.
He has also produced films include Lorenzo Vigas’s From Afar, which won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2015.
The jury will determine the winners of the Heart of Sarajevo awards, which will be...
- 7/7/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Despite director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s lauded history with Cannes, having twice received the festival’s second-place honor, the Grand Prix for 2002’s Distant and 2011’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia and won the Best Director prize for 2008’s Three Monkeys, the Turkish filmmaker was shocked when it was announced he and his film Winter Sleep had won the Palme d’Or. Perhaps he assumed that the breathless stream of dialogue that propels the film through its monolithic 196 minute running time might put off or frighten people away. Some critics did indeed find the film too long and emotionally distant, including The New Yorker’s Richard Brody who said, “Ceylan paces this thin dramatic sketch as if it were a Wagner opera, with ponderous pauses and fraught gazes yearning toward depths that the movie doesn’t reach,” but where Brody fails to appreciate the incredible subtleties of tension that simmer throughout the film,...
- 5/19/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Snow falls on the Cappadocia Mountains as turmoil boils up indoors between a wealthy writer and his wife. At least that would the superficial way to describe master filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest intimate epic, which earned him the Palme d’Or award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. But with Ceylan’s work nothing is ever shallow. His affinity to elicit nuanced vulnerability from both his actors and the landscape is present in every frame of this 196-minute marvel of a film. Yes, it’s a film that expands for over three hours, which takes place in just a few locations and focuses on a small cast. That, however, should not deter anyone from experiencing this riveting and powerful work. Time is not an issue for Ceylan’s calibrated pacing, and it never becomes one for the viewer that is willing to dive in fully into the emotional and philosophical odyssey that is “Winter Sleep."
Read More: Sydney Levine's Feature Piece on "Winter Sleep" from Cannes 2014
Aydin (Haluk Bilginer), the owner of a charmingly rustic hotel, is having issues with a family of unruly tenants at a different property within the mountain community. He rarely bothers with micromanaging any of his business. His butler/handyman Hidayet (Ayberk Pekcan) handles all the daily operations that would otherwise occupy Aydin’s time. Instead, the refined middle-aged man dedicates his days to writing. Aydin writes articles about relevant occurrences in the small town, and he is particularly drawn to the lack of righteousness he sees in certain religious leaders. In fact, his own self-declared virtue is often what scares people away. He is a man of principles who, unconsciously perhaps, uses such qualities against the flawed individuals that surround him.
Both his young wife Nihal (Melisa Sözen) and his divorced sister Necla (Demet Akbag) feel weak under his unspoken and all-consuming superiority. On the one hand, Nihal wants to find a small amount of independence by doing charity work without Aydin’s supervision. Raising money without his help would grant her a sense of fulfillment outside of his domain. Necla, on the other hand, is obsessed with the idea of defeating evil by passively accepting it. She claims that by not fighting evil the perpetrator will experience shame. Aydin finds this philosophy absurd, probably even more so because of a recent incident with the troublemaking tenants. This concoction of complex ideologies and internal conflicts makes for thought provoking conversations throughout the film.
“Winter Sleep” is evidently a dialogue driven film that was inspired by Chekhov’s stories, which Ceylan avidly transformed into the perfect material for his poetic vision. Complementing the searing debates about class and human nature are the spectacular vistas that characterize the director’s work. The vast snowy landscape serves as ominous backdrop for the characters’ realizations about one another. Like in his previous works, Ceylan once again correlates his protagonists’ internal state with the natural environment and the weather. Their introspective thoughts translate into the dangerous beauty of his chosen locations.
Indoors, the Caravaggesque cinematography by Ceylan's longtime collaborator Gökhan Tiryaki is warm and elegant. The images are just stylized enough to be noticed but still minimalistic in order for the outstanding performances to shine. Veteran Turkish actor Haluk Bilginer is a subdued force of nature. Aydin is a man whose convictions define him. There is little room in his idiosyncratic lifestyle to notice the suffocating nature of his behavior. Bilginer captures that self-righteousness with unsettling easy. As the plot thickness and his worldview is challenged repeatedly, doubt starts to set in. Yet, as he himself puts it when confronting timid Nihal, he is not entirely to blame for his monstrous outbursts. “Idolizing a man and then being mad at him because he’s not a god. Do you think that’s fair?” exclaims Aydin. The same monster that is freighting is also capable of kindness, and is this grading duality that is so difficult to accept. Ceylan doesn’t work with absolutes.
Among the marvelously cast ensemble, one performer that stand out is young Emirhan Doruktutan who plays Ilyas, and Nejat Isler who is his father Ismail. With hardly any lines the boy manages to inflict tremendous pain. His penetrating look conveys immeasurable anger towards Aydin and his family for humiliating his father. At the same time, Ismail’s quietly deranged grin is lethal in crucial scenes. Anguish masked with pride is visible on both of their faces, which is definitely an affecting sight.
When it comes to exploring morality and the ambiguity of his characters’ actions, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s has an infinite talent for subtly. He allows each scene to play to its limit. The hypnotizing back and forth between his actors is clearly the result of profound work and trust between them and the filmmaker. Sure, some people will undoubtedly be put off by the running time or the specific storytelling approach that Ceylan employs to slow cook the drama. The way he permeates the plot with a potent dose of big ideas dissected through a very personal narrative is something that asks for the audience to be receptive and to go all the way. Nevertheless, “Winter Sleep” is a ravishingly beautiful testament to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s incredible talent for precise observation. Give yourself the chance to be affected. Without a doubt I was, from minute 1 to minute 196, absorbed by the impeccable mastery of one of Ceylan’s most accomplished masterpieces.
Read More: Sydney Levine's Feature Piece on "Winter Sleep" from Cannes 2014
Aydin (Haluk Bilginer), the owner of a charmingly rustic hotel, is having issues with a family of unruly tenants at a different property within the mountain community. He rarely bothers with micromanaging any of his business. His butler/handyman Hidayet (Ayberk Pekcan) handles all the daily operations that would otherwise occupy Aydin’s time. Instead, the refined middle-aged man dedicates his days to writing. Aydin writes articles about relevant occurrences in the small town, and he is particularly drawn to the lack of righteousness he sees in certain religious leaders. In fact, his own self-declared virtue is often what scares people away. He is a man of principles who, unconsciously perhaps, uses such qualities against the flawed individuals that surround him.
Both his young wife Nihal (Melisa Sözen) and his divorced sister Necla (Demet Akbag) feel weak under his unspoken and all-consuming superiority. On the one hand, Nihal wants to find a small amount of independence by doing charity work without Aydin’s supervision. Raising money without his help would grant her a sense of fulfillment outside of his domain. Necla, on the other hand, is obsessed with the idea of defeating evil by passively accepting it. She claims that by not fighting evil the perpetrator will experience shame. Aydin finds this philosophy absurd, probably even more so because of a recent incident with the troublemaking tenants. This concoction of complex ideologies and internal conflicts makes for thought provoking conversations throughout the film.
“Winter Sleep” is evidently a dialogue driven film that was inspired by Chekhov’s stories, which Ceylan avidly transformed into the perfect material for his poetic vision. Complementing the searing debates about class and human nature are the spectacular vistas that characterize the director’s work. The vast snowy landscape serves as ominous backdrop for the characters’ realizations about one another. Like in his previous works, Ceylan once again correlates his protagonists’ internal state with the natural environment and the weather. Their introspective thoughts translate into the dangerous beauty of his chosen locations.
Indoors, the Caravaggesque cinematography by Ceylan's longtime collaborator Gökhan Tiryaki is warm and elegant. The images are just stylized enough to be noticed but still minimalistic in order for the outstanding performances to shine. Veteran Turkish actor Haluk Bilginer is a subdued force of nature. Aydin is a man whose convictions define him. There is little room in his idiosyncratic lifestyle to notice the suffocating nature of his behavior. Bilginer captures that self-righteousness with unsettling easy. As the plot thickness and his worldview is challenged repeatedly, doubt starts to set in. Yet, as he himself puts it when confronting timid Nihal, he is not entirely to blame for his monstrous outbursts. “Idolizing a man and then being mad at him because he’s not a god. Do you think that’s fair?” exclaims Aydin. The same monster that is freighting is also capable of kindness, and is this grading duality that is so difficult to accept. Ceylan doesn’t work with absolutes.
Among the marvelously cast ensemble, one performer that stand out is young Emirhan Doruktutan who plays Ilyas, and Nejat Isler who is his father Ismail. With hardly any lines the boy manages to inflict tremendous pain. His penetrating look conveys immeasurable anger towards Aydin and his family for humiliating his father. At the same time, Ismail’s quietly deranged grin is lethal in crucial scenes. Anguish masked with pride is visible on both of their faces, which is definitely an affecting sight.
When it comes to exploring morality and the ambiguity of his characters’ actions, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s has an infinite talent for subtly. He allows each scene to play to its limit. The hypnotizing back and forth between his actors is clearly the result of profound work and trust between them and the filmmaker. Sure, some people will undoubtedly be put off by the running time or the specific storytelling approach that Ceylan employs to slow cook the drama. The way he permeates the plot with a potent dose of big ideas dissected through a very personal narrative is something that asks for the audience to be receptive and to go all the way. Nevertheless, “Winter Sleep” is a ravishingly beautiful testament to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s incredible talent for precise observation. Give yourself the chance to be affected. Without a doubt I was, from minute 1 to minute 196, absorbed by the impeccable mastery of one of Ceylan’s most accomplished masterpieces.
- 12/19/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
In his most talky and arguably most “Turkish” film to date, writer/director Nuri Bilge Ceylan grandly ponders and elaborates on an immense amount of thickset, intricate and ever so spiraling drama around the human condition. 2014’s Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep, the seventh feature of Ceylan’s career, takes aim throughout its 196-minute expansive running time and shoots its thorny ideas around class, society and the many self-righteous trivialities of the privileged to an often brutally truthful outcome. Not all of these bullets always find a target, mind you –Winter Sleep occasionally squanders its wealth of wisdom amid hitting redundant notes (one can imagine a shorter and equally effective film)– but when they do, the icy, visceral pain it evokes is at once humanizing and mystifying in equal measure. Winter Sleep is set in the fantastical Cappadocia in Turkey – land of the ‘fairy chimneys’ — and mainly follows the evidently well-off stage-actor-turned-hotel-owner Aydın (Haluk Bilginer) and...
- 12/17/2014
- by Tomris Laffly
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Twitter is doublestuffed with check-your-privilege messages for entitled men, but I've rarely seen one as potent as this singular line from Nuri Bilge Ceylan's out-of-time masterwork Winter Sleep, a Chekhovian drama of marriage and class and the way both can inspire insulated cluelessness. "Just once, I'd like you to defend something that might cost you, and have feelings that don't benefit yourself," says a miserable young wife (Melisa Sözen) to the wealthy older husband who has given her a life free of all wants — except those of the soul. The wife has devoted herself to charity, to the improvement of education in a nearby village on the Turkish steppe; the husband, a rare soft-spoken blowhard, has recently horned in on her fundraising, eager to show he...
- 12/17/2014
- Village Voice
Peculiarly, pathos has proven to be a more reliable element in comedies than in dramas. The pitiful man tends to incite a curious form of laughter than he would empathy, especially when his piteousness is welded with a muted strain of conceit. This is particularly a male phenomenon as well. By account of his built-in vanity and his lack of natural poise, the ultimate nonfulfillment of man, more than woman, almost seems deserved, as though karma has finally come forth to give the excessively proud its comeuppance. Since even in sadness these men refrain from grace, this blow to their vanity turns humorous, their every pretense conspicuous to a detached audience and their every lie palpable. We are prompted to engage with the work by laughing at the ignoble fool’s ignorance of everyone’s cognizance, as he lies and patronizes, while everybody sees through him except for himself. He...
- 11/3/2014
- by Morad Moazami
- SoundOnSight
Winter Sleep
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Written by Ebru Ceylan and Nuri Bilge Ceylan, based on stories by Anton Chekhov
Turkey, 2014
Turkey is a place of complicated ethos and Winter Sleep, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s meandering three-hour work attempts to obliquely capture some of this complexity where his previous films would simply obliterate the vast swathes of Turkey’s predominantly “oriental”, non-secular, less Cannes-friendly identity. With this umpteenth filmic attempt at decorticating the ennui of the westernised, urban Turkish middle class, Ceylan, the poster boy for the part of Turkey that views itself as a precinct of Europe, and a Cannes darling, eventually succeeded in winning the Palme d’Or. Ceylan has been one of the directors ‘subscribed’ to Cannes (think the Dardenne brothers, Kiarostami, Von Trier, recently joined by newly anointed Xavier Dolan, directors whose films tend to be selected not on individual merit but on the directors...
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Written by Ebru Ceylan and Nuri Bilge Ceylan, based on stories by Anton Chekhov
Turkey, 2014
Turkey is a place of complicated ethos and Winter Sleep, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s meandering three-hour work attempts to obliquely capture some of this complexity where his previous films would simply obliterate the vast swathes of Turkey’s predominantly “oriental”, non-secular, less Cannes-friendly identity. With this umpteenth filmic attempt at decorticating the ennui of the westernised, urban Turkish middle class, Ceylan, the poster boy for the part of Turkey that views itself as a precinct of Europe, and a Cannes darling, eventually succeeded in winning the Palme d’Or. Ceylan has been one of the directors ‘subscribed’ to Cannes (think the Dardenne brothers, Kiarostami, Von Trier, recently joined by newly anointed Xavier Dolan, directors whose films tend to be selected not on individual merit but on the directors...
- 10/28/2014
- by Zornitsa
- SoundOnSight
The top prize-winner at this spring’s Cannes Film Festival will represent Turkey in the foreign-language Academy Award race. Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Winter Sleep, a provocative drama about a former actor who has alienated just about everyone—including his wife (Melisa Sözen, above)—in the mountain community where he now runs a hotel, won the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes in May. Ömer Cerik, Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, tweeted, “I hope Ceylan will show the same success during his Oscar journey as he has many times in the international arena.”
No Turkish film has...
No Turkish film has...
- 8/6/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Winter Sleep Trailer. Nuri Bilge Ceylan‘s Winter Sleep / Kis uykusu (2014) Turkish movie trailer stars Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sözen, Demet Akbag, Serhat Mustafa Kiliç, and Nejat Isler. Winter Sleep‘s plot synopsis: “Aydin, a former actor, runs a small hotel in central Anatolia with his young wife Nihal with whom he has [...]
Continue reading: Winter Sleep (2014) Turkish Movie Trailer: Solitude Brings out the Worst...
Continue reading: Winter Sleep (2014) Turkish Movie Trailer: Solitude Brings out the Worst...
- 6/2/2014
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Just announced today is the official acquisition of Cannes prestigious Palme d'Or winner Winter Sleep (check Ben Croll's excellent review here) in the Australian territory. This is an excellent, exciting and timely purchase for distributor Sharmill Films, fingers crossed it premieres theatrically here soon or is part of the Melbourne International Film Festival lineup....also acquired for Australian distribution is Swedish film Force Majeure (Turist), winner of the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard category.Winter Sleep, directed by the masterful Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia), also won the Fipresci prize awarded by the international critics. The film is a Chekhovian meditation on marriage starring Haluk Bilginer and Melisa Sözen.Executive Director of Sharmill Films, Natalie Miller Ao, said she was...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/27/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Sharmill Films is delighted to announce its acquisition of Winter Sleep, the winner of the Palme d.Or at this year.s Cannes Film Festival. Also acquired for Australian distribution is Swedish film Force Majeure (Turist), winner of the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard category in Cannes. Winter Sleep, directed by the masterful Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia), also won the Fipresci prize awarded by the international critics. A .richly engrossing, ravishingly beautiful. and epic film, Winter Sleep is a Chekhovian meditation on marriage starring Haluk Bilginer and Melisa Sözen. Executive Director of Sharmill Films, Natalie Miller Ao, said she was thrilled that Winter Sleep was awarded the top prize in Cannes. .The film is a masterpiece,. she said. .Winter Sleep was one of our two new acquisitions,. commented Miller. .We are thrilled to have the Scandinavian film Force Majeure, a disaster...
- 5/27/2014
- by Press release
- IF.com.au
★★★★☆Having carried home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Film back in 2011 with the exceptional Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, celebrated Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan returns to both the Croisette and the Official Competition with Winter Sleep (2014). Aydin (Haluk Bilginer) is a landlord and hotelier in a remote mountain region of Anatolia. A former actor, he passes his time writing a column for the local newspaper, chatting with the foreign guests in the hotel and contemplating his yet to be started History of Turkish Theatre. Living with him are his recently divorced sister, Necla (Demet Akbag), and his young wife Nihal (Melisa Sözen), with whom he has an intermittently distant and difficult relationship.
- 5/17/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Cannes – Friday May 16th
The first title out of the gate at this morning’s 8:30 a.m. showing was the first of three Canadian films in the Main Competition. Snatched up earlier by the A24 folks, starring Ryan Reynolds, Scott Speedman, Rosario Dawson and Mireille Enos, The Captive landed mostly 2 star notes with our panel, unfortunately making Atom Egoyan’s kidnapping thriller the first misfire of the fest. Winner of the Grand Prix and the International Critic’s Prize by the F.I.P.R.E.S.C.I.for The Sweet Hereafter in 1997, the Canuck has been at the fest’s Directors’ Fortnight for Speaking Parts (1989) and The Adjuster (1991) and found a home in the official selections for six features: Exotica (1994), Felicia’s Journey (1993), Ararat (2002 – Out of Comp), Where the Truth Lies (2005) and 2008′s Adoration.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s over three hour dialogue driven drama occupied a one time showing 3:00 p.
The first title out of the gate at this morning’s 8:30 a.m. showing was the first of three Canadian films in the Main Competition. Snatched up earlier by the A24 folks, starring Ryan Reynolds, Scott Speedman, Rosario Dawson and Mireille Enos, The Captive landed mostly 2 star notes with our panel, unfortunately making Atom Egoyan’s kidnapping thriller the first misfire of the fest. Winner of the Grand Prix and the International Critic’s Prize by the F.I.P.R.E.S.C.I.for The Sweet Hereafter in 1997, the Canuck has been at the fest’s Directors’ Fortnight for Speaking Parts (1989) and The Adjuster (1991) and found a home in the official selections for six features: Exotica (1994), Felicia’s Journey (1993), Ararat (2002 – Out of Comp), Where the Truth Lies (2005) and 2008′s Adoration.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s over three hour dialogue driven drama occupied a one time showing 3:00 p.
- 5/16/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Winter Sleep
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Writers: Nuri Bilge Ceylan and wife/actress/producer Ebru Ceylan
Producers: Zeynep Ozbatur Atakan (has been Ceylan’s producer since Climates).
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Haluk Bilginer (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Demet Akbag, Melisa Sözen
There was a time when Kar-Wai, Ki Duk, Almodovar could do no wrong. And while they’ve had recent bumps in the road, apart from Haneke the filmmaker personality who has landed number one on our 2014 list has been solid for more than a decade. Since he preemed his third film 2002′s Distant in Cannes, he has been batting near a thousand with Climates, Three Monkeys and arguably one of the best films of 2011 in Once Upon A Time in Anatolia. Nuri Bilge Ceylan might follow up his masterwork set in the sprawling hills with what looks like a portrait in a more unforgiving terrain. Production lasted four...
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Writers: Nuri Bilge Ceylan and wife/actress/producer Ebru Ceylan
Producers: Zeynep Ozbatur Atakan (has been Ceylan’s producer since Climates).
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Haluk Bilginer (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Demet Akbag, Melisa Sözen
There was a time when Kar-Wai, Ki Duk, Almodovar could do no wrong. And while they’ve had recent bumps in the road, apart from Haneke the filmmaker personality who has landed number one on our 2014 list has been solid for more than a decade. Since he preemed his third film 2002′s Distant in Cannes, he has been batting near a thousand with Climates, Three Monkeys and arguably one of the best films of 2011 in Once Upon A Time in Anatolia. Nuri Bilge Ceylan might follow up his masterwork set in the sprawling hills with what looks like a portrait in a more unforgiving terrain. Production lasted four...
- 3/7/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
A little bit of coin news from Europe’s Eurimages Fund (support of 13 projects) in the same token drops a couple of hints on where we might be at with some of our favorite European auteurs – topping the list and making our mouths water for Cannes 2014 is a listing for Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s next feature film entitled Winter Sleep – a Turkish-German-France co-production. Further digging tells us that Ceylan actually began filming in late January in the unique backdrop of Cappadocia, Turkey with actors Haluk Bilginer (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Demet Akbag, Melisa Sözen on board. Swedish auteur Ruben Ostlund (whose Play is mysteriously still without a U.S Distributor) is inches away from filming Tourist – which will be ready for a Croisette 2014 showing as well. Jasmila Zbanic who won big in Berlin back in 2006 with Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams, is funding her latest Love Island and feel...
- 3/20/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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