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The Edge of Heaven, Sat October 11
2008, 7:00 & 9:30

Exile and Asylum Themes of German/Turkish Drama

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Subject The Edge of Heaven shows at IFS on Sat October 11, 2008, 7:00 & 9:30

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The Edge of Heaven
Exile and Asylum Themes of German/Turkish Drama
Sat October 11
2008, 7:00 & 9:30

Part two of director Fatih Akin's Love, Death, and the Devil trilogy (HEAD-ON, 2004). Fate, diaspora, and kinship across generations figure in this portrait of Turks and Germans struggling to remain true to their beliefs. Review by Dave Calhoun, Time Out London Turkish-German director Fatih Akin broadens his canvas and quietens his tone for his follow-up to the fiery and intimate "Head-On" (2004). His concern is again with movement between Turkey and Germany – and its consequences for the individual – although this time his enquiry takes on a cross-generational edge, as well as a more thoughtful and maudlin one: we’re never very far from death.

Coincidence is Akin’s scheme as he separately presents, via two chapters, the lives of an estranged mother and daughter. Yeter (Nursel Köse) is a prostitute in Bremen who makes an arrangement to live with elderly Ali (Tuncel Kurtiz), another lost Turk, although he accidentally kills her when she threatens to leave.

Meanwhile, her daughter, Ayten (Nurgül Yesilçay) is a dissident on the run in Hamburg who makes friends with a German woman, Lotte (Patrycia Ziolkowska), who’s willing to go to any length to help her. Events move to Istanbul when Ayten is repatriated and Ali’s son, Nejat (Baki Davrak), a professor of German, arrives in the city looking to find the daughter of his father’s late partner-cum-escort.

As in "Head-On," fate dominates proceedings, but there’s no escaping the contrivances of Akin’s script. Maybe that’s the point – the loose grip his players have on where they’re going – but it detracts a little from a film that is otherwise thoughtful and engaging, even if you miss the up-close study of "Head-On" amid the film’s abundant characters and detail.

To see a trailer and read a review, visit InternationalFilmSeries.com.

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IFS tickets are only available at the door on day of show. With 400 seats and rare sell-outs, by arriving a bit early you're almost certainly guaranteed a seat. Tickets go on sale 30 minutes before showtime.

IFS screens films in Muenzinger Auditorium, west of Folsom Football Stadium. Admission (unless otherwise noted): $10 general admission, $8 w/UCB student ID, $8 for senior citizens. 10 films for $65 with punch card. We give a $1 discount to anyone with a bike helmet, and you can see movies for free on your birthday, or if you are assisting someone in a wheelchair. Credit cards are accepted at the door

Pricing

10 films for $65 with punch card
$10 general admission. $8 w/UCB student ID, $8 for senior citizens
$1 discount to anyone with a bike helmet
Free on your birthday! CU Cinema Studies students get in free.

Looking for a gift for a friend?

Buy a Frequent Patron Punch Card for $65 at any IFS show. With the punch card you can see ten films (a value of $100).

Parking

Pay lot 360 (now only $1/hour!), across from the buffalo statue and next to the Duane Physics tower, is closest to Muenzinger. Covered parking with similar pricing can be found in the Euclid Parking Garage under the CASE Building, South of Muenzinger. We recommend utilizing the ParkMobile app on your phone to simplify the process and avoid needing to use the kiosks.