I watched the movie on a very hot day. It felt as if I was involved in the story, which takes place during a hot day in Siverek, a town in Eastern Anatolia. On the surface, we are watching a simple story: a man working in a tomato plant has an argument with his boss and seeks revenge. It is the story of a single day. However, the director of the movie, Mr. Eyup Murat Firatoglu (who is also one of the scriptwriters and the leading actor), deepens the narrative excellently and elaborately by weaving in many motifs and symbols. These elements paint a broad picture of life in Eastern Anatolia, where Kurds form a significant majority and live side by side with Turks.
The movie is not about being Kurdish but rather about the day-to-day life of a Kurdish man in his hometown. Desperation, isolation, and deprivation are, unfortunately, inevitable parts of daily life for an ordinary man like Eyup, the character in the movie. Mr. Firatoglu constructs a robust narrative by incorporating figures and details that explicitly reveal these realities. A malfunctioning motorbike may symbolize life itself: it moves in the right direction but suddenly breaks down. An old man, who has left his house alone and is cared for by Eyup, may represent tradition-a burden we cannot abandon and must carry with us. The watermelon may symbolize the joy of life despite its hardships, something we bear on our shoulders while trying to preserve aging traditions. The discarded Coca-Cola can on the street may remind us of life itself-an empty shell we all must deal with. It is like a destiny we carry for a while before passing it on, perhaps to a child.
The tension between tradition and modernity is another theme in the movie. A sleek car, a man planning to build smart houses, the emergence of a new wealthy class, and the growing gap between rich and poor all reflect this tension. Despite their differences, the people in the region are various facets of the same "one." They live distinct lives that sometimes intertwine and sometimes diverge, yet they all come together at a wedding ceremony, dancing shoulder to shoulder.
All I can say about this movie is that I am deeply impressed by it. My heartfelt thanks to Mr. Firatoglu and his team for this film and for sharing such an amazing story.
