Feature Films Database
Southern Mediterranean films database
Directors
Scriptwriters
Producers
European Film Schools
Production Companies
Distributors
International Sales
Funding Bodies
Submit a Film
Industry Events
Industry Reports
Country Focus
Co-Production Podcast
Industry Panels
Film Reviews
Series Reviews
Online Screenwriting Training Course
Guided Course for Feature Film Writing
Script Analysis
Analysis of the potential of your series
Cineuropa's Training Catalogue
Film Festival Photographs
Newsletter
Cineuropa Award
Advanced Search
Blogs Archive
Videos
Photogalleries
EUFCN Location Award
Euro Film Fest
27 Times Cinema
GoCritic!
Advertise on Cineuropa
Logos and Banners
Links
“How you tell a story is more important than the story itself”
by Vladan Petković
– Entanglement by Tunç Davut had its world premiere in the Sarajevo Film Festival’s official competition. Cineuropa met up with the director
Turkish writer-director Tunç Davut tells Cineuropa about the story of Entanglement [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tunç Davut
film profile], his first feature film, as well as his inspiration, his approach to filmmaking and the importance of philosophy.
Cineuropa: Where does the story come from?
Tunç Davut: When I was working on a documentary in the Black Sea region, I met a woman who told me the story that became the basis for the film. I connected the story – the tale of a woman who came between two brothers and widened the gap between them – to a very old theme, the one of Cain and Abel. The fact that the story appears in every religion moves it away from being local and makes it universal. The story also comes out of my own cinematic world and my philosophical approach to life.
There is not a lot of dialogue in the film, and the atmosphere and visual style are very elaborate.
The film is set in the mountains of Anatolia, where people have a distinct lifestyle. They are more fatalistic and introverted. They don’t speak much when it’s not necessary. Also, the forest in the mountains has its own sound, and it’s the sound of silence. The fact that these characters are introverted comes together with this silence, and it brings along its own narrative style.
To me, a story is not really that important. My primary concern is how to tell it, to create my own cinematic language. I tried to move away from conventional dramaturgy and avoid the cause-and-effect approach. I just showed basic parts of the story and wanted to leave the rest less clear. This is one of the most important elements of art in the 20th century – it’s a kind of game. The audience has to activate their own insight, knowledge, ideas and culture, and complete the story themselves.
The relationship between the dog, Efe, and Nalan is very interesting. Initially he is aggressive towards her, but later they form a bond.
Efe is an Anatolian Shepherd. When these dogs are with their owners, they can be aggressive towards outsiders, especially when they enter their territory. When the dog gets beaten by Kemal, and is alone and helpless, he’ll accept a person. That’s how it happens in Anatolia. These dogs are guards for their owners, but when they feel there is no threat coming from an outsider, they are not aggressive at all.
All the characters seem to be unhappy; they’d rather be somewhere else. And in spite of their relationships, they are all alone.
For Kemal, who is tough and has a realistic view of the world, the future is uncertain; there is no concrete dream of tomorrow, and all he can think of is how to save the day. There was a situation that got him into jail, maybe by accident, and his prison life has made him more harsh and alone.
Cemal, who has much less experience in life, is idealistic and more sensitive. He suffers a lot because of the death of his mother, and when another older woman comes into the house, he starts putting into practice some of the ideas that he got from his mother’s view of the world – for instance, that animals should not be harmed. In his relationship with Nalan, there is probably also a bit of the Oedipus complex.
And Nalan is trying to escape from her dark past. The future is also uncertain for her. She has lost her belief in life. She chooses to run away, dragging herself from place to place, searching for a harbour. She sees this harbour, and in a way, a saviour, in Kemal. But then she faces the nakedness of reality.
This points to the sickness of despair. Of course, despair is not a sickness; sickness is used here in the sense of Søren Kierkegaard’s The Sickness Unto Death, where he defines three different types of despair. The three characters in the film represent these types. Kierkegaard’s philosophy is very important for my view of the world, and my approach to film and art in general.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
15/12/2023
Víctor Herreruela, Jara Ayucar • Technical unit coordinator, Ibermedia programme, and marketing policy director, ICAA
“Innovation and co-development are key in an industry where technological leadership is paramount”
15/12/2023
Adina Sădeanu, Kirsten Peters • Writers of Spy/Master
“Trust your gut instinct when you’re drawn to a great story; don’t abandon it, even if it takes years to bring it to life”
15/12/2023
Jan-Eric Mack • Director of Davos 1917
“What interested me right from the start was the mentorship story between these two women”
14/12/2023
F Javier Gutiérrez • Director of The Wait
“I have a hard time if I have no control over taking care of everything”
13/12/2023
Michael Henrichs • Producer of The Missing Planet
“A fictional frame story for a documentary from the future mixed with science-fiction and noir elements sounded like the right thing”
all interviews
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the most important daily or weekly news on European cinema
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the most important daily or weekly news on European cinema
yesterday
Box Office
Europe
European films are defending their territory in domestic box offices
Production / Funding
Belgium/France/Rwanda
Shooting wraps for Jonas d’Adesky’s Entre-deux
Festivals / Awards
Spain
20,000 Species of Bees receives two Forqué awards
IFFR 2024
IFFR unveils its 2024 line-up
yesterday
Les Arcs 2023
Review: Jupiter
Festivals / Awards
Spain
Rwandan film The Bride triumphs at the eighth Novos Cinemas
Box Office
Italy
There Is Still Tomorrow beats Barbie at the Italian box office and makes history
GoCritic!
Animateka 2023
GoCritic! Industry: Rise & Shine awards Cosmonauts and Period Drama at Animateka
yesterday
Les Arcs 2023
Review: Life’s a Bitch
Production / Funding
Czech Republic/France
Canal+ shoots first Czech miniseries, Daughter of the Nation
15 December 2023
Industry / Market
France
Apsara Films scoops the IFCIC Prize
Institutions / Legislation
Europe
European film associations welcome the European Parliament’s decision to keep the audiovisual sector outside the geo-blocking regulation
Distribution, Exhibition and Streaming – 30/11/2023
Eduardo Escudero • Distributor, A Contracorriente Films
We caught up with one of the founders of the Catalan outfit to zoom in on its complex business model and its relationship with VoD platforms
Market Trends
FOCUS
During the busy autumn/winter festival season, Cineuropa will continue to provide coverage from the buzziest markets and festivals including San Sebastián, Cologne, Zurich, London, Tallinn, Rome and Turin
Produce – Co-Produce… – 12/12/2023
The KIPA Summit zooms in on the economic impact of screen production in Poland
A comprehensive study by OSPI and KIPA has examined Poland’s evolving screen-production landscape, emphasising its importance to the economy and the need for refined incentives to sustain its growth
Series – 08/12/2023
REPORT: NEM Awards @ NEM Zagreb 2023
We lift the veil on the three television series that achieved the highest positions at the inaugural NEM Awards
Natálie Císařovská • Director of Her Body
In this compassionate debut feature by the Czech director, the human body can be a tool, or an obstacle
Triin Ruumet • Director of Dark Paradise
The Estonian filmmaker makes a case for facing your fears as she follows two siblings who are dealing with grief in unusual ways
Mohamed Ben Attia • Director of Behind the Mountains
The Tunisian director delves into his mysterious fantasy-drama, first shown in Venice’s Orizzonti, but without unveiling all its secrets
Grazia Tricarico • Director of Body Odyssey
The Italian director talked to us about what bodies are able to tell us, as well as her experience with the bodybuilding world and her artistic approach to it
Privacy Policy
The images used on this website have been provided by journalists and are believed to be free of rights. However, if you are the owner of an image used on this website and believe that its use infringes on your copyright, please contact us immediately. We will remove the image in question as soon as possible. We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that all images used on this website are used legally and in accordance with copyright laws.
About us | Contact us | Logos and Banners
Mission | Partners | Team | Participate | Donations | Terms and conditions
top
