Post-screening Q&A with director Ali Ozgenturk!

The wonderful Türkan Şoray stars as the title character in this internationally acclaimed chronicle of a collision between tradition and modernity. The son of a wealthy, respected family seeks the hand of Hazal; unexpectedly, soon after her marriage, her husband dies. According to custom, as the deceased family had paid dowry for Hazal, she must marry the next male sibling—which in this case, happens to be an 11-year old boy. Trapped by the obligations imposed on her and her own romantic stirrings, Hazal is forced to choose what future lies ahead. Ali Özgentürk, screenwriter for My Love with the Red Scarf, made an extraordinary leap into direction with this, his debut film—another tale star-crossed love set against the background of changing social customs and values. Özgentürk creates a rich, full-blooded portrait of Hazal’s world, which is never reduced to simple, black-and-white dichotomies, but instead offers a galaxy of complex if sometimes contradictory characters.