Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2014, the new film from Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan (ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA) is an immersive and provocative drama.
Set in the picturesque and striking landscape of Cappadocia in Central Anatolia, WINTER SLEEP focuses on a small village, half-empty, in the wintry off-season. The film follows a local celebrity, Aydin, an actor who runs a small hotel with his wife, writes a column for the local newspaper, and is toying with the idea of producing a book on Turkish theatre. With a steady, penetrating gaze reminiscent of that which Ingmar Bergman brought to his chambed pieces, Ceylan cuts through the smug self-image of a man who considers himself of elevated stature, but is ultimately brought face-to-face with who and what he truly is.
Awarded the International Critics Prize in Cannes in addition to the Palme d'Or, WINTER SLEEP is a compelling and hypnotic study of human frailty.
