Tag: Turkey

Movie of the Week: ‘Mustang’

Jeff Mitchell

AHFW’S Movie of the Week takes a trip halfway around the world.  Turkey is the setting for director/co-writer Denize Gamze Erguven’s heartbreaking, Oscar-nominated drama about the perilous fate of five sisters in “Mustang”. “Mustang” (2015) – “Time misspent in youth is sometimes all the freedom one ever has” – Anita Brookner. For five, giggling, likable sisters – raised by their grandmother and ranging in ages between (about) 9 and 16 – they misspend their time like any group of schoolgirls.  On one fateful day, Selma (Tugba Sungur), Sonay (Ilayda Akdagun),…

‘The Promise’ conveys an emotional World War I history lesson

Jeff Mitchell

“The Promise” – “There are churches and mosques like you wouldn’t believe.” In 1914 Constantinople, this is Mikael Boghosian’s (Oscar Isaac) reaction to Turkey’s most prominent city.  Although cultural differences can be a source of tension and divisiveness, Turks and Armenians live in relative harmony during this time, not only in this massive cultural center, but also in Mikael’s small village of Siroun. As director Terry George’s (“Hotel Rwanda” (2004)) picture opens, Mikael – an Armenian – makes a promise to a Maral (Angela Sarafyan), that after two years away…