Exposing the Hidden Depths of Human Nature

Nuri Bilge Ceylan is renowned as a master of Turkish cinema. With a glittering career that includes the Grand Prix for "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" and the Best Director award for "Three Monkeys" at Cannes, he finally achieved his long-awaited Palme d'Or win last year with "Winter Sleep." This marks the first time a film by Ceylan will be screened in Japanese theaters.

Inspired by the works of Anton Chekhov, the film weaves together motifs such as the horse that gave Cappadocia its name, a quote from Shakespeare, and the snow that blankets the landscape. It confronts universal themes: the Western and Islamic worlds, man and woman, old age and youth, egoism and pride, and love and hate.

The protagonist, a hotel owner, is portrayed by Haluk Bilginer, a celebrated national actor in Turkey who also works internationally. His young wife is played by the emerging actress Melisa Sözen, and his sister by Demet Akbağ, another star actress from Turkey.

The Setting: Cappadocia in Winter

In Cappadocia, a hotel stands against the winter landscape. Aydın, a former stage actor who inherited a vast fortune from his parents, lives a life of material comfort as a hotel owner. However, his relationship with his young and beautiful wife, Nihal, is strained, as is his connection with his sister, Necla, who lives with them.

Furthermore, he incurs the unexpected resentment of a family to whom he rents out property. As winter deepens and the scenery outside the window fades, their endless conversations begin, fueled by their suppressed discontent.

With their feelings unreciprocated, Aydın decides one day to leave for Istanbul alone, telling Nihal he wishes to separate. However, as if to prevent his departure, heavy snow begins to fall, thwarting his plans and compelling him to return to his wife.

Is it truly this painful and difficult to forgive, to love, to understand one another? Against the backdrop of the magnificent Cappadocian landscape, the characters expose and clash their raw emotions within the confines of a room filled with a sense of confinement. We are captivated by the escalating dialogue that delves into the hidden corners of the human psyche.



Winter Sleep
Opening Saturday, June 27th, at Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho, Shinjuku Musashinokan, and other theaters.
Director | Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring | Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sözen, Demet Akbağ, Ayberk Pekcan, Serhat
Distribution | Bitters End
2014 | Turkey, France, Germany | 196 min | Original Title: "Kis Uykusu"
http://bitters.co.jp/wadachi/


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