Serra Yilmaz Movies
Turkish-born director Ferzan Ozpetek's meditative, character-driven ensemble drama Saturno Contro (a French-Italian-Turkish co-production, from a script co-authored by Ozpetek and Gianni Romoli) studies the interrelationships of a tightly-knit group of gay and straight friends, in the period surrounding the premature death of one young man and the split of a married hetero couple. At the story's center are Lorenzo (Luca Argentero), a confident, surreally handsome, 30-year-old Italian man, and his live-in lover, the author Davide (Pierfrancesco Favino. They spend their non-working hours with a colorful clique that includes: bright, spunky cocaine addict Roberta (Ambra Angiolini); husband-and-wife (and parents) Antonio (Stefano Accorsi) and Angelica (Margherita Buy); caustic Neval (Serra Yilmaz) and her husband, a cop (Filippo Timi); Davide's former lover, the acid-tongued Sergio (Ennio Fantastichini); and a new arrival to the group, Paolo. After Ozpetek and Romoli take time and care to introduce the characters, an unforeseen crisis arises: Lorenzo is rushed to the hospital, and dies. In time, his distanced father (Luigi Diberti) turns up, accompanied by his second wife, Minnie (Lunetta Savino) and still grappling with the knowledge of his son's homosexuality. Meanwhile, Antonio and Angelica split, the latter devastated by the sudden discovery of her husband's infidelity with a florist (Isabella Ferrari). ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stefano Accorsi, Margherita Buy, (more)
Rejected by her fellow countrymen and left to fend for herself in an unfamiliar land, a twelve-year-old Iraqi refugee living in Rome recounts her remarkable journey through the bars of a remote and undisclosed prison. Back in Iraq, young Rahil's guardians would frequently argue, and the local bullies were relentless. Yet regardless of her dire circumstances, optimistic Rahil never lost hope that a better future was just around the corner. Years ago, Rahil's country was consumed by strife, and she was forced to travel the desert with armed Arab men. Later, one of her protectors had a business deal that ended in violence and Rahil was forced to flee. As she wandered the outskirts of home, she would seek out the assistance of fellow countrymen who shunned her upon learning her father's name. When authorities eventually catch up to Rahil her story is revealed, though she is still left a stranger in a strange land. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ons Ben Raies, Lorenza Indovina, (more)
Young married couple Giovanna (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and Filippo (Filippo Nigro) have been married long enough to have become almost completely jaded by their lots in life, with most of their individual aspirations having been set aside some time ago. As their marriage begins to fall apart, the two encounter a strange old man (Massimo Girotti) who calls himself Simone since he can't seem to recall his real name or much about his past history. Filippo brings the man home to stay with them, which initially irritates Giovanna. Over time, she gradually befriends the confused old man and eventually notices a tattoo on his arm indicative of his being a WWII Holocaust survivor. Taking "Simone" to an old Roman ghetto, she helps him remember his name (Davide) and his time spent in that very ghetto -- which includes recalling the very painful memory of his lover Simone's capture and murder at the hands of the Nazis. Meanwhile, Giovanna has been spending her free time impulsively peeping across the street at her attractive neighbor Lorenzo (Raoul Bova) -- who in turn has been spying on her. Giovanna is thus forced to decide between Filippo and Lorenzo, as well as possibly realizing a long dormant professional dream that her new friend Davide may be able to help her undertake. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- Starring:
- Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Massimo Girotti, (more)
- 2003
Directed by Elisabeth Rygaard, Omfan mig mane (aka House of Hearts) centers on a poverty-ridden Turkish rural family. Tired of putting up with abuse from his spiteful father, Ali sets off with his wife and two small children in hopes of building a house of their own. Debt, however, forces Ali to become a guest worker in Denmark. The story is mostly told in flashbacks from Ali's son's point-of-view. Omfan mig mane features Bora Akkas, Mazlum Cimen, Sebnem Kostern, and Serra Yilmaz. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bora Akkas, Gurol, (more)
- 2002
Taking its cue from Akira Kurosawa's classic Rashomon, director Umit Unal's fractured crime thriller views the horrific rape and murder of a young homeless girl from various perspectives as police interrogate six potential suspects from the neighborhood in which the murder occurred. As the police delve ever deeper into their investigation, the previously unknown history of a troubled Istanbul community is slowly peeled away to reveal the repulsive core of this seemingly peaceful neighborhood. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ali Poyrazoglu, Cezmi Baskin, (more)
A woman dealing with the loss of her mate learns he had a surprising secret life in this drama from Italy. Antonia (Margherita Buy) is a doctor who finds both challenges and rewards in her work with people with AIDS, who has also enjoyed a long and seemingly happy relationship with her husband Massimo (Andrea Renzi). When Massimo is killed in an auto wreck, Antonia is crushed and turns away from her work and her friends; while she tries to reach out to her mother Veronica (Erica Blanc), Veronica is too emotionally distant to be of much help. As Antonia struggles to come to terms with her grief, she discovers to her shock that her husband had been having an affair through much of their marriage, and her confusion is intensified when she learns that Massimo's lover was a man, Michele (Stefano Accorsi). Antonia confronts Michele, who would prefer not to say anything about Massimo, but Antonia is persistent, and in time the two open up to each other about the man they both deeply loved. As a friendship grows between Antonia and Michele, she has another surprise in store -- she finds she's pregnant with Massimo's child. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Margherita Buy, Stefano Accorsi, (more)
- 1994
This Turkish film chronicles a love triangle upon the southern coast of Turkey. Agah, a man in his fifties, has left city life in favor of a more bucolic existence where he can practice calligraphy and be with his young mistress Yildiz. Unfortunately Yildiz is too fiery and the two often fight. Matters are complicated by Agah's wife who moves into a neighbor's house to try to win him back. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Zuhal Olcay, Musfik Kenter, (more)
- 1987
A young man in a small town in Turkey inherits a hotel from his parents in this disturbing drama. Zebercet (Macid Koper) falls for a pretty guest who promises to return the following week. When the woman fails to show up, Zebercet descends into psychopathic madness. He sleeps in the room previously occupied by the young woman and neglects his potential guests. After rejecting the homosexual advances of a young stranger, Zebercet rapes and strangles a hotel maid and kills her cat. Serra Yilmaz and Orhan Cagman co-star with Macid Koper, who gives an excellent performance of the disturbed killer. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Macit Koper, Serra Yilmaz, (more)
