Turquoise (2010)

Directed by: Kadir Balci | 90 minutes | drama | Actors: Burak Balci, Charlotte Vandermeersch, Nihat Altinkaya, Tilbe Saran

At the beginning of ‘Turquaze’, Timur is instructed by his brother to settle down. The hint that follows could not be clearer: it has to be with a Muslim woman. But the young Turk has his own agenda. He has been with the Flemish Sarah for more than a year. Both lovebirds keep the relationship from their families. It immediately becomes clear that there is still quite a bit of taboo on the multicultural society. Director Kadir Balci tries to explain things with this small film.

Timur doesn’t care about cultural differences. For example, he reports to the local brass band to play the trumpet. And what sounds more Flemish than a music orchestra? There is one in every village. His brother Ediz is less tolerant. He prefers to speak his mother tongue and the other culture consists only of unbelievers. We find out later in the film that his behavior is quite hypocritical. But it goes without saying that these two different views clash quite a bit.

The most striking observation in the entire film is in the scene when Timur meets Sarah’s parents. That very first look of the mother not only gives the main character chills. The rest of the conversation is a typical example of narrow-minded village mentality. It is almost inevitable that Balci digs up his own experiences here.

The big surprise of this print is the director’s brother. Debutant Burak Balci walks through the story as if he’s been around for years. We find that solidity in the rest of ‘Turquaze’. It all looks very well cared for. Be sure to check out the images in which Timur wanders through Istanbul. A strong example of cinematic poetry. It’s just a shame that the picture doesn’t bite hard enough.
‘Turquaze’ doesn’t promise great insights, but the message still gets through.

There is still much work to be done.