Love Likes Coincidences

A Turkish romantic film. Özgür and Deniz are born on the same day in the same hospital. Through their lives they are in the same place again and again and miss each other every time: a school yard, a wedding, a bus stop. The narrative shows those near-misses in order, starting in childhood. In each section the two are a little older and the coincidence comes a little closer. There is a loss in Özgür's family; his elder brother died as a child and the house has kept the same order since. Deniz's family comes from somewhere else; her father works at the hospital. In the end the two meet as adults. At that point the story does not go where it is expected to, and the narrative changes its register in the second half. The idea it builds is plain: coincidence alone is not enough, and two people have to be ready at the same time. Mehmet Günsür plays Özgür and Belçim Bilgin plays Deniz. Altan Erkekli and Ezgi Mola are in the cast. Ömer Faruk Sorak directed. It did large business at the Turkish box office and was among the most watched domestic films of its period; a sequel followed. Exactly right for anyone who likes Turkish romance and narratives built on coincidence. For a viewer expecting a measured emotional register, the film moves markedly towards melodrama in its second half.