Journey to the Sun  (1999)

Theatrical Release Information:
Journey to the Sun

Günese Yolculuk is a film that initially draws attention for its political content. Turkish Mehmet Newroz Baz and Kurdish Berzan Nazmi Oirix are two lonely souls trying to keep their heads above water in a huge metropolis. Mehmet comes from the West Coast of Turkey and Berzan's village is far away in the Southeast, near the Iraqi border. They meet in the threatening urban environment of Istanbul, where Mehmet is working for the water department and Berzan is selling music cassettes on the street. Mehmet is in love with Arzu (Mizgin Kapazan), a city girl who works in a laundromat, while Berzan carries the photo of the sweetheart he left behind in his remote village. Mehmet's hopes for a new life come to an abrupt end when he is mistakenly arrested as a terrorist suspect when a package containing a gun is found next to him on the bus. His dark complexion raises suspicions that he might be a Kurd. Tortured in police custody, and now without a job or a place to sleep, he is sheltered by Berzan who lives in a shantytown on the outskirts of the city. Tragedy strikes when Berzan is killed by the police. A new journey begins for Mehmet, who takes the remains of Berzan to his remote village in ethnic strife torn southeast Anatolia. A young woman director with a background as an architect, Yesim Ustaoglu lets the plot unfold through images that flow without obtrusive directorial commentary. The players are either non-professionals or actors new to cinema; Nazmi Oirix and Newroz Baz are from the theatre, but their acting is definitely not theatrical. With Günese Yolculuk, director Yesim Ustaoglu won the AGICOA Prize "Blue Angel" for the Best European Film On A Burning Contemporray Issue at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival in 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide