Journey to the Sun

Mehmet comes from a small town in Western Turkey; but his unusually dark skin gets him often mistaken for a Kurd. This is just one of the many misconceptions and prejudices fed by the complicated structure of Turkish society. Newly arrived in Istanbul, Mehmet shares a room with four men and makes a meagre living from spotting underground water leaks. He forms an unlikely friendship with Berzan, a street-savvy Kurd who sells bootleg cassettes. Berzan keeps his political involvement with the Kurdish underground a secret, until Mehmet is accidentally put in jail and almost beaten to death due to his dark skin. Events unfold, and the friends decide to take a journey to Berzan’s hometown near the Iraqi border.
Yesim Ustaoglu’s second feature is an arresting portrait, with a pronounced documentary feel, of the oppression of the Kurdish minority in Turkey. She first takes us through the streets of Istanbul, a metropolis with many contradictions, at times a celebration of East meets West, but mostly a chaotic jungle where class, cultural and economic conflicts are at peak. As the two travel to the East, we see a different Turkey, calmer and picturesque; but the destitution of the forgotten Anatolian villages, and of the Kurds, is ever more apparent. Feeling at home is never easy, but the duo’s friendship could be the only real home they will ever have. (EY)