Pure White

Original title: Bembeyaz
Genre: Drama
Director: Necip Çağhan Özdemir
Country: Turkey
Year of production: 2021
Czas: 97 min

Awards and nominations:
2022 Love is Folly International Film Festival, Bulgaria: Best Actor
2021 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival: Best Film
2021 International Crime and Punishment Film Festival: Best Film
2021 Malatya International Film Festival: Best Actress
 
Vural is a proud husband and father who has been teaching his son that one has to abide by the moral rules and always be honest. Vural leads a very tranquil life. A wife, a child, a job in a photoshop with his father, visits to a mosque and meetings with a friend – this is how his everyday life looks like. Quickly it turns out that his seemingly spotless image has in fact some scratches, one of them being an affair with his client. Soon he will have to make a decision which will have grave consequences.
In his slowly unfolding film Necip Çağhan Özdemir ponders the essence of morality. Can you ease your guilty conscience? How can you look at yourself in the mirror? The character faces a dilemma straight from the ancient theatre where each solution means someone’s hurt. Should he go along and sin or face the consequences of his deeds? The film’s strong point is the screenplay which keeps viewers at the edge of their seats until the end but also lets them imagine what it would be like to walk in the character’s shoes. Mert Firat in the main role turned out to be a great choice. The actor, previously known from TV shows, got a chance to play a multidimensional character and prove his acting talent. It’s hard to keep eyes away from him.

Author: Krzysztof Połaski

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Necip Çağhan Özdemir is one of the most promising young Turkish directors. He studied political studies and international relations at Bilkent University in Ankara. Then he moved to Los Angeles where he took up filmmaking studies. Because he lives outside of Turkey he is able to look at his homeland from a distance. “Pure White” is his directorial debut.