When Umay (Sibel Kekilli) flees Istanbul with Cem, her five-year-old son (Nizam Schiller), in order to escape her abusive husband (Ufuk Bayraktar), she never truly contemplates just how unwelcome her family reception in Berlin will be. Never mind that her husband beat her regularly and cruelly punishes their son, the worst evil committed is the loss of honor to her conservative Turkish immigrant family name. (“The hand that strikes is also the hand that soothes... A slap or two is no reason to run.”) Umay is dubbed the “deutschwhore” sister and shunned as the family outcast. Exiled from her family home Umay soldiers on, lugging her son between safe houses and friends’ homes all the while attempting to rebuild her life in Berlin. (It is worth noting that the German title, Die Fremde, translates to “The Foreign” or “The Stranger” -- Umay is clearly viewed by her family, as well...
- 1/28/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Based on an “honor killing” that took place in Berlin in 2005, When We Leave, Germany’s worthy submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, starts with a mother’s simple instinct to protect her son. From there, she’s set on an inexorable path to tragedy. Giving a far more sober—though no less impressive—variation on her scintillating breakthrough role in Fatih Akin’s Head-On, Sibel Kekilli stars as a German-born woman from a conservative Turkish Muslim family who flees from her abusive husband (Ufuk Bayraktar) in Istanbul. She and her son (Nizam Schiller) return to Germany ...
- 1/27/2011
- avclub.com
Reviewed by Amy R. Handler
(January 2011)
Directed/Written by: Feo Aladag
Starring: Sibel Kekilli, Nizam Schiller, Derya Alabora, Settar Tanriogen, Tamer Yigit, Serhad Can, Ufuk Bayraktar and Florian Lukas
“When We Leave” is a simple art-house drama that packs a huge sociopolitical wallop, one of those rare and tricky films in which all its component parts seem to work against each other but really move as fluidly as a well-oiled machine.
The plot is hardly a new one, though it is far reaching and, sadly, universal. A young Turkish woman named Umay (Siebel Kekilli) is forced to live with an abusive husband named Kemal (Ufuk Bayraktar) within the confines of an Old World culture. After one beating too many, Umay and her young son Cem (Nizam Schiller) board a plane to Germany and arrive at her parents’ front door. Unfortunately, life with her family is not as she hopes, and...
(January 2011)
Directed/Written by: Feo Aladag
Starring: Sibel Kekilli, Nizam Schiller, Derya Alabora, Settar Tanriogen, Tamer Yigit, Serhad Can, Ufuk Bayraktar and Florian Lukas
“When We Leave” is a simple art-house drama that packs a huge sociopolitical wallop, one of those rare and tricky films in which all its component parts seem to work against each other but really move as fluidly as a well-oiled machine.
The plot is hardly a new one, though it is far reaching and, sadly, universal. A young Turkish woman named Umay (Siebel Kekilli) is forced to live with an abusive husband named Kemal (Ufuk Bayraktar) within the confines of an Old World culture. After one beating too many, Umay and her young son Cem (Nizam Schiller) board a plane to Germany and arrive at her parents’ front door. Unfortunately, life with her family is not as she hopes, and...
- 1/27/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Amy R. Handler
(January 2011)
Directed/Written by: Feo Aladag
Starring: Sibel Kekilli, Nizam Schiller, Derya Alabora, Settar Tanriogen, Tamer Yigit, Serhad Can, Ufuk Bayraktar and Florian Lukas
“When We Leave” is a simple art-house drama that packs a huge sociopolitical wallop, one of those rare and tricky films in which all its component parts seem to work against each other but really move as fluidly as a well-oiled machine.
The plot is hardly a new one, though it is far reaching and, sadly, universal. A young Turkish woman named Umay (Siebel Kekilli) is forced to live with an abusive husband named Kemal (Ufuk Bayraktar) within the confines of an Old World culture. After one beating too many, Umay and her young son Cem (Nizam Schiller) board a plane to Germany and arrive at her parents’ front door. Unfortunately, life with her family is not as she hopes, and...
(January 2011)
Directed/Written by: Feo Aladag
Starring: Sibel Kekilli, Nizam Schiller, Derya Alabora, Settar Tanriogen, Tamer Yigit, Serhad Can, Ufuk Bayraktar and Florian Lukas
“When We Leave” is a simple art-house drama that packs a huge sociopolitical wallop, one of those rare and tricky films in which all its component parts seem to work against each other but really move as fluidly as a well-oiled machine.
The plot is hardly a new one, though it is far reaching and, sadly, universal. A young Turkish woman named Umay (Siebel Kekilli) is forced to live with an abusive husband named Kemal (Ufuk Bayraktar) within the confines of an Old World culture. After one beating too many, Umay and her young son Cem (Nizam Schiller) board a plane to Germany and arrive at her parents’ front door. Unfortunately, life with her family is not as she hopes, and...
- 1/27/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.