Encyclopédie d'Istanbul

This film isn't just about a city-it's a meditation on memory, silence, and the quiet beauty hidden in everyday life. Watching it feels like walking through the veins of Istanbul itself, where every street, every shadow holds a secret waiting to be heard.

There's no rush, no narration pushing you forward-just a gentle invitation to notice the small things: cracked walls, fleeting glances, the sound of footsteps echoing down empty alleys. It's like the city is speaking softly, revealing its soul in moments both fragile and timeless.

The film's stillness isn't empty; it's full-full of stories untold and feelings half-remembered. It makes you slow down, breathe, and feel connected to a place that's alive in every frame.

When it ended, I felt quietly moved, as if I'd just shared a secret with a dear old friend.

Istanbul Encyclopedia feels less like a documentary and more like a whispered confession from a city trying not to forget itself. It's not loud or urgent-it's patient. It listens. The camera doesn't force your gaze; it gently invites you to notice what's fading.

Old buildings crumble in silence. Faces pass by, unnamed, yet full of stories. Streets breathe memory. There's no grand narrative, no hero's journey-just fragments of a city wrapped in time. The kind of film that doesn't give answers but leaves echoes.

I watched it and felt something shift-subtle, like dust settling. It made me want to walk through Istanbul slowly, to hear the walls, to see the past layered beneath paint and noise. It's a love letter, yes, but written in shadows and sighs.

By the end, I didn't just miss the past-I mourned it.

It felt like leafing through an old book where each page was scented with memory - textured, intimate, and quietly alive. The city wasn't just a backdrop; it was a breathing character, shifting with time, watching silently as lives unfolded within its veins. Every episode was like wandering through a different street at dusk - where laughter echoed off the walls of the past, and shadows whispered stories you almost remember. What moved me most was the tenderness in its gaze - it didn't try to impress, it invited. It let the city's poetry speak in gestures, glances, and shared silences. Watching it felt like returning somewhere you've never been, but somehow missed. And when it ended, I didn't feel like it was over - I felt like I had been entrusted with a secret, one only the heart could translate.

This movie is not really about Istanbul per say, except as a metaphor, as many big cities are, for escaping to the masses.

Meaning away from the fishbowl of where you came from, and the limiting borders of your previous existence, and to the generic mass of humanity, where you either lose yourself or find yourself. Or possibly both.

The premise is interesting, if not fully fleshed out. Students of architecture are asked to share the impact the city has had on them.

Our two leads, both female, have come to the city from a smaller city many hours away. One came a long time ago, and one just recently. You see the before and after effects. The seasoned, hardened mature woman, and the fresh-faced acolyte.

You never see any of the students sketching things. Yet you would think that architecture majors would be constantly drafting. There is very little discussion about buildings or urban planning.

But there is plenty of narration about the neighborhoods of the city as experienced by the young lead. The mature woman is done with this city and the country. That's an important part of the story.

The combined forces of a complex and perhaps suffocating culture, and her personal baggage have beat her down.

There is no action in this movie whatsoever, nor sex. It is strictly discussions, arguments, crying, and philosophical observations.

The main characters feel torn between obligation, and the yearning to be free. People who make movies are generally liberal and sometimes free spirits.

So don't be surprised that this film presents traditional religion as burdensome to women. Some may find it offensive. There is some graphic symbolization.

Casting was impressive. The mature lead has a gravitas about her that draws you in. The young one is radiant.

The cinematography is excellent. There are interesting shots of the city and creative angles.

But be ready for potential boredom too. Because there is an enormous amount of talking, shots of people listening or thinking, and crying.

Turkey is an ancient place. Let's hear more about what exactly plagues the city and country, that is driving out one lead and baffling the other.

Were well played by all actors. Interesting plot about coming snd leaving places. This film is about finding your identity in a new place surrounded by new people, making new friends and how to get to know a big city. It is also about Cultural and religious clashes about growing up and about letting go of people you love. It taked up serous topics like how our past affects us and how we all are full of judgement. If you are looking for a film with scenic Istanbul views, this might not be a film for you. This film is about conflicts in life, the thing that makes a person grow and how problems never leave.