Who are you?
Say something. Who are you?
Who are you?
Say something.
Nana?
Come out, girl. Come out.
Was someone there?
There you go. No.
It was probably just Cafer going in and out. I don't know.
I don't know how we'll keep this up.
I'm expecting death around every corner, in every noise.
Don't say that.
You're pregnant. That's why you're so jumpy.
You're a nervous wreck because you're due soon.
Don't worry.
They won't come back. They don't know you're here.
Don't worry, honey. Don't worry.
Nothing is going to happen.
You'll give birth to a healthy babe and move on with your life.
Let's set the table
and eat a few bites.
-Is it cold in here? -A little.
Throw a log on the fire.
I'll wait until the morning. There's only two left.
I'll go out after dinner and gather some.
Nana, you shouldn't go out at night.
It's always night to me, girl. What a thing to say.
Psst, let me tell you something.
When I was young and still able to see,
I'd carry more than the donkeys could,
and everyone would be amazed.
Oh, Seher, how old you've become.
Now all I manage is a couple of logs.
Being old is awful.
Listen, the lamps are on the floor next to the stove, right?
-They are. -Good. Be careful, girl.
Don't make the mistake of lifting them up.
Let people think our light is only the fire in the hearth.
If only there were some meat to feed you.
There's two of you. You must eat.
I wish God would take my life.
Girl, I'll give you a beating! Heaven forbid.
CREATURE
"MY NAME WAS İHSAN"
Nana, where did that come from?
It's a rabbit, right?
I felt its ear.
I guess a hunter left it as a good deed.
Although the villagers wouldn't piss on us if we were on fire.
And Cafer wouldn't know how to catch a rabbit.
Let's make çullama with it at once.
Nana, come in.
I'd do it at night if I weren't pregnant--
Shh, girl. Stop it.
You're working so hard.
Eat your egg. Then I'll milk the goat and give you some.
Nana, I'm not Cafer.
I know.
You're here for the girl?
No.
-Swear it. -I swear.
I won't do you any harm.
I'm just a vagrant, Nana.
Who are you? Tell me your name.
My name was
İhsan.
I don't know who I am now.
-Let me touch your face. -Don't.
I can't see you otherwise. Come here.
So don't.
Don't see me. Don't touch me.
Are you sick? Is it the pestilence?
No. Nothing like that.
I'm just so ugly.
So what?
It's not like I'm looking for a handsome husband.
Come here. Come.
Who did this to you?
I won't ask if you were born this way or turned into this later.
Your teardrops are the only thing I'm seeing.
And that's all I know.
My eyes might not see your face,
but my heart sees your heart.
And that's all my heart needs.
Where did you come from? Where are you going?
Nowhere.
I came from nowhere, and I'm going nowhere.
Nowhere is a bottomless well,
and there's no end to it.
Stay with us for a while. Get some rest.
Nana Seher, do you have any bread?
I do!
Stay there!
Yes. Well done, Cafer. That's it.
Don't come up to the house. Just holler.
Yes. Wait. I'll be right out. You'll take me to the neighbor's.
Yes.
Nana, I'm by the sofa.
Here. I made the bread.
-Nana. -Yes?
What if that vagrant tells someone?
What if someone has seen him?
Who is he? What should we do?
It's going to be fine.
I'll go around and visit the neighbors, girl.
Show my face so they don't come ask after me. Okay?
-Why on earth? -Shh. Come on.
Leaving me here with him--
All right.
Here. Take this.
-There. -Where do you want to go, Nana?
We'll go to Safiye's first, and then to Hatice's.
Let's go. Come on.
No running! Slowly!
No running. Slowly.
Esma.
Don't fear me.
I don't. It's fine.
You can cover the hole.
No, it's okay.
Who are you hiding from?
From all of them.
Everyone.
-You? -Me too.
From all of them.
Everyone.
-Why? -Why?
Did you see me through that hole?
I did.
Look, I didn't want this baby.
I'm no harlot. My cousin forced himself--
He's married. He said he'd kill me if I talked.
When my belly started showing, they said I was falsely accusing them
and they beat me up.
No one believed me.
They wanted to kill me. My mama helped me escape.
I've known Nana Seher forever. She's a distant relative.
My brothers, my dad, my uncle, they all want to kill me.
They're looking for me. Came here, too, and asked about me.
I heard them from under that.
If I hadn't come here, I'd be--
Nana started a false rumor.
She said I was a whore in Istanbul and they should stop looking.
She had to say that to protect me.
So my name, my reputation, myself,
all sullied now.
-Esma? -What?
That's not how you get sullied.
How else, then? I am sullied.
No.
That's a lie told by cowardly, treacherous men.
Don't believe them. What they did sullied them, not you.
You sound like you were schooled. Were you?
Don't mind me. I'm talking your ear off.
I haven't spoken to anyone for months.
I did go to school.
I did, but…
my education hasn't done anyone any good.
It's done me good today.
Don't you think the collar's too high, Havva?
She'll be wearing pearls, Mom.
-It's to show them off. -Stop it, girl. That's unseemly.
And who says I'll wear them?
Mine is just guesswork.
If we could just see those famous pearls…
I'd cut the collar accordingly, but…
You're so shameless, all of you.
Havva, don't fall in with them. Not you.
The seamstress might need it. Just hand it through the door.
They were your mother's. They'll look beautiful on Asiye.
Thank you, Father.
I appreciate--
We appreciate it.
I'll take them.
-Mrs. Havva. -How can I help you, Mr. Ziya?
My father sent these for you to have a look at in advance.
Wonderful.
Cafer, you've gone even crazier! How many times have you passed here today?
Hold on.
Thanks.
So many days have passed. Won't you let me see your face already?
Have you ever heard of forget-me-not flowers?
I haven't.
Is that what they're called?
I don't like that name. It makes me think of being apart.
You're not leaving?
No, it's not that.
Okay, I won't ask to see your face.
Just please, don't leave.
I won't. Don't worry.
I'll pick other flowers for you.
Flowers with nicer names
that make one think of reunions.
Thanks.
These are beautiful.
You know what?
Even before you brought them to me,
I've been smelling them right here, in my heart.
I've had butterflies in my stomach.
I've never known love.
I mean, I've heard of it, but never felt it.
Is this what love feels like?
It feels like
every name, shape, taste, smell, color
has changed
since you arrived.
This one-room house is now a palace.
It's no longer a prison.
I used to be afraid, but now I'm not.
I used to cry, but now I smile.
If love is capable of all this,
I'll never give up on it,
no matter what your face looks like, İhsan.
You…
you're describing heaven, Esma.
But I've seen hell.
It was a place where hearts that never knew love burn.
So, please…
don't give up on me.
I am nothing without you.
Nana, my water broke. Nana.
Huh? Yes. It's okay, girl.
We've been expecting this. Don't be afraid.
It's okay. Don't be afraid.
Girl, don't you scream. Don't scream.
Get the bundle, and take off your underpants.
There's hot water by the stove, right?
-It must be warm by now. -Even better.
Careful, girl. Don't you scream.
No one must hear you. God, what to do?
-Nana. -Yes?
-Let me in. Quickly. -All right.
Lay the blanket on the floor.
Esma, you're going to want to scream.
Bite down on this. Breathe through your nose.
Bear down when I tell you to, and push the baby out.
Don't get shy because I'm here, okay?
Yes. There.
Now,
keep breathing. Inhale and exhale.
Bear down. Push.
Push. Shh, it's okay. Push.
Keep breathing steadily.
Push.
-Push. -Come on, girl. Push, please.
Now, push.
In the name of God…
Dear God…
God. In the name of God, most gracious…
My God, thank you.
Be quiet, son.
I've been telling my husband for days that I've been hearing that.
We'd know if someone had given birth. No one's even pregnant!
She must be hiding the whore who ran off.
I sent word to Bekir yesterday. I'm sure they know by now.
They should drag that harlot by the hair so she learns her lesson.
Be quiet, son.
It's a baby. He'll cry no matter what.
What to do?
İhsan, anyone outside?
No. The women were far away. They didn't hear him.
-Nana. -Yes?
With your permission,
and if Esma agrees too, of course,
call an imam and have him marry us.
Cafer, take me to the imam's house.
You can run this time!
-Run? -Yes.
I put the sheets on top.
In the morning, you open this,
and lay them on your bed, all clean.
Grandma, you're making me blush.
Asiye.
If you have questions about that night, just ask me, dear.
-No. -You two haven't--
Grandma! I didn't mean it like that.
I don't know. We'll figure it out.
All right.
Asiye and my mother can decide who to invite to the henna night.
Let's be thorough with the wedding so no one gets offended.
We'll invite as many people as we can fit in here.
Let's ask Hüsnü if there's people he wants to invite.
He can sleep here on the wedding night.
You have everything you need at your house?
Yes, thank you, Father.
I wish you had everything you needed to be happy for me, too, but--
I'm perfectly happy, son.
Life doesn't always work the way we want it to.
If this is the path life has led us to,
we'll make it as beautiful as we can.
Are we inviting Mr. Hamdi?
He was a great help to you, after all.
We can send a telegram right away.
I've thought about that. I'm certainly grateful to him.
The trip could be demanding for him.
And he would feel obligated because he's that kind of man.
He'd have to close the shop. And he'd surely buy a gift for Asiye.
He'd have a hard time financially and physically.
You're right.
Weddings can be inconvenient in that sense.
Asiye and I will visit him after the wedding.
We'll bring him a gift and make it up to him.
-Ziya? -Yes, Father?
I'll ask you this only once.
Did you cause someone to meet their demise in Istanbul?
I don't understand.
You do, Ziya.
If you have, I'll protect you.
You're my child no matter what.
You're everything to me.
Just answer me.
Did anyone die because of you?
Think about it…
and say no.
Say no.
Say no, Ziya.
No.
I will not bring this up again.
Cafer, who is that?
The horsemen! It's the horsemen, Nana!
-Where are they headed? -Your house, Nana.
İhsan!
Esma!
Wait, no!
Esma!
Are you dead?
Say something! Esma!
Esma!
Are you dead? Say something!
Esma!
Has your honor been restored?
I'll be back.
If anything happens to Nana or the baby…
I'll kill you all.
If you harm a hair on their heads,
I'll do you all in, one by one,
and leave no survivors.
I'll burn your houses down.
I'll come find you even if you run and hide in hell!
Now bury your dead.
Cafer.
Nana and the baby, I'm trusting you with them.
Thank you, Uncle. Thank you.
-Nana. -Yes?
I'll be back.
With Esma.
What are you saying, İhsan? Have you gone mad?
Where are you going?
-It's your turn next. -Exactly. I hope so.
Look.
Everything is covered in white.
Like you.
Without sin.
This is not how it ends, my love.
Wait for me.
I'll be back.
Wait for me.
Just wait.
You have a telegram.
My good friend, my brother İhsan.
Who was it?
Come on!
-Come on! -Stay together!
Keep the pace. We've just set out.
Preserve your strength!
Support each other.
-Come on! -Keep on pulling!
-Come on! -Help one another! Come on!
-Come on! -This way!
-Come on! -This way, come on!
We won't let you go hungry!
Come on!
Loyal friends and esteemed guests,
thank you again
for gracing us with your presence
on this happiest of nights.
Upon the two sacred gifts life has given me,
my son, Ziya,
and my daughter…
our daughter, Asiye,
I wish lifelong happiness and prosperity.
-Amen. -Amen.
And may my wife rest in peace.
May she rest in peace.
God willing, she's watching us from heaven tonight.
God willing.
Hüsnü, let's hear from you too, please.
Brides are supposed to be shy, but you shouldn't be.
Well, what can I say, sir?
May they grow old together.
May God keep them happy.
Amen.
Mother.
We've given them all we could.
May God do the rest.
Amen.
Well, come on, Ziya!
I--
I wouldn't want to speak before Asiye.
From now on, she will always have the first word and the last.
Please go ahead, Mr. Ziya.
Mr. Ziya, you're making us look bad with the missuses.
Shut up, you goof.
I know you're all wondering why I quit school
and why we made this decision all of a sudden.
When my mother left this world,
she entrusted us to each other.
But it was earlier, much earlier,
that I realized,
actually, the moment my dear wife, Asiye, set foot in this house,
that she'd be the apple of my eye.
Shortly after I decided to become a physician and left,
I saw that nothing would be as it had been.
The life I was used to and loved was here,
and I'd abandoned it for my personal ambition.
I will confess!
I was afraid.
Of losing Asiye.
Afraid of the uncertainty
and the darkness of the future that awaited me.
But our love prevailed.
So I swear here, before all of you,
that I'll always cherish Asiye
and protect her.
Gülümser, hurry up and make some strong coffee.
And have someone get that drink away from him.
I think we've heard enough words from you for now, son.
It's about time
our beautiful Asiye sang to us a few songs with her crystalline voice
and played her lute.
What do you say?
Her grandma's rose!
Grandma, no. There's too much excitement.
You'll feel the real excitement in bed tonight.
Goodness… All right, then.
All right. Come on.
Congratulations.
-May you grow old together, my child. -All right.
-Congratulations, my child. -Be good to each other.
Safe travels.
-All right. -Go slowly and carefully.
Goodbye! Good luck!
-Let me do it! -Go ahead.
-Come on in. -No!
Really?
-Ziya… -My darling.
Ziya, wait.
Ziya! Ziya, wait.
You have to wash up and say your prayers first.
What?
I promised Grandma.
You have to wash up and say your prayers first.
Ziya! Come on, Ziya.
Look, I'll pray with you.
Come on, Ziya.
Don't go anywhere.
Where would I go, silly?
Asiye?
Where are you?
Stop fooling around.
Asiye.
Asiye, where are you?
Subtitle translation by: Bilge Gündüz