QUICK AND DIRTY: LIVE FROM VENICE

Ehis is a not a murder thriller. In fact, the possibility of an assassination is a very remote one.

Eyüp (Murat Fıratoğlu) is a young and introspective labourer toiling for a tomato-drying business, somewhere in rural Turkey. He spreads the vegetables on a large tarpaulin, and then collects them after the scorching sun has done its part. He works under the purview of Hemme. Eyüp has a red hot temperament, the same colour as the produce and the flag of his nation. One day, he boils with anger and snaps at his seemingly unreasonable manager. Hemme isn’t an evil person: he just hasn’t been able to sleep very well because of the flies. So he insults Eyüp’s mother: “you son of a bitch”. The very proud man jumps on his motorbike and drives off furiously. His vehicle breaks down. Things can only get worse before they get better.

His indignation is such that Eyüp begins to have murderous thoughts, as the film title suggests. Yet there is little prospect that his desire will come to fruition. Eyüp is a good-hearted and well-meaning person, more Archibaldo de La Cruz than Mickey Knox. More slow-burn than dynamite. A leisurely trip in the local town, and some trivial interaction with others could help to cool down his inflamed nerves. As the layers peel back, we see a vulnerable man desperately seeking to fit in. A chance encounter with an old primary school colleague helps to inject some happiness into his soul. This is a movie about ordinary people, how they can suddenly break, and then finally pull themselves back together (aided by the smallest and most trivial gestures and interactions).

The storyline is very thin, and the developments are very subtle. A few plot holes prevent the story from developing at the pace required, and viewers from fully penetrating the quiet yet complex psychology of the protagonist. As a consequence, the experience often borders on the sensory. The charming cinematography boasts gently warm colours, highlighting the bucolic nature of the rural environment. A folk dance number with men sharing a collective embrace opens and close the film, reminding viewers that there is solidarity in complicity. Maybe even the possibility of reconciliation? This is a story that merits its duration of 83 minutes, and leaves a smile on your face. A pleasant sensation that will pass quickly, just like a mellow summer breeze.

One of Those Days When Hemme Dies just premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 81st Venice International Film Festival. This is director, actor and writer Murat Fıratoğlu’s debut feature.