Distant (2002)
1h 46m | PG-13
A young man from rural Turkey arrives in Istanbul with dreams working on a ship and stays with a cousin while he searches for work. Over time, the former’s struggles to find employment and the latter’s troubles and disappointments strain their relationship and living situation.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Studio: NBC Film
Genre: Drama
Video: 720p
Cast
Muzaffer Özdemir
as Mahmut
Mehmet Emin Toprak
as Yusuf
Zuhal Gencer
as Nazan (as Zuhal Gencer Erkaya)
Nazan Kesal
as Lover (as Nazan Kırılmış)
Feridun Koç
as Janitor
Fatma Ceylan
as Mother
Reviews
_Uzak_ struck me as a quiet, contemplative look at loneliness—not just being alone, but that more profound kind of isolation you can feel even when someone’s right there. I admired Ceylan’s direction: those long, still shots, the wintry mood, the way silence does most of the talking. Muzaffer Özdemir felt totally believable as Mahmut—stuck in his routines, emotionally bottled up—while Mehmet Emin Toprak brought this quiet sadness to his role that stayed with me. I appreciated the craft and atmosphere but never entirely connected with it emotionally. Beautifully made, just a little too distant for me.