CLAIR OBSCUR

Two women in Turkey, two lives that could hardly be further apart. Şehnaz is a psychiatrist doing her compulsory service at a public hospital in a remote coastal town; her relationship with her longtime partner has lost all closeness. Elmas is a very young woman trapped in a marriage she never wanted, in a conservative, almost tyrannical household. When the two meet, the encounter changes Şehnaz’s view of her own life. “Clair Obscur” (original title “Tereddüt”, Turkey 2016) by Yeşim Ustaoğlu tells their two stories in parallel.

The film, a co-production with Germany, Poland and France, asks what possibilities and limits women have in Turkey today; critics singled out newcomer Ecem Uzun as Elmas for particular praise. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2016, and won the award for best film at the Antalya festival. In 2017, “Clair Obscur” was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin.

Shown at the 2017 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2017 · Film Archive