Yurt

It’s 1997, and tensions between religious and secular, Atatürk-admiring, Turkey are escalating. 14-year-old Ahmet has been sent by his converted, well-off father to a “yurt,” a dormitory where he is supposed to learn to be a devout Muslim. In the mornings, he takes the bus to his regular school, where he hides where he now has to spend his nights. The only thing that makes the divided life easier is his new friend at the “yurt,” the street-smart Hakan, who becomes his confidant when he is denied a trip home during the break. Director Nehir Tuna artfully experiments with color and form, allowing the story to take its own path. And the young, intense Doga Karakas works wonders in the role of Ahmet. (Göteborg Film Festival)