Turkish Movie Night: Borrowed Bride
Borrowed Bride - Egreti Gelin
Structured as a Turkish-Greek co-production, and supported by Eurimages (The Council of Europe Cinema Fund), the Greek Film Center, and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, veteran director Atif Yilmaz’ latest film has caused controversy in Turkey and started a fierce debate on whether the tradition of pseudo brides actually existed as a respectable institution that had strict rules, and lasted from the Ottoman times until the 1930s.
Atif Yilmaz summarizes the film’s plot as follows: “These women were trainers hired to prepare young boys for marriage. The film tells the story of such a woman, who gets caught up in her emotions, and defies the borrowed brides’ code. Emine, while waiting for her lover to be released from prison, is offered the job of preparing the son of an Aegean town’s mayor, Ali, for marriage. She accepts the offer, but as she tutors the young man, they fall in love. Aware of the impasse and probable consequences of their relationship, Emine keeps her promise, but Ali does not submit to his family. The outcome is tragedy.”
The film brings together Turkish cinema’s legendary stars such as Majde Ar, Fikret Hakan, Metin Akpinar, and Nilofer Aydan with the younger generation of actors.
