Gelbe Briefe (2026)

A Turkish film by a German-Turkish filmmaker about censorship, set in Ankara and Istanbul. However, those cities are played by Berlin and Hamburg respectively, something that is literally shown on screen, and the film makes no secret of it, as you recognize the cities often enough—from vibe and appearance to license plates with B and HH on screen or German text on the wall at the courthouse. I haven't been able to ascertain the precise reason, but there could be many: the director might find it difficult to film in Turkey (?), you provide the German/Western viewer with a familiar image to help them identify with the characters, convey a message that censorship can come anywhere, or it creates a sense of alienation. Although for me, it worked the other way around: I mainly thought, you are in Germany now, so your problem regarding censorship is solved. And then having to remember every time that the film is set in Turkey.

Anyway, that wasn't the biggest flaw. Rather, it was the fairly solid execution that lacks substance or flair (unlike Çatak's previous *Das Lehrerzimmer*), the sometimes exaggerated dramatics, and especially the fact that the subjects of family drama and dealing with censorship and its effects don't quite flow together well. Intellectually, I can see what they want to convey, but they don't actually say it. Apart from a single outburst involving slightly too much exaggerated dramatic screaming, the acting was otherwise convincing. 2.5*.

Translated from Dutch · View original

Quite a decent film, which particularly effectively shows how a society is slowly transforming from a democracy into a dictatorship. It is sometimes easier to give up resistance, and in certain situations, even understandable. Resistance can also be a luxury, and your resistance can harm others. Well, it is complex subject matter that the film subtly sheds light on.

Otherwise, unfortunately, also a bit boring and meandering.

Translated from Dutch · View original