Zuhal

Local title
Zuhal, naine lõksus
Director
Nazli Elif Durlu
Year
2021

Meow. Meow. Meow. Streets and homes of Istanbul are always full of lovely cats. When lonely Zuhal hears a cat’s meow somewhere near her rented flat, suddenly nobody believes it may be possible. Neighbours never saw any cat, which does not meow, if someone accompanies hard-working lawyer and teacher Zuhal. Evidently all unfriendly hateful people whisper rumours and gossips about craziness of a suspicious cat lady. Zuhal passionately awaits for arranged romantic date after a very long break and goes mental to find a mysterious cat. She brings a hammer to demolish the wall against prohibitions of angry landowner. But what if there will be no cat in the wall?

Invisible little cat uncovers social problems of hatred, slander, bullying, jealousy and questions dilemmas of unmarried woman in a patriarchal society. It is forbidden to have cat in flat, but also unimaginable for an educated woman to live alone without husband.

After 3 internationally noticed shorts Turkish debutant Nazli Elif Durlu mounts intimate, provocative, absurdist, minimalist, disturbing drama out of truly simple everyday situation. Revelationar Nihal Yalçın (previously casted by Yesim Ustaoglu, Reha Erdem and Zeki Demirkubuz for supporting roles) shines in very first leading performance, which is convincing, humorous and bold. It is pretty rare to see Turkish film about an upper middle class successful independent woman.

Edvinas Pukšta

Director
Nazli Elif Durlu
Screenwriter
Ziya Demirel, Nazli Elif Durlu
Producer
Anna Maria Aslanoglu
Co-producer
Tanay Abbasoglu, Oyku Canli, Tolga Karaçelik, Jamila Wenske
Director of Photography
Sebastian Weber
Editing
Bugra Dedeoglu, Selda Taskin
Production
Istos Film
Music
Yusuf Tan Demirel
Runtime
Language
Subtitles
Director
Nazli Elif Durlu

Nazli Elif Durlu was born in Ankara, Turkey. She studied Film and TV in the Netherlands and got her masters degree from the University of Utrecht. She has written and directed three short films "Trust Me" (2009), "Later" (2012) and "The Horse and the Nightingale" (2013). She teaches at the film department of Istanbul Bilgi University. "Zuhal" is her debut feature film.

Award for the best film, grant of 5000€ by

Screenings

Screening130202 / Zuhal, naine lõksus
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Q&A guestsNazli Elif Durlu - Director, Anna Maria Aslanoğlu - Producer, Nihal Yalçın - Actress, Yusuf Tan Demirel - Actor, Sebastian Weber - DoP, Ziya Demirel - Screenwriter, Alexander Lawrence - Music Producer
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Screening162201 / Zuhal, naine lõksus
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration
Hall 1 Kino Artis
Screening171501 / Zuhal, naine lõksus
SubtitlesEnglish, Estonian
Screening duration