the edge of heaven

or it's original german title - auf der anderen seite
cannes slapped a few awards on this one including best screenplay
though i was not aware of that until after seeing it
the attraction for me was a continuing run of luck
having seen a number of foreign (read sub-titled) films lately
each providing a great sense of enjoyment and satisfaction
so on this night the stars named time, location and appeal all lined up
the edge of heaven is a german-turkish collaboration
though the opening scene looks like something out of an american road film
the action then cuts to hamburg with no explanation of that scene
an elderly widower turkish immigrant takes in a prostitute for company
much to the chagrin of his caring university professor son
who learns that his father's companion has a long-lost daughter
an unfortunate brain-snap sees the death of the prostitute come companion
with the father sent to prison and the body back to turkey
the son wants to make amends so also returns to his ancestral homeland
to search out the lost daughter and pay for the education her mother wished for
in the meantime the daughter is a part of an illegal political organisation
flees the country and heads to germany in search of her mother
so there is a very appealing father-son, mother-daughter storyline
the daughter is lost in germany and befriends a university student
their relationship develops and this time to the chagrin of the student's mother
eventually the police catch up with our illegal immigrant and she is deported
and herself ends up in prison in turkey for her political activities
her new german friend then heads to turkey to try and help her
takes lodgings with the young professor now book-store owner
then naively gets caught up in a bad situation leading to her death
allowing the director to neatly portray another body being transported
her own mother then comes to istanbul to understand her daughter's death
meets the professor and so a tantalising situation is set up
we the audience know of the 2 degrees of separation of these people
but frustratingly they themselves do not know the connection
(and i suspect my explanation is even more disguised than in the film)
putting all that aside this film has so much to offer
beautiful cinematography showing the allure of turkey and istanbul
the simple kindness and empathy of humanity is highlighted
as is the danger of gross nationalism and religious fervour
but in the end it is forgiveness and enlightenment that wins out
leading the professor son to travel to find his banished father
and thus explaining the opening scene now shown in context
with a final scene that had me glued to my seat
watching the credits roll over the top
i think i need to see it again
stunning film-making