[object clattering]
-[goat bleating] -[slow, dramatic music playing]
[Seher] Who are you?
Who are you?
Say something. Who are you?
Who are you?
Make a sound.
[music becomes ominous]
[music intensifies]
[music becomes very intense]
[music fades out]
[distant animal howling]
[door creaks and shuts]
[exhaling deeply]
[distant dog barking]
[shuddering]
[Esma] Nana?
[Seher sighs]
[Esma] Nana?
[Seher sighs]
-[Seher] Nana? -[gasps and exhales deeply]
Sweetheart, come out. Come out. [panting]
Was there someone?
Okay. No.
I guess it was Cafer, but he left.
I couldn't tell.
[Esma, groaning] I don't know how I can keep this up.
With every sound, I'm expecting death to come to me from any direction.
[Seher] Don't say that.
You're pregnant, and that's why everything's agitating you.
You're almost due.
It's natural that you get quickly flustered.
And they won't be back.
They think you left, they have no idea where you are now.
Don't be afraid, sweet pea, don't.
Nothing bad will happen.
You'll have a healthy baby, and you get on with your life.
Now, baby, let's set the table, and have a meal, come on.
[Seher sighing]
-Is it cold in here? -A little.
Throw a log on the fire.
We only have two left. They'll last until morning.
Oh. I'll go out and get some after dinner.
Nana, why would you go out in the middle of the night?
[scoffing] Baby, it's always nighttime for me. What are you talking about?
-Hey. Tell you what? -[Esma groans painfully]
When I was young, and I had my sight,
everyone used to be baffled by the fact
that I could carry more weight than a donkey.
"Oh, good ole Seher, you're getting old." [chuckles]
Now I can only carry a few logs.
God damn this old age.
Hey, listen, the lamps are on the floor, next to the hearth, right Esma?
-Yeah, they are. -Right, keep them that way.
Do not place them anywhere higher.
People should think it's the fire in the hearth.
[groans]
I wish we had some meat so that you could eat.
You're with two lives now, you should eat.
I wish God would take my life.
[Seher] Stop saying that, or God help me… Heaven forbid.
[ominous music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music becomes adventurous and dramatic]
CREATURE
[music stops]
"MY NAME WAS İHSAN"
-[groans faintly] -[distant dog barking]
[door shuts and latch clicks]
[distant donkey braying]
[single piano note plays]
[faint, dramatic music playing]
[music becomes heartfelt]
[grunts]
-Where did you get that? -[door shuts]
It's a rabbit, right?
I recognize the ears.
A hunter left it at our doorstep as a good deed, probably.
Though the villagers are a good-for-nothing bunch.
And Cafer, bless him, he wouldn't know how to catch one.
We should make a pie with this, shouldn't we?
[Seher exhales deeply]
[rooster crowing]
[goat bleating]
[lilting, melodic music playing]
Nana, come in!
[various farm animal sounds]
I would wait for the night if I wasn't pregnant.
Shhh. Stop it. Come on now, baby.
I'm being a burden to you.
[chickens cooing and clucking]
[heartfelt music playing]
[tapping]
[door opens]
[chickens clucking]
[goat bleating]
[music fades out]
Once you've finished your egg, I'll milk the goat for you if you'd like.
[İhsan exhales deeply]
Nana, ma'am, I'm not Cafer.
I know.
You're here for the girl?
[shuddering]
No.
Do you promise?
I swear to God.
I would never hurt you or her.
I am poor, Nana.
Who are you? Tell me your name.
[exhales deeply]
[sheep bleating]
My name
was İhsan, ma'am.
Now, I don't know who I am.
-Let me feel your face. -No! Please!
I can't see you without my hands. Let me.
Don't, please.
Don't see me. Don't touch me.
Is it an illness? Is it contagious?
No. Nothing like that.
I'm very ugly.
[scoffs]
Does it matter?
I'm not looking for a tall, dark and handsome husband.
[chuckling faintly]
Let me feel your face.
Here.
[moody heartfelt music playing]
[gasping]
Oh.
What have they done to you?
Whether you were scarred at birth or later, I'm not going to ask.
I can just make out,
that tear in your eye.
That's all I know, nothing more.
Although our eyes can never meet,
My heart can see yours.
And that's good enough for my heart.
Ohhhh.
Where did you come from, where will you go?
Nowhere.
Going nowhere from nowhere.
Nowhere is a bottomless pit.
And there is no end to it.
Stay with us. Get some rest.
[Seher shuddering]
Nana Seher, have you got bread for me? Have you got some bread, Nana Seher?
[Seher] Yes, yes!
Wait for me there!
[Seher panting]
Yes. Good job, Cafer.
That's it. Do not come into the house, just shout from afar.
Right. Wait for me.
I need you to take me next door.
[Seher groans]
Nana, I'm by the sofa. Come.
I already made the bread.
-Nana? -Huh?
That wretched man, what if he talks to someone?
What if someone saw that man?
We know nothing about him.
It's going to be okay.
Baby, I'll be out for a while, visiting the neighbors
and going on a walk so no one asks about me, okay?
Why would you do that?
Shh. Shh. It's okay.
Don't leave me alone with that…
Please come right back.
[receding footfalls]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[donkey braying]
Here you go, Cafer.
[Cafer groans faintly]
Where are you going, Nana?
First to Safiye's, and then we'll drop by Hatice's, yes?
Let's hurry up. Go on.
Don't rush. No running! Don't go fast!
No running, not fast.
-[goat bleating] -[animal calling]
[distant donkey braying]
[gasps faintly]
[goat braying]
Esma.
[gasps faintly]
You don't need to be afraid of me.
No, I'm not.
If you want, you can cover the hole.
No, it's okay.
Who are you hiding from?
All of them.
Everyone.
-And you? -Me, too.
All of them.
Everyone.
[both] Why?
[İhsan chuckles quietly]
Did you see me through the hole earlier?
[groans faintly]
-[goat bleating] -I did.
I never wanted this thing inside me.
[voice wavering] I'm not a slut. My cousin pushed himself on me.
He was married and threatened to kill me if I told anyone.
When I started to show, they said that I was of easy virtue, and they beat me.
No one believed me. They were gonna kill me.
My mother let me out at night, and I ran away.
I've known Nana Seher forever. She's a distant relative.
My brothers, my dad, my uncles, they're all out to kill me.
They're looking for me. They came here to ask about me.
I heard them from under that. [sniffling]
If it wasn't for this place…
[sniffling]
Then, Nana started a false rumor.
She told everyone that people saw me turning tricks in Istanbul,
and they shouldn't go looking for me.
That was all she could do to protect me.
So, just like that, my name, myself,
I'm just impure now.
[Esma sniffles]
-[goat bleating] -Esma?
Yeah.
No one becomes impure that way.
That's the only way you become impure. I am impure.
No.
What you say is the lie of cowardly, evil men.
Don't believe it. What they did to you makes them impure, not you.
You sound to be a well-educated man. Are you that kind of man?
[chuckling]
Forgive me, I'm talking too much.
I haven't spoken to anyone in a long time.
I was schooled.
I was schooled, though…
nobody has benefited from my schooling.
Well, today someone has.
[quiet, upbeat music playing]
[woman] Isn't it too modest at the neck, Havva?
Yes, because she's planning to wear pearls, Mom, to show off with them.
-Shhh. Hey, that's rude. Quiet. -[girls giggling]
No. And what do you know? Maybe I won't wear them.
Well, I'll have to use my imagination then.
If we could just take a peek at those famous pearls,
I would sew the collaret accordingly. [chuckling]
I swear, you're all completely shameless. It's unbelievable.
-I thought you were nothing like them. -[girl giggles]
[music stops]
[Muzaffer breathes deeply]
The seamstress might need these. Take this box to her.
They were your mother's.
They'll look great on Asiye.
Dad, thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.
We appreciate it.
I'll take it to them.
[door opens]
-Havva, ma'am? -Mr. Ziya, do you need help?
My father sent this. Maybe you need to take a look.
[chuckling]
Ahhh! Marvelous!
[upbeat music playing]
-[breathing fast] -[goat bleating]
[upbeat music continues]
[honking]
Cafer, you've been wandering constantly today. You've really lost it!
Hold on.
Thank you.
[upbeat music continues]
It's been days, many days, actually.
-Why can't I see how you look? -[distant dog barking]
[music stops]
Have you ever heard of the forget-me-not flower?
No, I haven't.
Is that its real name?
I don't like the name.
It sounds like a separation. Are you planning on leaving?
No, it's not about that.
Okay, fine, I won't ask to see you again.
Just please, don't leave me.
[sighs]
I won't. Don't worry, I won't.
I can pick other flowers for you.
Flowers with better names.
The ones that sound like reunions.
[Esma giggles]
-[bird sounds] -[footfalls]
-[dog barking] -[cow mooing]
Thank you.
They are really pretty.
[sniffing]
The thing is,
even before you brought them to me,
I've actually been smelling them right here, in my heart.
[goat bleating]
My heart has been fluttering for some days now.
I've never experienced love.
Well, I've heard about it, but never experienced it.
Does love feel like, I mean…
Like every flavor, shape, sensation,
name, smell, and even colors,
are different all of a sudden,
At least, since you came here.
Now this room feels like a palace to me.
I forgot how sad I was.
I was scared all the time, now I'm not.
I used to cry, but not anymore.
If love can cure the heart in this way,
regardless of how damaged your face is,
then I won't give up on what we have, İhsan.
[sighing]
You…
[quiet, heartfelt music playing]
You're talking about paradise, Esma.
But I've seen hell.
It was a place of burning hearts that never experienced love.
[goat bleating]
So, please, Esma…
don't give up on me.
I am nothing without you.
[quiet, heartfelt music continues]
[shuddering]
[music stops]
[panting]
Nana? My water's broke. Nana!
-Huh? Oh. It's okay, my love. -[groaning painfully]
We've been expecting this. It's okay.
Yeah, it's okay. Right.
Okay, baby, don't yell. Keep calm, all right?
Take the cloth off, pull your panties down.
You've left some hot water by the hearth, haven't you?
-[Esma] It should be warm by now. -Even better.
-Esma, don't do it. Try not to yell, baby. -[tense music playing]
No one must hear us. God, what do we do?
-Nana. -[Seher] Huh?
Unlock the door. Hurry.
[gasps]
[Seher] Lay the quilt on the floor.
[İhsan] Esma, you'll have the urge to scream.
Bite this. Breathe through your nose.
Push. When I tell you to push, push the baby out.
You don't need to be embarrassed, Esma, okay?
[Esma moans faintly]
Easy. Easy.
[tense music becomes more dramatic]
Now, breathe.
Breathe. Breathe.
-Push. Push. Push it! Push it! -[muffled moaning]
Shush, it's okay. It's okay. Push.
Breathe, nice, breathe.
Push, push, push, push.
Good job. Push.
[Seher] Push, Esma. Please.
[İhsan] Now, push!
[moaning]
[Seher] In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
[gasping]
[Seher] Baby.
[quiet, mysterious music playing]
God. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
-[baby crying] -[gasping faintly]
[Seher] Thank you, God, thank you.
[music becomes heartfelt]
[baby cooing]
[İhsan makes baby noises]
[baby crying]
-[crying] -Quiet, please be quiet. Shhh.
[crying continues]
I've been telling Bekir that I've been hearing that for days now.
If someone had given birth, we would have known about it by now.
She's hiding that whore who escaped from a village not far away.
I told Bekir. He said they're gonna do something about it.
That slut will learn when they start pulling her around by the hair!
-[baby crying] -[Esma] No, no, no.
Shhh.
-[crying continues] -Shhh. Quiet, my boy, quiet. Shhh.
-There's nothing you can do. Babies cry. -[crying stops]
What do we do?
İhsan, did you see anyone?
No, the ladies were afar, they didn't hear him.
[Esma] Shhh.
-Nana? -[Seher] Hm?
If you give us your blessing…
Of course if it's what Esma wants as well,
then call the imam, and he can marry us.
[upbeat music playing]
Cafer! Take me to the imam's house.
[Cafer] Mm.
And this time, you can run.
-I can run fast? -Yeah!
[music fades out]
So, I stacked the sheets on top of the drawer.
In the morning, when you open this,
take it, and put clean sheets on your bed.
[giggling]
Well, Grandma, you're embarrassing me.
Asiye.
If you have anything you want to know about that night, just ask.
-I don't. -Oh. Did you already--
No, uh, come on. That's not-- That's not what I meant.
Well, I mean… [giggling]
…we'll figure it out somehow.
[giggling]
All right, then.
Grandmother and Asiye will decide on who to invite for the henna night.
We should think the wedding through. We don't want to offend anyone.
We'll invite as many people as this house can accommodate.
And we need to ask Hüsnü about his guests as well.
He can stay here after the wedding.
I suppose your house has everything by now.
Yes, thank you, Father.
[distant horse whinnies]
I wish you didn't have to feel like something was amiss because of me, but…
I just can't tell you how happy I am for you.
And you can't always get what you want anyway.
If this is the path that life has set out for us,
then we'll make that path as nice as we can.
[distant children shouting playfully]
[exhales deeply]
You want to invite Mr. Hamdi?
Because he's been most helpful to you.
We can send a wire immediately.
That was on my mind too, and I'm certainly grateful to him.
But the trip could be demanding.
If we invite him, I'm sure he'll feel obligated to come.
Because that's how he is.
He'll have to close the shop, and will buy Asiye some gold,
and he'll be taking moral and financial risks.
Ah, you have a point.
But weddings come with… their own considerations.
Well, after Asiye and I are married, we'll visit him.
We can give him a present to make it up.
Ziya.
Yes, Dad, tell me.
This is the first and the last time I'm going to ask you this.
While you were in Istanbul, were you responsible for someone dying?
[tense, dramatic music playing]
I don't follow, Dad.
I think you do, Ziya.
Now, if you did, I can protect you.
No matter what happens, you're my son.
You're the most important thing to me.
You must answer me.
Did you cause the death of someone?
Be sure…
[music becomes quietly tense]
…and tell me you did not.
Tell me you didn't.
-Tell me you didn't, come on Ziya. -[music tension builds]
I didn't.
[music fades out]
I will not bring this up again.
[baby coos]
[chuckles quietly]
[baby cooing]
[horse whinnies]
What? Cafer?
-Who are they? -[tense music playing]
Horsemen! The horsemen are here, Nana!
[gasps faintly]
And where are they going?
[Cafer] To your house, Nana!
İhsan!
Wait, don't shoot!
[Esma screams]
-[baby cries] -[tense, pulsing music playing]
[music becomes ominous and dramatic]
[echoing scream]
-[crunching noise] -[man screams]
[horse whinnies]
-[panting] -[man screams]
[screaming]
[ominous, dramatic music continues]
[gunfire]
[screaming]
[horse whinnies]
-[Seher screams and sobs] -[sorrowful music playing]
Esma!
No!
Talk to me! Esma!
[Seher sobs]
Esma!
[continues sobbing]
[ominous music playing]
[moaning]
[intense, sorrowful music playing]
[Seher] No! No, Esma!
Esma!
[screaming]
-[screaming fades out] -[music becomes faint and tense]
[moist cutting sound]
[music fades out]
[moist cutting sound continues]
[people scream and gasp]
[people gasping]
[screaming]
-[horse whinnies] -[people screaming]
So your virtue has been restored?
I'll be back shortly.
[shuddering]
Anything happens to the baby or Nana…
[cow mooing]
…I will kill everyone.
If you harm even a hair on their head,
without exception, without mercy at all,
you should be sure to take care, take care of my warning to you.
I'll burn your houses to the ground.
I'll go after you people as I'm cursed, taken from the Devil his job!
Now bury your dead.
[İhsan] Cafer,
Nana and the baby, you take care of them.
Thank you, my friend.
Thank you, my friend, thank you.
[breathing deeply]
-[İhsan] Nana? -Uh.
I will come back to you.
With Esma by my side.
What are you talking about, İhsan? Have you gone mad?
Where will you go?
[Seher gasps faintly]
[sighs faintly]
[melancholic music playing]
[distant animal howling]
[horse whinnies]
[music fades out]
[women singing folk song in Turkish]
Come on, Ziya, you know you can't do that. Get over here.
[singing continues]
-[man 1] Cheers to your last night. -[man 2] Come on. I hope we marry soon.
[no audio dialogue]
[chuckling]
["Horizon" by Jan Duindam plays over girls singing]
[girls singing fades out]
♪ Somewhere out there Go rivers and mountains ♪
♪ In mystery's veils your treasure lies ♪
♪ Only to be found Through ancient wisdom ♪
[wind howling]
♪ And a journey of strife ♪
♪ And sacrifice ♪
♪ Somewhere in here ♪
♪ Silently waiting ♪
♪ Just to be remembered ♪
♪ To be joined ♪
♪ Your jewels thirst ♪
♪ Like light flows to light ♪
♪ And I know I'll meet you there ♪
♪ Somewhere out there In the uncharted vastness ♪
♪ An ancient road resides ♪
♪ Buried in its hope To be seen by the monster ♪
♪ Longing for the loving touch ♪
♪ That heals all wounds ♪
♪ Somewhere within ♪
♪ At the call of each being ♪
Look.
Everywhere's covered in white.
Like you are.
Without sin.
This is not your fate, darling.
Wait for me.
I will be back for you.
Wait for me.
♪ And I know I'll meet you there ♪
[guitar music continues]
[knocking]
[man] Wire for you.
[Muzaffer] My dear friend, and brother İhsan.
[Ziya] Who was that?
[music ends]
[quiet, moody music playing]
[music becomes hauntingly melodramatic]
[music becomes dramatic]
Come on! Come on!
[Selo] Let's go! Come on!
[Ömer] Come on, people. Don't waste time! We're only getting started!
You're going to need all of your strength! Everyone should buddy up!
-Let's go! -[Selo] Let's go! Move!
[Ömer] Keep each other safe! Let's go!
-[Selo] Let's go! -[Ömer] This way!
-[Ömer] Come on, come on! Come on! -[Selo] Let's go, let's go!
[Selo] We won't let you starve!
[whinnying]
[music stops]
[lively exotic music playing]
-[music stops] -[applause]
My esteemed friends and dear guests, on this happiest of nights,
I would like to thank you again
for accepting to honor us with your presence
in this humble wedding of ours.
As you all know, the most precious blessings of life for me
are my son Ziya and my daughter,
our daughter, Asiye.
And I wish them a lifetime of happiness and abundance.
[all] Amen, amen.
And I keep my wife in my prayers.
[indistinct muttering]
I hope, someplace high above, she's watching us tonight with pride.
[indistinct muttering]
Mr. Hüsnü, Let's hear what you have to say.
Don't keep your silence like a coy bride.
Well, what can I say, Mr. Muzaffer?
Bride, uh…
Allah keep you together for eternity.
I want them to be happy.
[Muzaffer] Amen.
My dear mother.
We built a life for them.
May Allah bless them with good prosperity.
Amen, amen.
Well, come on, Ziya!
I… uh…
want Asiye to give her speech first.
[chuckles quietly]
That way, she always will have the first and last words for us.
Go ahead, Mr. Ziya, please.
Mr. Ziya, you're ruining us. If the ladies get used to this…
-[woman chuckle] -Oh, shut up, you babbler.
[man chuckles]
I'm sure… you're all wondering why I dropped out of school,
and why we were so hasty to get married.
The truth is…
My mother, just before she passed away,
entrusted us to care for each other.
But before that,
long before that,
when my dear wife Asiye first stepped into this house,
I knew right away that if I was ever gonna love someone
it'd be her, above all others.
When I decided that I was going to leave this town and study medicine,
I knew things would never be the same.
Because the life I knew and loved was here.
And yet, I decided to leave all that behind.
Now I admit that…
[quiet, mysterious music playing]
…it scared me.
losing the woman I loved.
I was afraid of the obscurity and the darkness
of the future that was in store for me.
-But our love prevailed. -[chuckling]
[music becomes heartfelt]
As I stand before you, I give you my word that I'll protect Asiye with my life,
day and night, I will love her
and take good care of her.
[applause]
Gülümser, hurry up, make a strong cup of coffee.
Please tell someone to take that damn glass out of his hand.
[music fades out]
So many words, so many speeches,
but I think enough is enough, my boy.
I believe we should hear a few songs
from that crystal voice of our beautiful Asiye.
[thunder crackling]
What do you say, Grandma's little darling?
Would you like to sing a few songs using your lute?
[chuckling] Grandma, I'm too excited to do that.
[whispering] I guess you'll feel real excitement in bed tonight.
Gulnihal, stop that! Uh… all right then, why not.
[Muzaffer] Come on then.
-[whistling] -[distant thunder rumbling]
[playing moody folksy music]
[singing in Turkish]
[music continues]
[distant thunder rumbling]
[thunderclap]
[music continues]
-[loud thunderclap] -[music stops]
[people applauding]
-[exotic drum music playing] -[people chattering]
[people whistling]
[woman] Be safe.
[man] Good fortune to you! So long!
[moody, dramatic music playing]
[music becomes adventurously dramatic]
[Ziya flutters lips]
-Let me do that! -Sure.
[Asiye chuckling]
-Come on. -Uh-uh.
Oh, uh…
[both chuckling]
[Ziya groans]
[adventurously dramatic music continues]
[thud]
[music stops]
[both panting and chuckling]
[Asiye gasps]
[Asiye chuckles]
[Ziya moans quietly]
-[dog barking] -Ziya.
My darling, please tell me.
[Asiye moans]
-Ziya, wait. -Okay.
-Ziya. Ziya, wait. -Mm. Mm.
You must first do an ablution and then pray for two rak'ahs.
-What? -[chuckling]
I promised grandma. So, um…
You must first do an ablution and then pray--
[Ziya] Mmm.
-Ziya! Ziya, do it. -[distant animals howling]
I'll pray with you if you want.
Do it, Ziya.
[loud thunderclap]
-[Asiye exhales deeply] -[Ziya sighing]
[Asiye chuckles]
Don't go anywhere.
[both chuckle]
Where would I go, you crazy?
[Asiye sighs]
[gasps and chuckles]
-[thunderclap] -All right, all right.
[sighs]
[quiet, tense music playing]
[music becomes more tense]
[music becomes very intense]
[music fades out]
[distant dog barking]
[exhales deeply]
[loud thunderclap]
[gasps]
-[Asiye shuddering] -[thunder fades]
[thunderclap]
[muttering faintly]
[distant thunderclap]
Asiye?
Where are you?
Stop fooling around.
[thunderclap]
Asiye?
-[thunderclap] -Where are you, Asiye?
-[gasps] -[dramatic action music playing]
[music fades out]