You Me Lenin

Tufan Taştan's 2021 Turkish film begins when the waves bring a statue of Lenin to a small town on the Black Sea. The council erects it in the square hoping to draw tourists and invites a Russian delegation to the opening. But everyone in town has an opinion about the statue. The humour comes from a political symbol being turned into something different by everyone: a threat to some, an opportunity to others, to others just a piece of stone. Taştan does not convert this into a direct political message and keeps it inside the template of small-town comedy. The cast is strong. Its weakness is the story losing shape in the second half and some side stories going unresolved. Who it's for: viewers who like Turkish independent cinema and provincial comedy. Who it's not for: anyone wanting sharp political satire, or looking for a tightly built story.