Samet (Deniz Celiloglu) is a art teacher in the local school, in a village in Eastern Anatolia. He wants to leave these godforsaken places and move to Istanbul. He shares an apartment with another young teacher – Kenan (Musab Ekici), with whom he develops a difficult relationship, mostly based on competition (around small and big things alike). Samet has a secret love. He flirts with 14-year-old Sevim (Ece Bagci) and even gives her a symbolic gift. When a love letter apparently addressed to Samet is found in Sevim’s briefcase, everything changes. Sevim asks Samet to return the letter. He lies to her, claiming he destroyed it. Her feelings towards the teacher instantly morph into rage and resentment. She complains about Samet’s indecent behaviour.

Parallel to this, Samet spends one night with the object of Kenan’s affection and desire: English teacher Nuray (Merve Dizdar), who lost her leg during a terrorist attack. Samet finds himself in the middle of complex interpersonal relationships. It isn’t always his most beautiful facets that shows.

About Dry Grasses is based on the real-life diaries of school teacher Akin Aksu. Ceylan, along with his wife Ebru Ceylan and Akin Aksu, wrote the script for the film. Fans of the Turkish filmmaker will easily recognise his auteur traits. This is a long and slow movie, with a runtime of three hours and 17 minutes (which is rather standard for the 65-year-old helmer). Itboasts long static shots, meaningful literary dialogues, and it constantly asks rhetorical questions. For example, was it necessary for Nuray to become politically active? Or can you just be an observer, like Samet? Is a non-activist life vain and redundant? The type of existential questions Chekhov would probably ask.

There is a moment of narrative deconstruction in the film when Samet steps out of frame and onto the set. This motive is revealed at the most climactic moment – the meeting between Samet and Nuray. It seems that not only the viewer is watching the main character, but the protagonist in the film is watching himself from the outside. It is the first time that Ceylan flirts with metarealism. Samet’s photographs give the film an additional dimension of artistry: he shoots the inhabitants of Eastern Anatolya against the background of a wintry landscape. These portraits, filled with meaning and depth, prove that Samet is not so indifferent to the world around him. And that there is still hope for him: he has the opportunity to become a better version of himself.

The spectacular film ending if life0-affirming. Suddenly, the cold white winter turns into a bright summer, and all the characters find some semblance of happiness and harmony. The titular dry grasses of the mountaintop become a symbol of the past. They rob our protagonist from the memories of innocent love.

About Dry Grasses premiered in the Official Competition of 76th Festival. Merve Dizdar won the Best Actress Prize. in UK cinemas on Friday, July 26th. On VoD on Monday, October 7th.