The Waterfall (2001)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Semir Aslanyürek

Writer:

Semir Aslanyürek (writer)

Release Date:

16 November 2001 (Turkey)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The story takes place in Harbiye town of Antakya just before the 1960 military coup d'etat. The economic...

Cast

Hülya Koçyigit	...	Semra
Aykut Oray	...	Yusuf Usta
Nurgül Yesilçay	...	Nergis
Fikret Kuskan	...	Cemal
Tuncel Kurtiz	...	Kel Selim
Ege Aydan	...	Sarhos Sami
Enis Aslanyürek	...	Kücük Cemal
Ali Sürmeli	...	Süleyman
Canan Hosgor	...	Cemile
Ezel Akay	...	Kasap Callud
Savas Yurttas	...	Mühir Aga
Zuhal Tatlicioglu	...	Sehra
Serkan Ercan	...	Laz Jandarma
Erdinç Olgaçli	...	Okul Müdürü Aziz
Güner Özkul	...	Azgin Anne

Also Known As:

Sellâle (Turkey: Turkish title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Turkey

Language:

Turkish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12

Company:

Ecco Partners

dreams are only told to flowing water

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Waterfall" is the story of the tense, eventful and emotionally driven days immediately preceding the 1960 coup d'etat, presented with a sense of humor and affection for the people who have lived through it. The story takes place in Antioch, an ancient southern Anatolian city whose diverse history and geography provides the background for the film?s numerous mythologically-based elements and its magical reality. Among the locations of the film are St. Pierre?s Church, the earliest known Christian Church, and the city?s mosaic museum, which features the second largest mosaic collection in the world.

The story takes place in the Harbiye district of Antioch in 1960, two months before the military intervention of May 27th. In the film, the political and economic crisis that affected the country at this time is reflected through the tragic story of a local family. The family of young Cemal is in turmoil because his father and uncle are supporting rival parties and are therefore constantly fighting. The two brothers decide to build a wall to break their common courtyard into two separate living areas. Still, even the wall does not prevent them to climb over the wall on a ladder and continue their constant fighting...

The ironic presentation of the troubles, the mutual accusations and irrational hate I'm the family is alternated in the film with the lyrical story of the waterfall of Harbiye, where the townspeople have a tradition of telling their dreams out loud to the running water. According to the townspeople, ?dreams are only told to flowing water and commenting on them is done by Joseph the prophet.? In accordance with this belief, Cemal frequently goes to the waterfall with his sister Sehra, where they spend quality time together recounting their dreams. Cemal is an apprentice to Bald Selim, the barber of town. This eccentric character is a veteran of World War I and is a republican, although at the same time he is a deep admirer of Stalin. While at work, he goes on criticizing the unpleasant developments in the country, the Marshall Aid, the dispatch of troops to Korea and the powder milk forced on kids at school, the ?donkey milk that Americans have sent to make simpletons out of young local children.? His outspoken character make Bald Selim a loved character at the same time that he is considered by his fellow townspeople to be somewhat off his rocker.

When a construction team, intending to widen the mouth of the waterfall in order to build a dam, blast the rocks at the mouth of the waterfall with dynamite, the rocks split and a considerable part of the water source is lost. The person most enraged by this event is Bald Selim. Cemal and his sister are also very sad as they feel anxious that they won?t be able to tell their dreams to the waterfall anymore.

The spring festival on May 1st, where the townspeople throw a party sitting around the now weakened waterfall and drink to their hearts? content, forms the climax of the film. In the meantime, Cemal?s father, who works as a foreman in the construction of a stadium, is taken into custody because he takes part in a resistance staged by the workers who want their long overdue wages. In the end, the troubled days affecting Cemal?s family end with an event more personal and devastating then the coup d'etat that takes place soon after...