The Wild Pear Tree (film review)

 

Sinan (Aydin Doğu Demirkol) is a recent graduate set to become a primary school teacher, but he's really more interested in finding a publisher for his first novel. He returns to his hometown of Çan, hoping to scrape enough money together, but instead is faced with family debts caused by his father's gambling addiction.

Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan tells the story slowly, relying on lots of dialogue (some conversations do seem to go on rather long, interesting though they are). The cinematography and acting are equally beautiful and the complex relationships between the characters are drawn out with insight and sensitivity and a nice touch of quiet humour. The film deals sensitively and subtly with issues including rural depopulation and how to live life as a good Muslim. 

Any aspiring writers watching this film may well find Sinan's journey to becoming a writer as disheartening as it is believable, so it may be one to avoid if you're feeling low about your writing prospects!

This is a beautiful, slow (3 hours) meditation on life and well worth seeing if you like slow films. 

The Wild Pear Tree is screening at Edinburgh Filmhouse until Sunday 16 December.