GOLGELER VE SURETLER is one of those films that sticks in the mind, whether or not we understand much about the nuances of the Cypriot conflict.
Set in the Turkish part of the country in 1963, the basic scenario concentrates on a group of Turkish villagers who are forcibly evicted from their homes and reduced to refugees by the Greek Cypriot army. The two communities once used to co-exist with one another, despite their national and religious differences; now long- held friendships are destroyed, and no one can now trust one another.
Within this scenario the story concentrates on the Karagoz puppeteer Salih (Settar Tanriogen), who is forced to leave his puppets behind in his flight for safety. His daughter Ruhsar (Hazar Ercuclu) tries to persuade headman Veli (Osman Alkas) to fetch them for her, but Veli remains reluctant to do so, having been involved in a long- standing feud with Salih. Eventually the two men make up, and the puppets are retrieved. This is an important moment, showing the importance of recognizing the past: despite repeated attempts to bury the Karagoz puppets in the ground, they keep resurfacing.
The film moves towards a violent conclusion, with Ruhsar losing her father and forced to leave her village and seek safety in the city of Famagusta. When she arrives as a refugee, she witnesses another Karagoz show organized by her father - proving once and for all that the ancient art always survives as a means of educating and purifying the soul, despite all attempts to suppress it.
GOLGELER VE SURETLER is the third in a trilogy (others include CENNETI BEKLERKEN and NOKTA) where director Dervis Zaim uses ancient arts to emphasize the continuities between past, present and future, as well as encouraging us to reflect on our relationship to the world we inhabit. It is a brave film that does not shy away from political concerns, but suggests some form of redemption, even if only temporary.
