Hadi be oglum (Come on, my son) is Kivanc Tatlitug's highly anticipated new film and his return to the big screen five years after award winning Kelebegin Rüyasi (The Butterfly's Dream). The film premiered in Turkey and a number of European cities on the 16th of February and I was lucky enough to be able to go watch it in London on a cold, dry Friday morning with @Ream_RR, a fellow Kivo-maniac :)
The film focuses on the relationship between single parent Ali (a local fisherrman in Kas) and his son Efe (a 7-year old autistic child). Ali's greatest desire is to know that his son understands him. Efe has never spoken and has never looked at anyone in the eyes. Ali tries hard to reach out to his kid and bond with him but no matter how hard he tries he is met with no response. Ali is emotionally exhausted but he never gives up his hope, he never gives up trying. Efe is his life, his everything.
This is a movie about love, hope, sacrifice and heartache. It is the story of a father who would do anything for his son - his heart knows no boundaries. It is about how we survive when things are looking dire and how we rise above the challenges and overcome our own self-doubts. We are brought up in a rather uniform way and find it difficult to accept anyone that looks, thinks or behaves differently. This is a film about acceptance and celebration of difference and an understanding that there is more than one way to view, perceive and communicate with the world around us. It is also a film about a child who is trying to reach out. It is a story of a father and his son and their individual and mutual journeys.
It is a simple, humane movie with a very straightforward, clear message that is communicated with honesty, sincerity and subtlety and is therefore a movie that will touch your heart, leave tears in your eyes and leave you with a feeling of warmth, hope and possibly a new perspective on life.
One of the film's greatest strengths is its actors - this is such a character driven film that its success is heavily dependent on the actors' ability to take the characters through their individual journeys. Thankfully, the performances are outstanding, superb, awe-inspiring ( I could go on and on). They all hit it out of the park but I would like to focus on two actors in particular - Kivanc (Ali) and Alihan (Efe). Alihan is an 8-year old actor who moved me in his remarkable depiction of a child on the autistic spectrum trying to connect with his father and the outside world. It is beyond me how an 8-year old is able to understand convey such complicated emotions so convincingly and naturally. One of his most memorable moments is towards the end of the film where Efe is using up all the energy in his little body in an effort to communicate with his father. His performance gave me shivers.
And, of course, there is Kivanc. Kivanc, who has blown us away many times in the past with his immense acting abilities. Kivanc is a chameleon, able to transform physically and otherwise with every single role. He is a versatile actor who is not afraid to take risks and challenge himself. He is an acting powerhouse and, as Ali, he once again blew me away. Every time I watch him in a new role I only see small glimpses of his past performances. He becomes that character. And in Hadi, Kivanc became Ali - an everyday man with a big heart and an unconditional love for his child. Kivanc is an incredibly handsome man but you do not focus on his looks when watching the film - you see him as a loving dad who is trying to connect with his son. Ali makes you smile, laugh and cry - often at the same time. Kivanc has the ability to emotionally connect with the viewer like no other and once again he gave us a natural, quietly powerful, multi-award winning performance that I hope does not go unnoticed. He owned and nailed each and every scene in Hadi.
The film's music was not only beautiful and fitting with the mood of given scenes but it was also crucial and very much tied to the theme and the storyline. Music is transcendent - a bridge between different worlds, viewpoints, perspectives. Music is a means of communication, music can bond us and help us understand each other. The photography was also stunning and the landscapes were breathtaking. The calmness and serenity of the scenery often contrasted the characters' inner turmoil but also ultimately helped them find that inner peace and connection that they were desperately looking for.
This was one beautiful, little gem of a movie that was communicating simple, universal messages of humanity in an unforced way. It is a film that filled my heart with warmth, hope and happiness and one that I would highly recommend to everyone.
Anna (member of Kivanc Tatlitug North America, the largest North American fanclub for Kivanc Tatlitug with more than 46,000 members)
