Before Your Eyes (2009)

Diyarbakir, in the late nineties: Two young Kurdish children are forced to live on the street after their parents have been murdered by a member of a secret state security force.

Director:

Miraz Bezar

Writers:

Miraz Bezar, Miraz Bezar (treatment)

Stars:

Senay Orak, Muhammed Al, Hakan Karsak

13 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Senay Orak	...	Gülîstan
Muhammed Al	...	Firat
Hakan Karsak	...	Nuri Kaya
Suzan Ilir	...	Zelal
Berîvan Ayaz	...	Dilan 'Dilara'
Fahriye Çelik	...	Mother
Alisan Önlü	...	Father
Berîvan Eminoglu	...	Aunt Yakbun
Çekdar Korkusuz	...	Çekdar
Recep Özer	...	Bindest
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dilan Akdemir	...	Mrs. Songul's daughter
Yavuz Akkuzu	...	Pharmacist
Mukaddes Alatas	...	Dressy Woman
Ihsan Arat	...	Man giving the ticket
M. Tayfur Aydin	...	Child Trafficker (as Tayfur Aydin)

Storyline

Ten-year old Gulistan and her younger brother Firat live happily with their parents in Diyarbakir, the heart of Turkish Kurdistan. Tragedy strikes when their mother and father are shot down by paramilitary gunmen before their eyes. Traumatised and orphaned, Gulistan, Firat and their infant sister are placed in the care of their young, politically-active aunt Yekbun who soon disappears without a trace. As days turn into weeks, the money that their aunt left them runs out. Eventually, the children have to fend for themselves on the streets, where one day, Gulistan is shocked to come across the murderer of her parents.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site of producer and director

Country:

Germany Turkey

Language:

Kurdish Turkish

Release Date:

2 April 2010 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Before Your Eyes

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bezar Film, Corazón International

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Lion King (1994)

User Reviews

Distant voices

It's simple for me. Gross injustice and hypocrisy out in the world strike me as lamentable baggage of how undeveloped we are. In terms of cinema, I can muster no passion for simply dependable craft hitched on a social cause, the possibility of different ways to perceive ourselves and the myriad forms of suffering is too vast and open-ended a project.

So, I'm only being honest here, this is a solid film, that troubles and sheds light on marginalized lives, that affects in a modest way, but I can feel only a distanced solemnity. It can only be for me a sad reminder of how far back stretches the rear guard of civilization and how unlucky for some people, Dyarbakir in the film, further east these days it's Tikrit and Pakistan. Can we do something beyond a troubled viewing from the comfort of our homes? Is viewing enough?

The ending is a poignant call about this: instead of taking up the same gun in turn against a murderer, let his neighbors and people on the street know, circulate the narrative that unmasks. That's the value it has. But is the film going to be shown to the neighbors?