Best Film

Set in the 1990s, Nehir Tuna’s impressive debut feature follows Ahmet, a 14-year-old from a privileged background, who is placed in a strict Islamic dormitory, a “Yurt”, to learn Muslim values.  Ahmet’s sophisticated manners and attire alienate him from his peers, leading to tensions. However, his encounter with Hakan, a savvy street kid, becomes transformative. Together, they navigate the harsh environment of the dormitory, challenging its rigid masculinity and finding joy and friendship outside its walls. 

Tuna’s confident direction turns the boys’ spiritual journey into a metaphor for modern Turkey at the crossroads of east and west. Florent Hery’s stylish black-and-white cinematography, plus a selective classical and folkloric score and Tuna’s confident direction enrich the film with recalls youth classics such as The 400 Blows and Pixote.

In 1930’s Czechoslovakia, the corpse of a newborn intersex child is found sitting in rubble at a newly built chemical plant. It might sound like the setup to a Nordic noir thriller, and there certainly is a detective story at play as the factory director’s wife Helena sets out to solve the mystery, but this stylish period drama is also concerned with very contemporary issues of gender and sexuality, which it probes against the flawed dreams and ideology of rising fascism and increased industrialisation. Helena’s investigation runs in parallel with her own pregnancy, her inquisitiveness putting her in great danger as she links the body to a political cover up with implications for the whole community. 

With a compelling lead performance and ravishing cinematography, this engrossing, thought provoking historical drama holds a mirror to current hot button issues.