Kar ve Ayi

A 2022 drama film starring Merve Dizdar and Saygin Soysal, whose script was written by Yesim Aslan and Selcen Ergun...

With her first feature film, after his short films "Gunesli Bir Gun" and "Karsilasma" Ergun takes a busy and big job, but he manages it successfully.

She does not take refuge in the unwritten rule of 'the first film has no sin' and presents his screenplay to the audience in the desired consistency, with both sound design and cinematography.

Yes, if you want to force it critically, you can find the deficiencies, but at the end of the day, when the last credits start to flow, Ergun tells you his problem...

The production, which will meet with the festival audience in Ankara after Antalya and Istanbul, will hopefully be the first of many films that Ergun will shoot.

The professionalism she showed during the Bosphorus Film Festival and the fact that he did not remain silent in the face of fascists is an indication that we will see Ergun's name among names such as Pelin Esmer and Yesim Ustaoglu in the future.

If you've ever had trouble adjusting to a new job this movie might put that experience into perspective. It's the story of a young nurse who struggles to find her bearings when she's seconded to a remote Turkish village, a struggle made worse when a snowfall prevents the arrival of the visiting doctor. The story unfolds slowly and realistically, simply following her daily activities. She finds the townsfolk as frosty and inaccessible as the landscape, and being inexperienced she doesn't know how to behave, who to trust, nor what is expected of her. Likewise the viewer is left wondering what's going on.

This movie is well worth watching, both for the location and for its unusually subtle approach. The beautiful cinematography adds a lot and I liked the way the town is shown from so many different perspectives as this really added to the sense of disorientation. The ending surprised me but it made sense, and like everything else in the movie it was remarkably understated which only added to its impact. It left me guessing what will happen next.

A bear, awakened early from hibernation and hungry, stalks the snow-covered forest of a remote and tiny mountain town. At the same time a young nurse, Asli, arrives in the village to start a new life. There is a man in her way at every turn. Three men figure prominently on the list of the most threatening to her independence. Hasan is the conservative town drunk who hates bears almost as much as he hates women. Samet, a kind mountain man and protector of wildlife, is Hasan's opposite. However, in his obsession with Asli he might be the more dangerous of the two men. The third main male obstacle in Asli's life is her father who doubts and seeks to control her from afar. Asli tries to find her own path through the woods full of dangerous beasts, human and animal.

Cut down the sacred tree and spirit of nature, states a Turkish legend, and nature will have its revenge somehow. In this ancient story it is a bear that becomes the agent of vengeance. The bear is what the villagers fear most. Yet there is a wild animal inside each person's heart which is something more potent and formidable.

Director Selcen Ergun's debut feature provides compelling and moving messages about human attempts to control nature, romance, wildlife, and women. "It is how I feel as a woman in the world," Ergun said at the film's world premiere in Toronto. A woman attempting to find her way in a misogynistic world, where even kindhearted and well-meaning men might lead women astray from being who they are. Ambient sounds of wind and crackling fires combine with stirring, sparse music. The ending is profoundly emotional and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Ergun meditates on a time when the winter will cease and the world will just let women and nature be.

A bear, awakened early from hibernation and hungry, stalks the snow-covered forest of a remote and tiny mountain town. At the same time a young nurse, Asli, arrives in the village to start a new life. This movie has a very unique idea on the relationship between human and nature.

The main character has a man in her way on every turn. The film shows three man figures that are prominently on the list of the most threatening to her independence.

1. Hasan, the local conservative drunk who hates bears at least as much as he hates women 2. Samet, the kind and helpful mountain man, the protector of wildlife, whose obsession with Asli might be as - if not more - dangerous as Hasan's behaviour 3. Asli's father, who doubts and seeks to control her from afar.

The movie beautifully shows Asli's struggles to find her own path through the woods full of dangerous beasts, human and animal.

It is rather an art film than a mystery drama. It rather puts the emphasis on the dynamics of the little town, far from civilisation. Shows the untrusting of the locals to strangers, the hidden tenderness of this society and the overall behaviour norm in such towns: the gossips, the convergence, the excommunication, the family dynamics.

It is also a melancholic tale of self-discovery.

The view and the visual representation is breathtaking. The cinematography is artistic. For me it was even more unique that such a frozen and cold movie takes place in Turkey, which is known as a popular holiday destination to Europeans with its hot summers and sunny beaches. It really did put the country in a new perspective.

I am really fond of folk traditions, religion and superstitions in movies. This film has fortune tellings from tea leaves, sacred tree, lamb sacrifice to God and, most importantly, the belief of that nature takes its revenge.

The figure of the bear is also highly interesting. It appears like a dark, scary shadow, levitating above the head of the village, a never ending threat. Is the bear real or it's just the imagination of the locals?

The title of the movie makes the right order: the snow is the star. The bear, while it does make a brief appearance, is frequently referenced and serves more as an idea or symbol. But the snow covers everything; physically and metaphorically. It covers the roads making the town unreachable but also covers the secrets, crimes and hatred of the townspeople. Snow is the backdrop and is alternatively threatening and protective, a force that can not be controlled. It is beautifully photographed, with infinite colors and textures. The sound of walking on packed snow at night, or the beauty of standing in a gentle snow fall, feel very tangible.

However, it was not the chilly murder mystery i expected and it felt like it is hard for the plot to even begin. So i can tell it is not a rapid and vivid thriller but rather a meditative art film. It also had much more potential, i did not really feel that it is complete.

The ending seemed to be a little unfinished too but i liked the last conversation between Asli and Samet.

Nature did take its revenge. But was it the nature of the world or the nature of man?

First of all, Artvin, where the movie was shot, is like heaven on earth. In addition, seeing this world wonder once again in the snow allowed me to visit this white paradise again.

Selcen Ergun, which we know from the "Karsilasma (2007)", "Hayat Var(2008-as a Assistant Director)", "Günesli Bir Gün(2011) movies, comes up with an interesting story after a long 11-year hiatus. Merve Dizdar, Saygin Soysal, Asiye Dinçsoy are among the names who that helped Ergun.

A young nurse, who is sent to a far cornet of the country, finds herself in human relations with full of secrets.

This beautiful-compelling movie also took award from the Golden Orange Awards. What Ergun said in the award speech is kind of a light to everyone: "Do not listen to others who said that you can not make it, just stand on your way!"