Uzak (2002)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Writer:

Nuri Bilge Ceylan (writer)

Release Date:

20 December 2002 (Turkey)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Mahmut, a 40 year old independent photographer, is a "village boy made good" at least professionally in the big city - Istanbul in this case...

Plot Keywords:

Istanbul | Car | Dream | Surrealism | Hospital

Awards:

18 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Muzaffer Özdemir	...	Mahmut
Emin Toprak	...	Yusuf
Zuhal Gencer	...	Nazan (as Zuhal Gencer Erkaya)
Nazan Kirilmis	...	Lover
Feridun Koc	...	Janitor
Fatma Ceylan	...	Mother
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arif Asçi
Nazli Aydin
Ahmet Bugay
Ebru Ceylan		(as Ebru Yapici)
Ayhan Ergürsel
Erhan Ersoy
Cemal Gülas
Engin Hepsev
Ercan Kesal
Hakan Kuldan
Asli Orhun
Ahmet Özyurt
Bahaltin Surler

Directed by
Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan		writer

Produced by
Nuri Bilge Ceylan	....	producer
Feridun Koc	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Film Editing by
Ayhan Ergürsel

Production Design by
Ebru Ceylan		(as Ebru Yapici)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Serkan Cindoruk	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Ismail Karadas	....	sound

Production Companies

• NBC Ajans
• NBC Film

Distributors

• Filmcoopi Zürich (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Lady Film (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2004) (UK) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2004) (Canada) (all media)
• New Yorker Films (2004) (USA) (subtitled)
• Pelicanfilms (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Özen Film

Also Known As:

Distant (International: English title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

Turkey

Language:

Turkish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hungary:14 | South Korea:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Istanbul, Turkey

Company:

NBC Ajans

Trivia:

In an interview, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan says that he actually didn't have any idea of shooting Yusuf's outdoor scenes in a snowy Istanbul. However, Ceylan woke up one day and saw that the city was covered in snow, so he decided to shoot those scenes that day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bangmunja (2005)

Masterpiece

It has taken me about a year now after seeing this film to write about it. Lord knows I have wanted to, after witnessing it I knew I saw something I hadn't seen before but wasn't sure why. Now after reflecting for quite some time I know, it's these characters that even now I still can't stop thinking about.

Distant briefly and slowly tells the story of a relative (Yusuf) who comes from the rurals to live briefly with a well off to do photographer (Mahmut) in the city in hopes to find employment. However it becomes clear that after Yusuf hypothesizes the idea of being a sailor and his employment prospects dim, that he's really searching for something else, some sort of purpose in his life.

Through all this soul searching we are taken through seasonal surroundings that are filmed exquisitely. The context in which they happen makes the scenes more powerful in 2 particular ones when a girl Yusuf has been following suddenly meets up with her significant other, and the look of Yusuf's face as he looks into a basket of fish and the shot and light that reflects off his tortured face. That scene in itself has to be one of the most gorgeously filmed pieces I have witness in I don't know how long.

In the end Mahmut has his own demons too, but ends up confronting his relative that he is not really trying to find a job and is forced to ask him to leave, in a scene that is very simple but has the feeling of true heartbreak.

What the viewer is left with is lots of reflecting and pondering for these 2 people who everyone can see a piece of themselves in. You should not be put off by the pace of this film it is truly worth every single breathtaking second.

Rating 10 out of 10.