“On the basis of his two films, Summer Book and Our Grand Despair, it was clear that Seyfi Teoman was on his way to becoming one of the new  most distinctive voices of cinema in Turkey. His death is a terrible loss for his family, his friends, and for all who cherish intelligent, challenging cinema.” —Richard Peña, Film Society Program Director

In a quiet, beautiful town on the Mediterranean coast, children play in the ruins of an old fort, and life goes on at its own pace. But beneath the surface, at least for the family of 10-year old Ali, tensions are brewing. His older brother is looking for a way out of military academy; his divorced uncle seems to grow more eccentric by the day. Meanwhile, Ali’s mother grows suspicious of her husband’s increasingly frequent business trips. And for Ali, something has to be done about the bullies forever picking on him. These narrative currents suddenly all come together when Ali’s father suffers a cerebral hemorrhage, and each member of the family has to redefine his or her role within it. With Summer Book, first-time director Seyfi Teoman makes an impressive debut, carefully balancing each character and storyline to come up with a revealing portrait of a pivotal summer in a family’s life.