Die Fremde (2010) was shown in the U.S. with the title "When We Leave." The film is written and directed by Feo Aladag, a German woman who is very familiar with the culture of Turkish families living in Germany.
Umay, played with outstanding skill by Sibel Kekilli, is a young woman who grew up in Germany, but who lives with her husband and his family in Turkey. Umay lives within the strictly patriarchal traditional society of Turkey, which includes--in her case--being beaten by her husband. She takes her young son with her and escapes to Germany, where her family lives.
The remainder of the movie concerns Umay's attempt to reintegrate herself into her family, and into mainstream German culture. Although she is treated well by the Germans with whom she has contact, she is barely tolerated--at best--by her family.
When Umay learns that her brother is planning to kidnap her son and send him back to Turkey, she leaves again, and goes to what appears to be a shelter for battered women.
Although she is treated well at the shelter, she cannot bear to cut herself off from her family. She keeps returning, and keeps being rejected, sometimes psychologically, sometimes physically. She keeps hoping that their (real) love for her will overcome the humiliation they feel because her behavior is considered shameful.
The acting in this film is outstanding, and there are no weak links. However, I have to single out the young boy--Cem--played by Nizam Schiller. He is uncannily believable as a child who can't understand why he must move, and then move again, and yet again.
We saw this film at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. However, it will do well on DVD. Incidentally, the original title "Die Fremde," means "strangers" or "foreigners." This title is more accurate than the U.S. title, because Umay and Cem are foreigners wherever they go.
This film is relatively long, and very grim. There is one scene of high spirits as Umay and a young German man ride through Berlin on a motorbike, but it doesn't ring true. All the rest is grim, grimmer, and, ultimately, grimmest.
I'm not going to reveal the ending. The reason I labeled this review as a spoiler--a first for me--is that potential viewers should know that this is a great film, but it is extremely depressing. You can't walk out of the theater, or get to the end of the DVD, and just move on. So it's a "must-see" film, but only if you can handle the emotional consequences.
Umay, played with outstanding skill by Sibel Kekilli, is a young woman who grew up in Germany, but who lives with her husband and his family in Turkey. Umay lives within the strictly patriarchal traditional society of Turkey, which includes--in her case--being beaten by her husband. She takes her young son with her and escapes to Germany, where her family lives.
The remainder of the movie concerns Umay's attempt to reintegrate herself into her family, and into mainstream German culture. Although she is treated well by the Germans with whom she has contact, she is barely tolerated--at best--by her family.
When Umay learns that her brother is planning to kidnap her son and send him back to Turkey, she leaves again, and goes to what appears to be a shelter for battered women.
Although she is treated well at the shelter, she cannot bear to cut herself off from her family. She keeps returning, and keeps being rejected, sometimes psychologically, sometimes physically. She keeps hoping that their (real) love for her will overcome the humiliation they feel because her behavior is considered shameful.
The acting in this film is outstanding, and there are no weak links. However, I have to single out the young boy--Cem--played by Nizam Schiller. He is uncannily believable as a child who can't understand why he must move, and then move again, and yet again.
We saw this film at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. However, it will do well on DVD. Incidentally, the original title "Die Fremde," means "strangers" or "foreigners." This title is more accurate than the U.S. title, because Umay and Cem are foreigners wherever they go.
This film is relatively long, and very grim. There is one scene of high spirits as Umay and a young German man ride through Berlin on a motorbike, but it doesn't ring true. All the rest is grim, grimmer, and, ultimately, grimmest.
I'm not going to reveal the ending. The reason I labeled this review as a spoiler--a first for me--is that potential viewers should know that this is a great film, but it is extremely depressing. You can't walk out of the theater, or get to the end of the DVD, and just move on. So it's a "must-see" film, but only if you can handle the emotional consequences.