The Market – A Tale of Trade

In this dry-comic road movie, we see the appealing villain and black market trader Mihram (an incredibly powerful role by Tayanc Ayaydin), who does his very best to change. He wants to stop drinking and gambling and become a respectable husband in the eyes of his wife. He is always trying to dream up how he can make the most possible money in the least possible time; comparisons with the rich West are never far away. When a doctor asks him if he can buy medicine for her abroad in order to heal children, Mihram seizes his opportunity. With the aid of his uncle, he sets off on a journey that could make him a fortune. But things don’t work out as planned…
The Market – A Tale of Trade does justice to its name. It’s a beautiful, light-hearted and intelligent analysis of how markets work, black and white, and how small players can be helped and crushed by the essentially simple yet treacherous mechanism of supply and demand. It becomes apparent that there is a very thin line between entrepreneurship and illegality. The British writer Ben Hopkins wrote the screenplay himself and directed the story in Turkey. He struck a universal chord, as is apparent from the fact that the film has triumphed at film festivals and won many prizes (including that for best film, scenario and leading role in Antalya, best film in Ghent and best actor in Locarno). (EH)

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