MOLD

Fifty-five-year-old Bashri works as a guard in a train station in the middle of nowhere, in the Turkish countryside. Eighteen years ago, after his arrest for dissident action, his only son disappeared. Ever since, his father’s sole preoccupation is learning what became of him, finding what remains from his body and properly burying him. Ali Aidin’s camera follows this man on his lonesome trip through the mystical landscape of Anatolia and on his inner journey, in a film that confidently builds a sharp view of the world and an admirable character study; a melancholy portrait not only of our hero, but also of a country’s recent history. With Erzen Kesal, well-known from his contribution to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s films, in the leading role, the film is gradually transformed, from a minimalist drama, into a framework for the viewer’s emotional response: a remarkable debut which introduces a brave new talent.