My Only Sunshine (2008)

Hayat, her father and bedridden grandfather live in a riverside shack near the dangerously dark but breathtakingly beautiful waters of the Bosphorus. Hayat's father owns a small boat that ... See full summary »

Director:

Reha Erdem

Writer:

Reha Erdem

Stars:

Elit Iscan, Erdal Besikçioglu, Levent Yilmaz

9 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Elit Iscan	...	Hayat
Erdal Besikçioglu	...	Baba
Levent Yilmaz	...	Dede
Banu Fotocan	...	Anne
Handan Karaadam	...	Kamile
Önder K. Açikbas	...	Polis
Erhan Tekin	...	Oglan
Metin Yildirim	...	Bakkal
Halim Ercan	...	3. Genc Oglan
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nebil Sayin	...	Adam

Storyline

Hayat, her father and bedridden grandfather live in a riverside shack near the dangerously dark but breathtakingly beautiful waters of the Bosphorus. Hayat's father owns a small boat that secures the family's survival through a miscellany of not always lawful ventures. Beyond the motion and romance of the water, Hayat's life is harsh and unrelenting. But Hayat has an instinct for survival. Her capacity for courage, endurance and hope in the face of these trials suggest that there is Life despite the manifold injustices of an unjust world.

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Plot Keywords:

boat | istanbul turkey | gay parent | gay father | very little dialogue | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Turkey Greece Bulgaria

Language:

Turkish English

Release Date:

5 March 2009 (Greece)

Also Known As:

Meu Raio de Sol

Filming Locations:

Istanbul, Turkey

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlantik Film, Imaj

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

A powerful story of a suburban girl

The film successfully captures the handicaps and dangers of growing up in a poor neighborhood and the inner world of a teenager girl (Hayat, meaning "life" in Turkish) who learns how to strive and defend against all threats all by herself. Hayat has no choice but to grow up fast, sadly having no joys of a childhood. She is introvert, and lacking communications makes her disliked by her teachers and she does not seem to have any real friends. In one scene, she bribes the kids at school, in the hopes of being liked and accepted by them. Letting go is so easy but yet she keeps the hope for a better day. I think that the "arabesque" songs by Orhan Gencebay were a good choice for this film. Besides Director Reha Erdem, young talent Elit İşcan (Hayat) deserves a lot of credit for this successful movie and I hope we will be seeing her in other successful work in future.