H. Nazan Işık
This year the Tribeca Film Festival (April 18-29), founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001, has two movies from Turkey in its program: Emin Alper’s first feature film Beyond the Hill (Tepenin Ardı), and Sezen Kayhan’s short film Time of the Plums (Erik Zamanı).
Beyond the Hill (Tepenin Ardı), Set in a rural Anatolian town the film gives voice to so many layers of problems related to family, society, law of land, enemy, revenge, racism and even sexual desire.
Faik (Tamer Levent) a retired state forestry officer who moves back to the land he inherited from his grandfather. With him there is a sharecropper family Mehmet (Mehmet Özgür), his wife and their two children. Faik believes nomads (never being seen on screen) have been trespassing and grazing their goads on his land and as revenge he and Mehmet steal a goat. When Nusret (Reha Özcan), Faik’s son, and his two sons Zafer (Berk Hakman) and Caner (Furkan Berk Kiran) come to visit, Faik butchers the goat for dinner served with rakı (a strong Turkish alcoholic drink). That escalates the hidden desires and Faik’s obsession with the unseen nomads.
Image courtesy of the Tribeca Film Festival
Beyond the Hill (Tepenin Ardı) won the Golden Tulip prize for best film and best screenplay in the national competition, 31st. International Istanbul Film Festival, along with the Caligari Film Prize at this year’s 62nd Berlin Film Festival, where it premiered.
Beyond the Hill (Tepenin Ardı) is one of the 12 movies in the Tribeca Film Festival's narrative movies competition. And will be screened on Saturday, April 21, Monday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 25.
Time of the Plums (Erik Zamanı) can be seen on Tuesday, April 19, Friday, April 20, Tuesday April 24, Sunday, April 29 under the sort films Escape Clause program.
The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,300 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. The 2012 film selection includes 80 feature films and 60 short films.
Tribeca Film festival opened on April 18 with Director/writer/producer Nicholas Stoller’s film Five-Year Engagement and will close with director Joss Whedo’s film Marvel’s the Avengers on April 28. April 29 will be the day to screen all the winning movies.
There are some free community events take place during the festival. At the Tribes Drive –In, Jaws (By Steven Spielberg) on April 19, The Gooiness (by Richard Donner) on April 20 and Knuckleball (by Richie Stern and Annie Sandburg) April 21, will be screening in lower Manhattan. On April 28, Street fair brings live Broadway performances, arts and crafts, storytelling, and free screenings.
For more information visit http://www.tribecafilm.com/
