Distant (2002) Uzak (original title)

Director:

Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Writers:

Nuri Bilge Ceylan (scenario)
Cemil Kavukçu (additional writing)

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:

Ship | Factory | Car | Photographer | Snow

Awards:

24 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

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

Directed by
Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan		scenario
Cemil Kavukçu		additional writing

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

Cinematography by
Nuri Bilge Ceylan		(director of photography) (as N. B. Ceylan)

Film Editing by
Nuri Bilge Ceylan		(as N. B. Ceylan)
Ayhan Ergürsel

Production Management
Feridun Koc	....	production manager (as Feridun Koç)

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

Art Department
Adnan Sahin	....	color supervisor

Sound Department
Erkan Aktas	....	sound mixer
Ismail Karadas	....	sound
Richard Welsh	....	dolby sound consultant

Camera and Electrical Department
Turksoy Golebeyi	....	assistant camera (as Türksoy Gölebeyi)
Zafer Saka	....	set & lighting utility

Editorial Department
Tuncay Koçtürk	....	negative cutter
Mustafa Oruç	....	negative & positive bathing
Erol Sahin	....	printing
Mustafa Sahin	....	negative & positive bathing
Zekeriya Sahin	....	printing
Eyüp Yildiz	....	negative cutter
Yahya Öztürk	....	negative & positive bathing

Thanks
Alaeddin Aksoy	....	thanks
Asiye Aksoy	....	thanks
Arif Asçi	....	thanks
Necmi Aykar	....	thanks
Asiye Bodur	....	thanks
Ebru Ceylan	....	thanks (as Ebru Yapici)
Emine Ceylan	....	thanks
Zeki Demirkubuz	....	thanks
Sadik Incesu	....	thanks
Cemil Kavukçu	....	thanks
Temel Kerimoglu	....	thanks
Kadir Kubasik	....	thanks
Hakan Kürtür	....	thanks
Cemal Okan	....	thanks
Serdar Pehlivanoglu	....	thanks
Keriman Ulusoy	....	thanks
Ahmet Çadirci	....	thanks
Kamer Çelik	....	thanks
Reis Çelik	....	thanks
Yüksel Öztürk	....	thanks
Ahmet Özyurt	....	thanks
Metin Üstündag	....	thanks

Production Companies

• NBC Ajans
• NBC Film

Distributors

• Filmcoopi Zürich (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Lady Film (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Mirada Distribution (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• 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:

"Uzak" - Turkey (original 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:

Mahmut's house is actually the director's own house.

Movie Connections:

Features Stalker (1979)

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.