Where the Fire Burns

Where the Fire Burns (Ateşin Düştüğü Yer)

Turkey, 2012, 105’
Director: İsmail Güneş
Cast: Hakan Karahan, Elifcan Ongurlar, Yeşim Ceren Bozoğlu
Language: Turkish

Based on domestic violence against women and honor crimes of a real life story, Where the Fire Burns is the last film of İsmail Güneş’s trilogy. After returning from the Montreal Film Festival with the most prestigious “Best Film” award, and from Cannes with the FIPRESCI award, the film is now Turkey’s Oscar candidate. Ayşe, the 16 years-old daughter of a farming family becomes ill unexpectedly and is operated. Thus the family learns of their daughter’s pregnancy and has to bow down to traditional moral laws. The family who has fought for their daughter’s “life”, now has to struggle to “kill” her. The father, Osman, who has assumed the task of killing his daughter, takes Ayşe on a trip. The time they spend together on this journey gives the father and daughter a chance to get to know and love each other. It is a touching film on love, traditional law and regret.