writ. and dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan
feat. Muzaffer Ozdemir, Emin Toprak, Zuhal Gencer, Nazan Kirilmis
The opening shot of Distant show Yusuf (Toprak), a dark figure, crossing a snowy plain, the quiet crunching of his boots the only sound in the desolate landscape. Far in the background, a band of sunlight illuminates the high trees along the mountainside. Immediately, Ceylan has set up the themes of his film, the cold distance between people and a vague, almost invisible glimmer of hope.
Yusuf leaves the barren land for icy Istanbul to visit his cousin, Mahmut (Ozdemir), a photographer whose career consists mainly of corporate shots for a tile manufacturer. In brief glimpses, we see that Mahmut has let his aspirations slip and has also lost his wife, possibly for an inability to express his still-existing feelings for her. Meanwhile, Yusuf searches for work in the city, dreaming of a life at sea, something bigger and brighter than his meager existence back in a dying factory town. As Yusuf disrupts Mahmut's isolated and dull, but stable lifestyle, the film manages to depict simultaneously the frustration of an unwanted visitor and a desperate need for further human contact.
Ceylan skillfully evokes emotion from minimal sources, plaintive expressions and awkward gestures offering more information than dialogue. The anguish that fuels his stories (here and in Climates) lies deeply buried and isn't easily voiced. With his mix of frosty gray exteriors, dimly lit interiors, and openly wounded characters, Ceylan has found a beautiful way to communicate pain.
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