MUSTANG has it all at the 21st Sarajevo SFF

Cinema is not a country for women...

 And more than often ,

this world is not a country for women...

So here is a film written

and directed by women,

on the story of women

who resist to the stupidity of the surrounding people...

... to their dictate and absurd laws...

I am not usually impressed

by these kinds of stories

about family dynamics,

where the viewer can only be limited

to remain

an impotent witness ...

But this time I was taken

to a strong and unexpected level of empathy

and affection

for the five protagonists ...

The Franco-Turkish Deniz Gamze Ergüven

presents us with five girls

as a single body with five heads...

... a beautiful sea monster

risen from the depths

of 'prevailing ignorance,

ready to eat up

everything on its path...

Charmingl, young, vital,

sensual, intelligent, delightful,

eager to have fun

and express themselves,

our five heroines will clash with an equally powerful monster:

the wretched world that surrounds them. 

In a village in northern Turkey overlooking the Black Sea,

it is the last day of school. 

Five sisters jump into the water

to celebrate the arrival of summer

but have the unfortunate idea

to do it together with classmates.

The grandmother

who has raised the orphaned girls

decides to wash the shame ...

Their big wooden house turns into a real prison,

with bars,

shapeless clothes to wear,

and the decision to keep them away even from school...

But the grandmother and the uncle

 have not come to terms

with the desire for life

of the five girls...

Amazing how even today, in 2015,

repression performs mainly

through the management of sexuality!

Which is demonized,

denied,

denigrated,

while virginity is still a subject of trade:

this girl is a virgin,

so  I can sell her to you as a worthy spouse...

The drama develops in a very complex

and dynamic manner.

It swirls with counterpoints of strong character comedy,  

with breaks coming from the constant frustrations

of the protagonists

and by postponing the pleasure of the viewer...

...until it reaches a thrilling climax

obtained through the mechanisms

of sowing and admirable reaping.

We laugh and cry along with five sisters

who do not understand the reasons for such fury...

... for the conservation of obsolete traditions...

 that lead to no one’s happiness ...

...what remains stuck to our mind after this film

is these girls’ irreverence

and their desire of healthy rebellion...

... especially that of Lale, 12 years old.

She is the soul of the group:

she wants to go see at all cost the ball game,

she wants to learn to drive,

she does not want her sisters to marry strangers ,

she spits in the coffee,

 she wants to flee to Istanbul, no matter how,

even with her slippers on...

Her happy little pest face

makes us hope for the best

for the future of humanity...

... while the music of Warren Ellis invades the screen ...

It could be tricky, girls,  

but we can do it!

Let’s make that Mustang run at full speed!

By Giulia Ghica Dobre

@ 21st Sarajevo SFF

Last week in Sarajevo at the 21^st SFF “MUSTANG” received the Award of the Best Film:

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM
MUSTANG
Turkey, France, Germany, Qatar
Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven Financial Award, in the amount of 16,000 €, is provided by Council of Europe

And its cast ensemble The Award for Best Female Acting:

HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESS
Güneş Şensoy, Doga Doğuşlu, Tuğba Sunguroğlu, Elit İşcan, Ilayda Akdoğan (MUSTANG / Turkey, France, Germany, Qatar) Financial award in the amount of 2,500 €