Yozgat Blues (2013)

A barber in Yozgat - a very small city in the middle Anatolia - has an emotional breakdown when he runs into Yavuz and Nese who have come to town to sing in a small music hall-bar.

Director:

Mahmut Fazil Coskun

Writers:

Mahmut Fazil Coskun, Tarik Tufan

Stars:

Ercan Kesal, Ayça Damgaci, Tansu Biçer

8 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Ercan Kesal	...	Yavuz
Ayça Damgaci	...	Nese
Tansu Biçer	...	Sabri
Nadir Saribacak	...	Kamil
Kevork Malikyan	...	Sadettin Usta
Nevbahar Hakverdi	...	Halk Egitimci
Serkan Ercan	...	City Hall Culture Manager
Serkan Öztürk	...	Music Instrument Shop Owner
Recep Çavdar	...	Hotel Recepcionist
Nazif Tunç	...	Customer at Barbershop
Adnan Tönel	...	Yasar
Asiye Dinçsoy	...	Girl at Marriage Meeting #1
Feyruz Tokdemir	...	Girl at Marriage Meeting #2

Storyline

A barber in Yozgat - a very small city in the middle Anatolia - has an emotional breakdown when he runs into Yavuz and Nese who have come to town to sing in a small music hall-bar.

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Plot Keywords:

two word title | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Turkey Germany France

Language:

Turkish

Release Date:

6 December 2013 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Йозгат Блюз

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hokus Fokus,Arden Film,Eurimages

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Poignant Study of Loneliness in a Turkish Small Town

To understand YOZGAT BLUES, viewers should understand that Yozgat is a small town in central Anatolia where not much happens; there is one club Delila, where physician Yavuz (Ercan Kesal) and his ex-student Nese (Ayca Damgaci) are engaged to perform a nightly cabaret. As immigrants from the metropolis of Istanbul, both find it necessary to role-play; Yavuz tries to play the world-weary performer, while Nese uses clothes and make-up to cover up her essential nervousness. As Mahmut Fazil Coskun's film unfolds, however, so the basic flaws in the two characters are exposed. Yavuz turns out to be a small-time performer desperate to make something of his life, even if it means working for nothing. The fact that he wears a wig draws our attention to his role-playing. Nese realizes that performing is not for her, but love offers a more attractive prospect, even if it means falling in love with would-be hairdressing shop owner Kamil (Kadir Saribacak), who in his own way is as much of an actor as the other two protagonists. The narrative concentrates on how all three characters cope with their disillusionment: Yavuz bravely carries on singing, in the belief that he is supporting Nese, but finds that his style of singing (old French ballads) is infinitely less popular with the customers than Turkish arabesk music. Nese tries out a new flaming red costume, but realizes by the end that her ambitions are not so grandiose: perhaps marriage is a suitable way of protecting herself against disappointment. Kamil's business venture looks doomed from the start (he has little or no stylistic sense when it comes to decorating his shop), but at least he has found a source of moral and physical support. The film is full of achingly long close-ups of the characters staring blankly into space, as if trying to cope with loneliness in a small, but unfriendly town: no one seems particularly interested in them. The narrative is slow, but comes to a poignant ending, as everyone ends up happy, except Yavuz, who promises to return to Istanbul by bus, but cannot board the bus when it arrives at the station. He is left alone, looking into space, his wig perched awry on his head, symbolizing his disturbed nature.