It’s clear the women in these movies have a patriarchal oppression problem to deal with, and two of the best films in the festival confront that issue with startling results. At first Semih Kaplanoglu’s
Angel’s Fall
(2004; April 2 at 5 pm) evokes the slow rhythms, uncertain chronology, and immanent details of master Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan. A meek chambermaid in a big Istanbul hotel rebuffs the attentions of a young bellboy. Back home she endures a strained, perhaps abusive relationship with her gruff father. In another household, a young man’s neurotic wife leaves him. The distraught husband wants to get rid of the wife’s belongings, and the chambermaid drops by to pick them up. When dad sees her wearing the other woman’s red chemise, he slaps her, releasing the underlying tension in a shocking way that recalls a more elliptical, enigmatic version of Roman Polanski’s Repulsion.
In Kutlug Ataman’s
2 Girls
(2005; April 1 at 5:45 pm and April 7 at 8 pm), an older brother plays the ogre role. Behiye may scrub the toilet with her hated sibling’s toothbrush, but her rebellion otherwise is ineffectual. She dyes her hair an unnatural red and greets the world with an angry pout worthy of Sandra Bernhard, all to a backdrop of punk rock, but she still does the housekeeping and cooks for the family. Handan, meanwhile, seems satisfied living in pink, pampered comfort with her single mom, who takes care of such details as Handan’s university registration fee by giving head to her latest sugar daddy. The two girls’ interests diverge as much as their home life; Behiye shoplifts Moby Dick from a bookstore, Handan stalks the malls for free cosmetics.
A friend brings them together and the ditz and the slacker bond. Handan introduces Behiye to her mother and despite mom’s displeasure — she likes to think of herself as her daughter’s best friend — invites her to stay. Behiye takes Handan up on that offer when her rift with her brother gets out of control. She settles in, and the two cavort, perhaps a bit too giddily, in assorted bliss montages. Such free spirits don’t last long as mom’s opposition grows, Behiye’s brother starts tracking her down, and Handan infuriates her by showing interest in some yuppie creep with a fancy car. Why not just flee to Australia, Behiye asks, hunt down Handan’s émigré father, and start life anew? Good question, and you might be surprised at who comes up with an answer. With a fiery performance from Feride Cetin as Behiye, 2 Girls, like the best in this festival, is probably a lot more subversive than Valley of the Wolves: Iraq.
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