I've never watched the same movie three times in a day. Until now.
Die Fremde ("When We Leave", probably a better translation would be "The Strangers") is a story about Umay, a young woman living with her husband and son in Istanbul. To protect the child and herself from an oppressive marriage she decides to leave the husband and move back to her family in Germany. Her father, confronted with the choice whether to support and protect his daughter or to be publicly humiliated by the Turkish community, decides to comply with established social norms and wants to send them back to Turkey. Umay refuses to go, but the family is determined to send the child back to the father. From this point the story describes Umay's attempts to protect the child from being taken from her and re-gain acceptance of her family as a single mother.
The movie made tremendous impression on me. Watching was a real life changing experience. The most impressive aspect was definitely Umay's character played by Sibel Kekilli. There is something magnificent about her. I believe I learned more from Umay about the love, acceptance and forgiveness than from all the years spent in church.
On the negative side I didn't really like the ending, but you can't win them all.
I was curious to find out what critics have to say about the movie. Interestingly, most of them missed the main theme. The movie is not about a Muslim women trying to "embrace Western values of personal integrity and freedom", or "clash of the cultures". Umay was born in Germany, her best friend is a Non-Muslim, and apparently she is very well adopted into Western society. This is a story of a mother who is dedicated to the well-being of the child and she does not want to compromise his happiness because of any social expectations, whether they are coming from Western Society or from Islam religion. As such, the story is universal and applicable to theists and atheists, East and West.
Probably one of the best movies I've ever seen and certainly the most influential.
Die Fremde ("When We Leave", probably a better translation would be "The Strangers") is a story about Umay, a young woman living with her husband and son in Istanbul. To protect the child and herself from an oppressive marriage she decides to leave the husband and move back to her family in Germany. Her father, confronted with the choice whether to support and protect his daughter or to be publicly humiliated by the Turkish community, decides to comply with established social norms and wants to send them back to Turkey. Umay refuses to go, but the family is determined to send the child back to the father. From this point the story describes Umay's attempts to protect the child from being taken from her and re-gain acceptance of her family as a single mother.
The movie made tremendous impression on me. Watching was a real life changing experience. The most impressive aspect was definitely Umay's character played by Sibel Kekilli. There is something magnificent about her. I believe I learned more from Umay about the love, acceptance and forgiveness than from all the years spent in church.
On the negative side I didn't really like the ending, but you can't win them all.
I was curious to find out what critics have to say about the movie. Interestingly, most of them missed the main theme. The movie is not about a Muslim women trying to "embrace Western values of personal integrity and freedom", or "clash of the cultures". Umay was born in Germany, her best friend is a Non-Muslim, and apparently she is very well adopted into Western society. This is a story of a mother who is dedicated to the well-being of the child and she does not want to compromise his happiness because of any social expectations, whether they are coming from Western Society or from Islam religion. As such, the story is universal and applicable to theists and atheists, East and West.
Probably one of the best movies I've ever seen and certainly the most influential.