Based on childhood memories, The Small Town was the debut feature by Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Winter Sleep, Palme d’Or winner and Best Director winner at 8th APSA).
Through the perspective of two children, The Small Town captures the lives of a family in a dreary town in Turkey. The film’s four chapters depict an 11 year old girl struggling within the social web of primary school and encountering the mysteries of nature while journeying through a cornfield with her brother, a family campfire where they witness the complexities and darkness of adulthood, and the return to the family home, floating between reality and dream.
Admired for its striking black-and-white visuals and contemplative pace, The Small Town, from one of Turkey’s modern greats is not to be missed.
