''My Father and My Son'' () is a 2005 Turkish

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written and directed by

Çağan Irmak Çağan Irmak (born 4 April 1970) is a Turkish people, Turkish film and television writer and director, who has managed to attract a large audience in Turkey and is best known for the TV series ''Çemberimde Gül Oya'' (2004–2005) and ''Asmalı ...

about a family torn apart by the

1980 Turkish coup d'état The 1980 Turkish coup d'état (), headed by Chief of the General Staff General Kenan Evren, was the third coup d'état in the history of the Republic of Turkey, the previous having been the 1960 coup and the 1971 coup by memorandum. During ...

. The film which went on nationwide release on became one of the highest-grossing Turkish films in history.

Plot

In order to study

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

, Sadık leaves his village on the Aegean coast. This angers his father, Hüseyin, who wants him to study Agricultural Engineering so he can manage the family farm. During his years at university Sadık becomes a militant in left wing politics. Upon learning about Sadık's behavior, Hüseyin disowns him. However worse days are ahead for Sadık. In the early hours of the morning on 12 September 1980 Sadık's pregnant wife starts having contractions. The couple runs outside, but they can't find anyone to take them to the hospital, due to a curfew. The country has been taken over in a military coup. Sadık's wife gives birth in a park and dies, but their son, Deniz, possibly named after leftist youth icon Deniz Gezmiş, survives. Because of his political activities, Sadık is arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for three years during which time he loses his health. A few years after being released, he finds out that he will die. Having no other choice, he takes Deniz back to his family farm on the Aegean into the care of his mother and his father, who still does not speak to him. For Deniz, who is absorbed in the magical world of

comic books A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

, meeting his relatives on the farm is a new experience. There is his grandmother (Hümeyra Akbay) who drives a tractor and speaks on a

short wave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using radio frequencies in the shortwave bands (SW). There is no official definition of the band range, but it always includes all of the High frequency, high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30& ...

, his aunt Hanife (Binnur Kaya) who wears bracelets from her wrist all the way to her shoulder, and his uncle (Yetkin Dikinciler) who is a little naive. There is trouble in store, however, for Sadık and Hüseyin who must come to terms with their past and each other. Sadık also needs to face his first love, now married with two children, and the question of old friends. However his sickness takes over and Sadık passes away. His parents take over the responsibility of Deniz who comes into term with his father's loss.

Awards

The film won an award for its soundtrack at the

World Soundtrack Awards The World Soundtrack Awards, launched in 2001, are the annual awards for best Film score, film music, presented during the Film Fest Gent. The World Soundtrack Academy supports the art of film music through cultural, educational and professional ac ...

, awarded to Evanthia Reboutsika. Kuşkan was given the Best actor award at the 25th Istanbul Film Festival for his performance in ''Babam ve Oğlum''.

Cast

Fikret Kuşkan Fikret Kuşkan (born 22 April 1965) is a Turkish actor. Kuşkan grew up in İstinye with his parents and four sisters. His father was of Albanian origin. When he was 13, his father died and he moved to Tokat. After three years, he returned to ...

– Sadık * Çetin Tekindor – Hüseyin * Hümeyra – Nuran * Şerif Sezer – Gülbeyaz Teyze * – Deniz * Özge Özberk – Birgül * Tuba Büyüküstün – Aysun * Yetkin Dikinciler – Salim * Binnur Kaya – Hanife * Halit Ergenç – Özkan * – Kahya

References

External links

* * * {{WSA for Discovery of the Year 2005 films 2000s Turkish-language films 2005 drama films Turkish drama films Films set in the 1980s Films set in İzmir Films directed by Çağan Irmak Films shot in İzmir Films shot in Istanbul Films about coups d'état