Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Complete Films

Released: 24th April 2023. Collection of eight films directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. 'Kasaba' (1997) follows the fortunes of a family living in an isolated Turkish town. As the seasons change, the town's young children find themselves growing into their roles in the community. In 'Clouds of May' (1999) a film-maker returns from cosmopolitan Istanbul to his hometown in order to make a film about his family. As he struggles to maintain his family's interest in his project, his father negotiates a deal to buy more land, while his best friend's nephew undertakes a bet to keep an egg unbroken in his pocket for 40 days. In 'Uzak' (2002) Mahmut (Muzaffer Özdemir) is a middle-aged photographer living and working in Istanbul, whose tidy habits and cool demeanour are tried when his young cousin Yusuf (Mehmet Emon Toprak) comes to stay with him while he looks for work. 'Climates' (2006) follows a disparate couple over three seasons of their life together. University lecturer Isa (Nuri Bilge Ceylan) and his wife Bahar (Ebru Ceylan)'s relationship seems to be dying and yet they stick together, unable to admit what seems inescapable. When Bahar returns to Istanbul early due to work, Isa is left in Kas as autumn is falling. There, he meets an old lover, Serap (Nazan Kirilmis), making things even more complicated. 'Three Monkeys' (2008) tells the story of a family blown apart by lies and non-communication. When Servet (Ercan Kesal), a politician involved in a car accident, asks his driver Eyup (Yavoz Bingol) to take the short jail sentence in return for a financial reward, the driver's wife, Hacer (Hatice Aslan), and teenage son are inevitably affected by Eyup's decision to take the money. Wishing to help her son, Hacer approaches Servet for an advance, and soon gets more involved with him than she bargained for. Before long, all four characters find themselves trapped in a tangled web of guilt and deceit. 'Once Upon a Time in Anatolia' (2011) follows a group of men who set out to locate a dead body in the remote Anatolian steppes. The team comprises ten men, including Doctor Cemal (Muhammet Uzuner), Commissioner Naci (Yilmaz Erdogan), prosecutor Nusret (Taner Birsel) and their entourage as well as the two men suspected of carrying out the murder. They set out in the evening to search for the corpse's burial place but are unable to locate it. As they travel unsuccessfully from one location to another, and rest for the night at the home of a village elder, the various backstories of their troubled lives are subtly revealed. In 'Winter Sleep' (2014) Aydin (Haluk Bilginer) is a once-renowned actor now living in a remote part of Anatolia where he runs a hotel. Believing himself to be a good man, his perceptions of himself come into question after a number of interactions with his family and wider community cause him to reconsider his commitments and identity. 'The Wild Pear Tree' (2018) follows Sinan Karasu (Dogu Demirkol) as he returns home to his rural village after college to work on a book before training to become a teacher and being called up to the army for national service. As he considers his future and attempts to get his work published, Sinan frequently clashes with those he seeks out for help, while his father, Idris (Murat Cemcir), tries to find a way to pay off his extensive gambling debts. The collection also includes the silent short film 'Koza' (1995).