Araf - Somewhere In Between

Pretty Zehra and handsome Olgun spend most of their young lives working in a service station cafeteria near a lonely highway. Their monotonous work shifts are broken up only by sparks of naive expectations of a brighter future. Everything seems transient about their surroundings. The once important industrial area is now a faceless place of economic waste and unemployment. Most of the area's occupants have all escaped to the big city in search of opportunity. But Zehra, Olgun and their friends still remain, caught somewhere in between the past and an uncertain future. Zehra dreams that love will take her away from her meaningless job and life at home with her strict old-fashioned mother. She becomes fascinated by an older truck driver, Mahur, who spends much of his time on the road. As Zehra's desire for Mahur turns into a tragic first love, her rebellious friend Olgun becomes more and more frustrated, stuck at home, not yet a young man on his own. Zehra and Olgun will experience a bittersweet rite of passage, leading to both suffering and awakening. But as they say goodbye to their childhood innocence, love and hope will help them to move forward.

artwork

Credits

Original Title
Araf - Somewhere In Between
Title
Araf - Somewhere In Between
Directed by
Yesim Ustaoglu
Country
Turkey
Year
2012
Screenplay
Yesim Ustaoglu
Film Editing
Naim Kanat, Mathilde Muyard, Svetolik Zajc
Soundtrack
Marc Marder
Cinematography
Michael Hammon
Sound
Sylvain Malbrant
Costumes
Ayse Yildiz
Production Design
Osman Özcan
Production
Catherine Dussart, Yesim Ustaoglu
Formats
DVD, Blu-ray, DCP
Runtime
124 min.
Language
Türkisch/d/f
Cast
Neslihan Atagül (Zehra), Baris Hacihan (Olgun), Özcan Deniz (Mahur), Nihal Yalcin (Derya), Yasemin Conka (Meryem)

Would you like to show this movie?

Please fill out our form.

Date(s) of screening Screening(s)
Organisation

Press voices

«'Araf – Somewhere in Between' ist ein melancholischer und eindringlicher Film über die Hoffnungen von zwei Jugendlichen, die eingesperrt sind in gesellschaftlichen Zwängen und sozialer Schicht.»
Andrea Lüthi, Mediendienst

«Film d’atmosphère parfois sublimé par de belles scènes d'amour pudiques et quelques plans superbes, Araf évoque un quotidien rude où l’espoir l’emporte sur le froid et la tristesse. Il est signé de la réalisatrice turque Yesim Usaotoglu, qui avait remporté un joli succès à la dernière Mostra de Venise.»
Tribune de Genève, Edmée Cuttat

«Ustaoglus grosse Begabung ist ihre ausserordentliche Kunst der Kameraführung, die Bilder schaffen lässt, die wie eine Resonanz der Landschaft wirken.»
The Hollywood Reporter

«Ein atmosphärisch dichter Film, mit Liebesszenen voller keuscher Zaghaftigkeit und wundervollen Einstellungen.»
Tribune de Genève

«Der Film weitet seine Szenerie auf eine ganze junge Generation, deren Lebensträume zwischen Internet, Fernsehen und Shoppingcenter eingezwängt sind.»
Cineman