İstanbul Tales

This 2005 Turkish film, co-directed by Ömür Atay, Selim Demirdelen, Kudret Sabancı, Ümit Ünal and Yücel Yolcu, transplants five fairy tales into contemporary Istanbul: Snow White, Cinderella, the Pied Piper, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood. The five stories connect and intersect over a single night. The idea is to expose the violence beneath the versions of these tales told to children: here no prince rescues anyone, the wolves are real, and it does not end well. Images of Istanbul at night establish the atmosphere. Because five directors worked on it, the style does not fully cohere and some sections are markedly weaker than others. The parts with Özgü Namal and Mehmet Günsür work best. Who it's for: viewers interested in Turkish independent cinema and adaptations of fairy tales. Who it's not for: anyone wanting stylistic unity, or avoiding content about violence against women.