Kasaba

The delicately subdued The Small Town was the herald of an astounding string of films that would prove Nuri Bilge Ceylan to be a directorial genius. Shot in black-and-white, it was made on a low budget, partly because the maker wanted to work with a small crew to create an intimate mood. The actors are mainly relatives and friends of the director; the script is based on an autobiographical story by his sister and was shot in a village in Anatolia where he spent his childhood.
The perspective is that of two children, a girl of eleven and her younger brother. In four parts that run parallel with the seasons, they are witnesses to the mysteries of life, nature and human relationships around them.
In the winter episode the girl has trouble adapting at school. In part two, spring, the children walk home through the maize fields and stop by the cemetery to play. The childhood cruelty of the spring scenes flows into a summer evening when the children with their parents and relatives are roasting maize by a fire. The adults’ conversation about war, death, poverty, hunger, work and reputation, reveal all kinds of things about the family. The dreamy last part, set indoors, gives a picture of the dreams of young people and their quest for a place in society. The Small Town continues to hold its irreplaceable position in Turkish cinema with its inspirational minimalism. (EY)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•