AUF TROCKENEN GRÄSERN

Samet teaches art at a school in a remote village in eastern Anatolia and is waiting for his transfer. After the winter holidays he returns and, along with his colleague and flatmate Kenan, is caught up in an investigation: two pupils, among them Sevim, whom Samet had until then favoured, have complained of inappropriate conduct. At the same time, the two men meet Nuray, a teacher from the neighbouring town who lost a leg in a bombing. Kenan and Nuray grow closer – and only then does Samet begin to take an interest in her. “Auf trockenen Gräsern” by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a Turkish film from 2023, shows a man who despises his surroundings and yet cannot escape them.

The Turk Nuri Bilge Ceylan takes 197 minutes for conversations that get stuck in the snow, for jealousy, self-righteousness and the question of what remains of ideals. Co-produced with France and Germany, it premiered in competition at Cannes 2023; Merve Dizdar received the award for best actress there for her Nuray. Turkey submitted the film for the Oscars. It was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2023 in the Hommage Nuri Bilge Ceylan section.

Shown at the 2023 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2023 · Film Archive