Sayara

This is a stunning indie film from Turkish writer/director Can Evrenol. If you loved Kill Bill and appreciate independent cinema-especially auteur-driven films that bring bold vision and craftsmanship to the screen despite the challenges-then Sayara is a must-watch movie.

It's a raw, intense, and gripping experience, with fantastic performances from the lead actress and notably the supporting role of the sister too. The film has a real bite to it, pulling no punches in its tough and unflinching storytelling. And the ending? Absolutely brilliant-clever, unexpected, and deeply satisfying.

I'd love to see a remake of Sayara by the same talented director but with a much bigger budget-one that truly does justice to this great story and singular vision.

Can Evrenol is a treasure for Turkey; however, as Turkish citizens, we can never truly appreciate his worth. The main reason for this is our inability to overcome our increasingly ordinary tastes. Instead of appreciating these independent productions, we only criticize them and block the path of young people who want to make independent films, but we are unaware of this. Unlike those who do these things, Can Evrenol both opens the doors for young people in Turkey who have professional dreams like his and successfully markets this genre to the Turkish audience. With his occasional system critiques, subtle humor, legendary levels of blood and violence, he shows us how courageous he is. I am a fan of his because I compare my university years to his current life. I have a growing DVD collection, just like Can Evrenol's, where I research notorious, banned, crazy, blood-soaked, violent films. Especially Can Evrenol's videos, which are like gems, have been very helpful in this regard. However, in my eyes, he has achieved his goal and continues to do so. One of his goals was to place this film among the crazy films he researched during his university years. It's the same as my dream. I would have loved to watch this film in the cinema or at a festival and get some small clues about my future from Can Evrenol. Getting his signature would also have been one of the greatest supports at the start of my career. Soon, for sure...

Before talking about the plot of the film, here are some details about it: First of all, this film is a magnificent example of guerrilla filmmaking in Turkey. If you ask "What is guerrilla filmmaking?" it is a genre where filmmakers use ultra-low budgets and make use of all available resources, locations, equipment, and crew in a limited way. They usually do not get permits, rent locations, or build expensive sets due to budget restrictions, just like Can Evrenol's own situation. However, he used the limited budget well and usually shot scenes at his friends' places. Most of the people acting in the film were people he knew. Let's get to know this amazing film, which gives us an extraordinary gore film example with a very low budget in just three weeks...

Plot of the Film: Sayara is an immigrant working at a luxurious gym in Istanbul. Her sister Yonca, who is having an illicit affair with the gym's owner Baris, witnesses him cheating on her. When Yonca finds out, she attacks the woman and breaks her nose. However, Baris psychologically manipulates Yonca, and she ends up in the wrong. Sayara, her sister, witnesses this. Baris does not consider the situation enough and turns to his uneducated, toxic, rich friends for help. They come up with a vile plan against Yonca. They then call Yonca to their home. Yonca is raped and murdered by Baris and his three friends. Baris, whose father is a member of parliament, and his friends are released after a sham trial, with the conclusion that the incident was a suicide. However, Sayara's father, Shamil Bazarov, is one of the most trusted figures in the deep state of Turkmenistan and a Soviet Sambo champion. Shamil has raised his daughter to be like an agent in fighting. After these events, Sayara decides to seek her own justice.

Things I Loved: I didn't just love the film, I was absolutely captivated. My admiration for Can Evrenol has increased tenfold. Those who don't know this director and those who enjoy this genre should definitely complete his filmography. It was a crazy film, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. My roommate loved the film too, and there were scenes that disgusted him so much that he squeezed my arm because he couldn't bear watching them. Seriously, there were scenes that disturbing. Sayara's screaming scenes increased my satisfaction level by 10, or even 50 times. She has no mercy on anyone because everyone is corrupted, and she kills them in a psychotic way. Yes, it's seriously psychotic! I rewound all the scenes and watched them again. I repeat, no film like this has ever been made in Turkey. It's the only one of its kind; everything was truly perfect. The film starts with an epic credit scene. We see references to legendary films in the genre. This film has pieces from movies like Only God Forgives, Kinatay, I Saw the Devil, Snowtown, High Tension, and The Raid, so I can confidently say it couldn't possibly be bad. The practical effects were amazing. The ending was legendary! Can Evrenol did everything my heart desired (except for castration). I especially liked the choreographed fight scenes. I found Duygu Kocabiyik very successful for this role. She resembled the Turkmen people and impressed me with her brilliant acting. Despite having no background in fighting, she learned fighting techniques with Can Evrenol and his jiu-jitsu coach over a 1.5-month period, delivering an outstanding performance. I already anticipated Can Evrenol would do a great job in this regard, given his interest in combat sports. We also see the Sambo fighting style developed by the Soviet Union in some parts. Its representation in the film, especially through flashback scenes focusing on the father-daughter relationship, was done exceptionally well. There's a story behind all of this; the character depth was quite good for this type of film. The film's pacing never dropped. Throughout the movie, I kept thinking, "If it's like this halfway through, how will the end be?" And from that point on, the pace never slowed down. We watched incredible scenes with amazing practical effects. I can honestly say that I saw the best makeup in Turkey regarding blood and brutality. The costumes were excellent. The set design was exceptionally successful. Plus, we got to enjoy amazing music. Seeing the natural dialogues, which are one of Can Evrenol's best qualities, made it impossible not to be satisfied. It was truly a gore film I will never forget and will watch again. Great job, master director Can Evrenol! I congratulate you for your courage. You gave us young people the courage to make independent films the way we want. Moreover, with bigger productions and budgets, you've proven that you'll take the world by storm. Amazing work!

Details and References in the Film: While the film may appear to be a normal one from the outside, it contains incredible critiques of the system, and none of it went unnoticed. Especially the political critiques were very courageous because in Turkey, if you commit a crime, it's very easy to cover it up with the help of politics. This was conveyed brilliantly. The film also made small references to the political parties in Turkey because there are some people in Turkey who mistake politics for mafia-like behavior. The references to them were spot on. The personality conflicts between the two sisters were apparent. I also didn't miss Can Evrenol's subtle Netflix critique, it was very funny. ;) Now, let's move on to the metaphors:

The Antlered Deer on the Wall: Antlered deer generally symbolize masculinity and power. A deer head displayed on the wall critiques traditional masculinity, and this is heavily emphasized in the film. A small but brilliant detail. Additionally, a mounted deer head is a reminder of death and also represents victory.

Sayara Cutting Her Hair with Scissors: This was one of my favorite scenes because it says so much. Cutting her hair as an expression of the loss a character experiences, it's not just about adopting a new identity but also challenging societal gender norms and regaining control over her life.

Burning Toy Dolls at the Start: Toy dolls generally symbolize childhood innocence and purity. Burning them can indicate that the character has lost their innocence or wants to consciously leave their childhood behind. Fire is often a symbol of transformation and rebirth. Burning the dolls represents the character leaving behind their old identity and transitioning to a new one.

Police Siren: In the 35th minute of the film, we hear a police siren, which serves as a warning for the upcoming danger and tension. From that moment on, events unfold nonstop, a great method to increase the viewer's curiosity and stress.

Red Light, Purple Light: The red light, often used to highlight intense emotions like love, passion, and desire, in this film, signals impending danger and conflict. We see the purple light in the rich people's apartments in the plaza. Throughout history, purple has been associated with wealth and royalty. Therefore, just like in the film, it signifies power, luxury, or nobility.

Things I Didn't Like: In an independent film, there will be mistakes and flaws because they usually have limited budgets. Although I don't like criticizing such films, there were a few scenes that felt a bit choppy. The computer effects scene at the end was successful from one angle, but the other angle felt too simple. Otherwise, the cinematography was very natural, though there were a few minor flaws. We'll definitely see something even better in Can Evrenol's next film Cam Sehpa. We love you, Can Evrenol 🤘 Thank you for reading...

... Sayara (thought I'd say Zohan, didn't you? Well no pun intended then)! She seems like a wallflower ... someone who can't hurt a fly ... and maybe she doesn't ... I imagine she is someone who likes animals a lot more than she does people. Dark side and all that.

I imagined also that this would have more hand to hand combat, but it does have more stabbing and close combat techniques ... if you know your martial arts you may like this more than others I assume. The moment someone messed with her sister, it is like they signed a Death Wish (see what I did there? Charles Bronson would be quite proud I reckon).

All kidding aside, this is really not for anyone who is sensitive ... while it also contains violence of screen (head and other body parts bashing outside of the frame), it also has quite a lot of explicit violence ... in your face ... literally! If you are ok with that ... well knock yourself out (again no pun intended)

If you want to revenge, do it like SAYARA.

The end of revenge is never the happiness of this world. It is solace in the other world. If you have enough time to end your life, take revenge like Sayara.

Those who do not have anything should at least be prepared to die if they want to stand up to the powerful evil. Revenge with hope of life is false.

The world is not fair, and those in power have many bad guys, and they are not punished for small crimes. What such bad guys fear may be when ordinary people, who have been silent and innocent, risk their lives to fight for their lives. If you are normal and nice, you have to at least risk your life to get revenge. Even if you don't achieve it in this world, you may be able to achieve it in the other world.

Some countries commit suicide in the best way. Just like South Korea...