When I was first contacted about the Turkish movie 'Bliss' (Mutluluk) the description I was given was this:
"When 17-year-old Meryem is found disheveled and unconscious by the side of a lake in the Turkish countryside, her family believes the worst - that her chastity has been lost. They turn to the ancient principle of “tore,” a strict moral code that condemns Meryem to death. When she refuses to take her own life, the duty of upholding the family's honor falls upon a distant cousin, Cemal, who has just completed a brutal tour in the military. Cemal reluctantly agrees to take Meryem away – and kill her."
I jumped at the chance to watch the film, although with some trepidation. Was this going to be a film to taint my love of Turkey, to show me a side that I would prefer not to know about? But when I watched it I was mesmerised. This is my little collection of thoughts about the film.
There is a quiet stillness to this film and a strength of story telling that really got to me. A certain atmosphere that I think is one of the strengths of independent cinema. I recognised a similar feeling from when I watched Romulus My Father, a beautiful and tragic Australian film.
One of the things that strikes me about Turkey, especially when I'm asked questions that require a little generalising to answer, is that it is a place of stark contrast. Bliss brought this notion of mine to life. It shows the dry country-side of Meyrem's village, and the lush green inlets and clear waters of the Marmara Sea. It shows the natural beauty of Turkey, contrasted with the buzz of Istanbul. And it shows the heart-braking and abhorrent customs of some people, contrasted with the modern Turks who see no place in Turkey for these sort of customs.
There were many parts of the movie where I thought - Yes! this is the Turkey I know, even down to the clothes people wore, and the doorways of houses in Istanbul, - and many parts that showed a Turkey I had no experience of.
If you have a chance to watch this film I would definitely recommend it, especially if you have an interest in Turkey or Turkish culture, but also just if you like to watch a film that makes you replay the scenes in your mind for days afterwards, a film that speaks to your mind and your heart.
It was released yesterday in New York and you can watch it online through
Gigantic Digital (which, by the way, I can see I am about to become addicted to - you can watch new Indie films online here for a great price and there is also lots of free content).
Let me know if you watch it - I would love to hear your thoughts about it.
**One little note to help with understanding the film if you do watch it. In Turkey you use the term 'Abi' when talking to a male who is older than you. For example, my husband's younger sisters call him 'Abi'. But you would definitely not refer to your husband as 'Abi'. When you see the film you will understand why I'm mentioning this!**
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