The Storm

Kazım Öz's 2008 film follows Cemal, who comes to Istanbul for university after finishing school. He is from a small Kurdish town, feels a stranger in the city and after a while meets students involved in politics. The subject is a search for belonging. Cemal first contends with differences of language and habit, then enters political argument; the narrative does not present this as heroism and also shows the tensions inside the group. Öz's cinema is known for taking the urban experience of young Kurds as its subject. The cast is largely non-professional; the camera is handheld and the pace low. Who it's for: those who follow independent cinema in Turkey and political narratives of youth. Who it's not for: viewers expecting neutral treatment; the film tells its story openly from one point of view.