Showing at HOME, Manchester from 20th May 2016
Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Produced by CG Cinéma
Runtime: 1 h 34 min
Reviewed by Darren Guy
You gotta watch this film. It’s great to see films like this coming out and it’s a shame the Turkish authorities are trying to silence the film-makers.
Mustang is the debut film by Turkish/French director and writer Deniz Gamze Ergüven. In parts delightful, touching, sad and beautiful story of 5 young boisterous Turkish sisters raised by their grandmother, but trying to push back against the extremely repressive roles and traditions.
Spotted laughing and jumping about in the sea with a bunch of schoolboys by eyes that are everywhere, within no time their grandmother and uncle find out. One by one the girls are punished by their grandmother for their ‘unacceptable behaviour’. The girls are taken out of school and imprisoned in their home and when allowed out are forced to wear, brown gowns ‘The colour of shit’.
What follows is a battle between the girls trying to force their choices and fight back against repressive traditions as the girls are married off one by one, “Our house became a wife factory.” But Lale, the youngest, is rebellious and courageous and increasingly determined not to submit. Amazing acting, and great to see another challenging films coming out of Turkey.
Ergüven faced a barrage of abuse and criticism within Turkey. and has stated again and again that Erodogen the dictator plans to ‘drag woman back to the dark ages.’ Check it out.