Günesi Gördüm (2009) User Reviews

Kurdish issue has never been exposed this way!

[makiratli · 8/10 · 15 March 2009]

I have to confess that Mahsun Kirmizigul was not a name for me to follow or mention in any atmosphere until i watched Gunesi Gordum (means "I Saw The Sun"). There is a big kurdish issue in Turkey. It's not just in the southeast but in the entire country. This is the point where this film break through: How this problem effects all these people?

The story starts in a village in southeast, surrounded by the mountains which are also the permanent residences for the PKK terrorists. Davut and his brothers and their children and grandsons lives there. Davut has three sons. One, is a terrorist, lives on the mountains and fights against the Turkish army, believes that he is fighting for their people. The other one is a soldier in the army. And the youngest one is disabled because of a mine explosion. Even only the structure of this family gives us a spectacular aspect of the district. They have to leave the village and go somewhere else to live. It's not a choice they made, it is a must! The story goes on with their new lives. Some in Istanbul and some in Norway. Are they really their lives or did something or someone take it from them? Did they want it to be that way? In a scene Havar (played by Demet Evgar) says "A man of this land can be a korucu (means village guardian), a soldier or a terrorist. There is no 4th option!" or in another one Davut (acted by Altan Erkekli) who begins to live in Norway says "No matter if here is a heaven, i'd prefer my land".

Even the source of the kurdish issue is not the main subject in the film, it still has something to say about how this issue effects people of this country. And there is a solution proposal made by a captain of Turkish army: "What if state gives a hand to the people of this district?". Even some side stories harms the main one, and the film is lacking to answer why there is a such a problem and its involvement with PKK, Mahsun Kirmizigul, the writer and the director of the movie manages to tell his story maybe in the simplest way it could be, like it has never been before. Especially Altan Erkekli and Serif Sezer are shining in their roles. Suggested to the ones curious about the issue...

it is far far away from being a classic or what so ever

[EchoMaRinE · 7/10 · 31 October 2009]

I watched the movie yesterday and thought on it for a while. Let me share my humble opinion on some aspects of the movie. The story was crafted to make it as tragic as possible by putting problems of people who were forced to migrate in the focus and spicing it with social adaptation. While trying to point some problems like terror and the social pressure, the choices were too far from each other. If the story was focusing only on the migrating family, it could have been much better. The gay issue didn't fit the whole movie at all and it looks like a patch trying to gain sympathy. So, for the plot, it is over exaggerated tragedy. Acting is good, especially the main characters did a pretty good job. I am afraid, I can't be that positive for the directing and technical aspects. The fighting scene was very clumsy. Overall camera usage was pathetic. This movie is an Oscar candidate by now. I don't think it has the slightest chance. Although the movie is quite good in some aspects, it is far far away from being a classic or what so ever...

Politics, humanity, war and LGBT rights all in a gritty, realistic movie ...

[imranahmedsg · 8/10 · 3 June 2018]

The link between war, development and poverty is unequivocally demonstrated in this Turkish movie about the long standing Kurdish insurgency in the country's eastern provinces. Most people just wish to get on with their lives and have no time for nationalisms or 'isms' of other sorts. Indeed, ask the transvestite character in the film, and it's clear most of us have many of our own problems without taking on the burdens of others onto our own shoulders.

Nonetheless, humans cannot be divorced from the realities around them. Hence, the individual who joins a political movement infused with the idealism of youth. Pitted against him is his brother who believes in the power and strength of the state to deliver services, e.g. education and healthcare. As these two fight, innocent farmers and shepherds who happen to live in villages in the battleground suffer.

To suffer means economic destruction and even death.

This is the story of one such family caught up in Turkey's Kurdish insurgency. Simultaneously, the movie reveals the conservative and male dominated nature of rural Turkish society.

It's a sad movie - prepared to shed tears. But 'I Saw the Sun' is a social statement which provides powerful insights for any student of Turkish society. The movie provides few answers but forces us to ask the right questions.

A must watch for anyone interested in Turkish society.

In Turkish with English subtitles.

A Bold Film

[tevfikakbasli · 2 November 2009]

I Saw the Sun is a film of an ongoing tragedy that has claimed the lives of more than 50000 people which has left upwards of 22000 bodies gravely injured. While taking a stand against discrimination and othering of all sorts, this film bravely tells the shattered story of the past 25 years, pointing out warring, fighting and despising what is different as the problem. The story told in I Saw the Sun was inspired by true stories and was shot in 6 different countries. Director Mahsun Kırmızıgül dedicated the film to "hope, peace and children". It was the greatest tragedy for Turkish and Kurdish brothers living in Turkey to kill each other after living together peacefully for 2000 years. Voicing his thoughts on the matter; director Mahsun Kırmızgül embarked on a journey to write the story of the ongoing reality of war. When he began writing the screenplay, he wanted to tell all that people turned a blind eye to. The true story of a 100 year problem, a 25 year war, over 50000 dead, 22000 critically injured, 800 billion dollars spent Kırmızıgül's courage to voice opinions that no one else has dared; did perhaps stem from his sensitivity. Writing and filming such a story was thorny at best in consideration of the current situation of the country. Born and raised in the East, privy to the culture and the trials and tribulations of the area, he began writing the screenplay, drawing from his own experiences and weaving true life stories together. He drew attention to the 2.5 million dislocated people forced into obscurity to be ground in the cogwheels of large cities, as the result of the mandatory relocation policy and shed light on their troubled lives. In his screenplay, he deconstructed a Kurdish family in minute detail, putting the lives of the Southeastern people on display. Creating the parent characters with one son in the military, one a terrorist and another who lost a leg because of a landmine, pretty much laid it all out there about the conjuncture of Turkey. The crux of the story where the tragedy laid was the parents who were caught in between sons who were a guerrilla and a soldier. Two Kurdish brothers that lived in Turkey have each gone to be warring parties. The despair of the father was the reflection of Turkey's quarter century despair. When writing about this family living in the East of Turkey, the director also pointed out the poverty and the lack of education while emphasizing the naivety and sentimentality of those people, their familial devotion and their respect for each other. The peaceful and joyful lives of the village people were disrupted and transformed from heaven into hell. Mahsun Kırmızıgül hasn't shied away from severe discourse against the state and the system and told his story through a critical eye. The character of transvestite Kadri is one of the most significant characters as far as storytelling goes. To conceive of such a character in such a conservative culture is in a way a proclamation of the elimination of prejudices and a call for liberty for all. This screenplay tackled the issue of homosexuality through a perspective that viewed it not as a choice but a way of creation. Kadri's story was also drawn from real life, making an impact on the audience with its astounding final. The story of the Kurdish family going to Norway is also a tragic one where people find the solution of their problems in leaving their country after being repressed under unsolvable problems for a long time. The deal the family makes with human traffickers to go to Norway also offers the audience memorable cinematic pictures.Turkey is the crossroads for refugees and illegal travelers alike. Only 10% of the 2.65 million illegal travelers passing through Turkey en route to hope can be detected. In 2008, 243 thousand people were caught in the process. Each year, Asian and African refugees use this country to go somewhere else. In the film, the Altun family calls for democracy by way of comparison between the democratized nations' standards of living and theirs. Mamo, the main character in the film is a doting father. His interaction with his children makes for sentimental scenes. As the stories and characters come together and flow harmoniously toward the final, the screenwriter reinforces his screenplay with statistical data and draws the audience in on the enormous dimensions of the situation thus taking the he impact to the highest level.

well directed movie based on clichés

[TigerMoods · 7/10 · 31 October 2009]

first of all i would like to say something about the director... i couldn't believe that he was the director of a such well directed film when i watched his first movie, i still have doubts about his work being his work but it has nothing to do with him being kurdish, it is just because of his earlier carrier being one of the worst singers in the country... maybe this was supposed to be his real carrier since the beginning...

i liked the film, i liked the camera work, i liked the coloring, i liked most of the acting (for example ali surmeli was not good enough, he can do much better)... but... i did not like the clichés... there is the cliché used by the snob intellectuals of turkey: the fight in the south east is the fault of both the army and the terrorists, the army should not be on the mountains... the army is there because the imperialist founded terrorists are on the mountains...

also the matter of villages evacuated... it is true that many villages were emptied by the army but there is a reason... there are villages on the region where all the population is consisting of relatives, like 2-3 families each having 10 children forms a village and all of them are relatives... and why do they do it? because they have problems with their cousins on the next village... the governments cannot provide everything to these small villages because the population is just not enough to spend that much, it is not a nice thing not to have a doctor in your village but no doctor would go to work in a village where there are only 5 houses... so this is a problem there but it was not created by the government, it is the problem of the region caused by the lifestyle... and they were evacuated because these small villages provide shelter and food to the terrorists even though they do not support terrorism but the terrorists are from their family...

also the gay cliché... it is like that everywhere around the world, no one wants a homosexual in the family... some people can deal with it and some cannot, and in the east where everyone around you is also family, it is a bigger problem for simple minded... they tend to kill the gay in order to clean the "virus" from the family because they just think it will spread to the others... but this killing is a way of life for these people, they kill the soldiers, doctors, teachers, nurses, policemen, everyone who are not one of them...

it is a nice movie, worth watching... but i am not really OK with the clichés... the message is good, we want peace... but the peace won't come to those who are holding the guns against the government... i am not a supporter of the government, i actually don't like any of their actions but i am not going to the mountains and bomb innocent people...

and the Oscar nomination... i think it can make it... after all they have all the clichés the academy likes, homosexuality, war and peace... and it is not anti-semitist, either... you know how political the academy can be so i wouldn't be surprised if this movie gets an award...

ps. 7 is above the average in my scale...

movie in conformity with standards

[m_ra_zra · 6/10 · 22 September 2009]

How the movie started, you expect a war movie. But it was not more then the reason for the consequences what could occur. Everything what could occur, only just one family suffered very much, at the cost of the trustworthiness. Leaving your homeland concerned all families and all other consequences were forced. Although this is not a political movie stones were thrown to politicians.

The casting was almost the same like in other films where Kurdish people are involved. Sometimes it is boring. In this movie the great actors were under their level. No facial emotions only physical presence. But shouting women were touching.

The name of the movie has been also explained. A minor issue cannot carry the title, it is misleading not because of director's creativity but the story is not set right. Who lives in Turkey knows a lot about this subject. This knowledge will fill in when it is not right. The intention will be understood.

Further, technical things are in conformity with standards.

A winner

[S_M_G · 9/10 · 19 March 2009]

I lived in Turkey when Mahsun Kirmizigul was a folk(arabesk) singer then I moved away...

I'm a rock/hip hop woman, I never paid much attention to him; always thought his kind of music was "beneath me". How elitist, how inconsiderate of me!

I moved back to Turkey 2 months ago from US and I watched "Gunesi Gordum" today...

Mahsun Kirmizigul won my respect, my admiration today...

Gunesi Gordum is an amazing movie. Every scene in the movie, every actor is spot on. It touches extremely sensitive subjects in Turkey and comes out a winner.

This movie makes you cry for the terrorists' family AND for the soldier that died defending his country. A son is a son. That's what this movie shows you without politicizing it.

It makes you see the pain of the homophobic brother facing the transvestite brother.

It makes you see how "privileged" you are while a big part of your country / world is just trying to HOLD ON....

Thank you Mahsun for this movie. I really hope you get the recognition you deserve.

War in the City

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 31 December 2017]

There is no war in a city here, it's during unrest let's call it. If you are not familiar with the situation Turkey and the Kurds are having, you want to read up on that. It's not necessary to understand the movie/follow the story. It might be interesting to have this as a backdrop though to refer back to.

It's about a family in troubled times as you can imagine. One that has not only to face outside danger, but also has quite some turmoil inside the family. Feelings get hurt, but there is also violence especially with a thinking that may seem very backwards to a lot of people. Sometimes that is used for comedy (when it comes to technology or the "wonders" they achieve) but this is mostly a drama, with high stakes for every one involved. It's not easy to chew on and there are quite a few bumps along the road, still this has the right ingredients, it just needed a bit of a better direction and less confusion in parts

excellent

[umitkaygisiz · 10/10 · 24 August 2011]

The film explains the truths about Turkey. Mahsun Kirimizigul is a singer in fact. And nearly half of the Turkish population thinks he is a caveman in Istanbul. But he is the best. He just does his work. He doesn't like magazines like another famous people. He just does his work and disappears.. But our citizen can't understand it. Mahsun knows much more things than the people who say him caveman.. That's OK i love him and his projects, his music, his personality although who whatever says..

Film is really good, you should watch if you are a smart and objective watcher. Thanks!

One of the best Turkish movies

[chera_khalid · 7/10 · 30 September 2023]

"Günesi Gördüm" unfolded like a tapestry of emotions, weaving a tale of family, love, and the complexities of human connection. The acting was a standout, with performances that resonated with authenticity and depth. The film editing seamlessly navigated through timelines, creating a poignant narrative that unfolded with grace. The musical score, though not overpowering, complemented the storytelling, enhancing the emotional impact of pivotal scenes. The film's strength lay in its ability to capture the essence of Turkish culture and the intricacies of familial bonds. The cinematography beautifully depicted the landscapes of Istanbul, providing a visual feast for the audience. With a rating of 7/10, "Günesi Gördüm" is a testament to the power of storytelling, offering a heartfelt and nuanced exploration of the human experience.

An ordinary and boring movie with one good message

[bilinmeyenosey · 3/10 · 5 October 2009]

About the movie: One of the messages of the movie which is the problem of Turks and Kurds is very useful and must be emphasized. Turks and Kurds are brothers and of the same team. Another message, which is the homosexuality doesn't have anything to do with the movie's general outline and I still can't understand, why it is there. Most probably in order to gain the Western audience's admiration. The funny part is about Norway. I don't know if the Norwegians somehow paid for the movie but there couldn't be any better propaganda for the country. I also live in Europe and we all know that Norway is not paradise and has other (maybe not financial or material issues but definitely social and pertaining to the Norwegian behaviour to foreigners) problems.

About its Oscar-candidacy: Well the West does like topics like homosexuality, political instabilities in a non-Western country (Oscar is quite political sometimes) and especially the well-known sun-symbolism. I don't know if Mahsun Kirmizigul also became part of the so-called Hollywood-initiation, but it can hardly be a coincidence that the sun is so emphasized in the movie. I don't really believe that it is going to get the prize.

Mahsun Kirmizigul's second film looks as to give birth to even better films.

[selimaksan · 8/10 · 16 March 2009]

Mahsun Kirmizigul's second film Gunesi Gordum looks as to give birth to even better films.Nobody thought that Kirmizigul was going to be a director.Nobody even did guess he was going to direct the best talents of Turkish cinema and theater like Erol Gunaydin,Serif Sezer,Altan Erkekli,Idiz,Esen,Surmeli....and others. Congrats to Mahsun Kirmizigul. The move talks about dark ages of country.Besides well known political issues it tells dramatical stories of social and individual life of the Anatolian society.The story begins in south east of turkey and ends in Istanbul/Norway.Powerty,education,political power,social security system,homosexuality,violence,peace,war,migration are the sub lines of the story.Many of the actors and talents do their best in acting.Especially Altan Erkekli,Serif Sezer,all kids,Mahsun Kirmizigul and especially Cemal Toktas as an homosexual character deserve special attention.We will be following Kirmizigul's next steps and look forward for technically and thematically even better movies.

Good

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 7/10 · 14 August 2021]

Mahsun Kirmizigul was a good singer. Why did he decide to become a director?

But this movie is the best of its career. His other movies are all alike, but I liked the plot and process of this movie.

Anti-Kurdish propaganda

[MedianFire · 1/10 · 8 March 2010]

The film's title is suggestive, as the sun (alongside the fire) is an ancient Kurdish symbol of the Yazidi religion, also illustrated on the Kurdish national flag and thus symbolising freedom and enlightenment for the Kurds today. Thus "seeing the sun" means, in other words, liberating Kurdistan from the Turkish regime, among the others. But interestingly, the one character who literally "sees the sun", the homosexual boy, is being killed. This, I believe, is a message to the Kurds (and the core idea of the film), that only in death will they get their freedom, reminding us of the Turkish racism of "a good Kurd is a dead Kurd". This Turkish association of (Kurdish) freedom and death was also used in the film "Eskiya" (1996). It is worth noting that the film was released in a time when the Turkish aggression towards Iraqi Kurdistan was at its peak. Some months earlier had the Turkish army walked in that part of Kurdistan (under the pretext of fighting the PKK), calling it "Operation the Sun".

Since the time of the creation of the Turkish republic in 1920s and the selling of Ataturk as a "moderniser", Kurdish culture has been portrayed as primitive and no-good, hence "happy is that is a Turk". In other words, "all will be done to make you unhappy if you insist on your Kurdishness" and this film plays that part well. The Kurdish characters and families in the film are not unhappy because of the Turkish state in Kurdistan but because of their own culture, illustrated among others by the fathers wish to have a son (as opposed to a daughter), and of their own people, the PKK. Despite all the reports of human rights organisations on the contrary, the Turkish army is portrayed as loving and caring with no option but to "ask them" to leave.

This film makes no contribution whatsoever to the understanding and thus resolution of the complex issue of the Kurdish Question. On the contrary, by dealing with it through the traditional Turkish racism and anti-Kurdism, the film helps to prolong the Turkish colonialism in Kurdistan, doing no-one any good.

A melodramatic epic that preaches a message of tolerance to a divided country...

[cgyford · 8/10 · 9 November 2010]

Popular Turkish arabesque singer-songwriter turned actor-director Mahsun Kırmızıgül ("The White Angel") followed this sceptically received freshman melodrama with this equally sceptically received sophomore melodrama which topped the Turkish box office and took an unappreciated trip to the Academy Awards selection committee.

Davut (Altan Erkekli) and Ramo (Mahsun Kırmızıgül) head two wings of an extended Kurdish family forced from their village by the conflict in Turkey's south-eastern region with one resettling in Istanbul and the other attempting to illegally enter Norway as the driving force of this epic melodrama of interwoven story lines.

Mahsun Kırmızıgül remains true to his arabesque roots with a demagogic central performance whilst more stoic support comes from veteran character actor Altan Erkekli ("O... Çocuklari" & "Waiting for Heaven"), stunning starlet Demet Evgar ("Shattered Soul" & "Banyo") and Yeşilçam award-winning up-and-comer Cemal Toktaş ("Black Dogs Barking").

The emerging director still suffers from the excess of sentimentality that lead his debut film to box-office success and critical drubbing but here he has a wealth of story lines worthy of his didactic style as his cardboard characters espouse messages of tolerance to a sweeping musical score that even the most cynical can't help but be moved by.

"You rarely ever see the sun here."

My eyes is hurting....

[meys-34933 · 10/10 · 1 December 2020]

I cried until I couldn't cry anymore. Amazing movie, amazing actors, amazing story. I can't describe how amazing this movie is, it's beyond words.

peasant culture extreme

[margaretagne · 5/10 · 21 February 2018]

Interesting picture of a repellent peasant culture, ultimately preferred to civilization when the family goes back to its village in the mountains. Married at 13, the mother goes on to have six children. The father "saw the sun" when the last child is a boy - at last. A gay brother murdered, with no justice seen to be rendered. Inspiring cultural contrast with that of Norway.

A Film About Duality

[brujavu · 8/10 · 15 September 2012]

This beautiful and touching film is about duality on so many levels. First, there is the dilemma faced by a family that has one son in the army, and another in the guerrilla movement... pitting brother against brother. I see this as analogy for the country as a whole, the Kurds and Turks being brothers who are fighting each other. A third son has lost his leg as a result of the violence that their village is subject to on a daily basis. Even those who don't take sides end up suffering. Then, there is the contrast between the father with five daughters for whom nothing is more important than having a son... and his wife and young daughters being very aware of his wishes which expresses with little tact or sensitivity... with the neighbor or relative who is more accepting of what life has given him, and would welcome a daughter. When the villagers are forced to evacuate, we see the juxtaposition of the family who goes to Norway with the one that goes to Istanbul. The émigré family endures some hardships at the hands of the traffickers, but ultimately makes their destination, and finds asylum and hope for a comfortable (who is to say what is "better?") life. The family in Istanbul experiences culture shock in a much more tragic way.. I won't reveal it here. Finally, there is the issue of the transvestite son. I disagree with the person who said that it detracted from the film. It is, in fact, a major issue of the film, and inspired the title. Although this does not become apparent until later in the film, the seeds are planted early on. We see how this son had to keep his true character under wraps in the village, and how, even though still not accepted by his family, he finds acceptance elsewhere, ultimately learning to accept himself. Unfortunately, this self-acceptance cannot survive his family's attitude.

Peace and Harmony

[speedslash10 · 10/10 · 20 March 2010]

Watching this movie made me aware of all the sufferings the Kurdish people went through and how strong and tough they have to be in order to survive all this hardship.

In the mean time two thumbs up for this new Turkish government that finally took the initiative and recognized the problem and took the first step to bring peace to Turkey so the Turks and Kurds can live in peace. Turkey's resources must be used to improve people's lives and not to be used for more destruction.

Finally a big thank you for Mahsun Kirmizigul and everyone who helped to make this movie especially the beautiful children for this eye opening experience.

Favourite Turkish Movie

[yaseminaymaz · 10/10 · 1 May 2018]

This movie was released when Erdogan was still accepted by the majority of Turkey and not considered the threat he is today. This being said, it's sad to see that everything that has been thematised in this movie is accurate and even worse almost 10 years later.

As someone who believes that there is no difference between ethnicities nor religion I find this movie eye-opening in so many positive (and emotional) ways.

I have seen reviews that have called this movie anti-Kurd, pro-gay, pro-Western, anti-Turkish and they all have in common that they 1. have not understood the movie 2. are full of hate 3. are the reason why Turkey is the way it is right now.

This movie showcases the beauty of Kurdish culture, with it flaws and scars. It showcases the incapability of the Turkish government to secure peace. But also that no matter how beautiful Turkey is, it still has a long way to go...

I have never listened to Mahsun Kirmiziguls music (don't think will do anytime soon) but I respect his film-art.

This movie is not easy to digest, but worth every second.

Well made extraordinary movie

[mosquitocyn · 8/10 · 23 March 2023]

I stumbled upon this movie while searching for something to watch on YouTube. I didn't know what it was about and I don't know much about the war the movie dwells on. However, I soon pushed the pause button and read up quickly on the conflict. The story tells of families caught up.in the conflict between guerilla. & government forces and had to be evacuated from their homeland. A family moved to Istanbul and the other to Norway as refugees. The anguish, difficulties, sadness, adjustments and hope they faced are well portrayed and will stay with the viewer for a long time. Acting is really good. The scenery and.breathtaking locations are a bonus. Amongst the challenges of a new life the families try to make, the movie also touches on cultures, taboos and sensitive issues. I think they were covered pretty well with no exaggeration or drama. Recommended watch.