Biyograficim

Separation

Movie · 2010 · 23 people

The German-Turkish co-production drama Ayrılık (original title Die Fremde, released internationally as When We Leave) opened in Turkish cinemas on May 21, 2010, and runs 1 hour 59 minutes. The film was put forward as Germany's Academy Awards candidate and was also a finalist in a competition run by the European Parliament.

At the center is Umay, played by Sibel Kekilli, a young woman living in Germany. After marrying she settles in Istanbul, but when her husband's violence upends her life she takes her small son and returns to her family in Berlin. The refuge she hoped for never materialises: her relatives shun her for leaving her husband and staining the family name. A man in her position would be forgiven, a woman is not. Umay refuses to submit and tries to build a new life with her child, a struggle tested by those around her, her sister Rana among them. The cast includes Derya Alabora and Florian Lukas.

Austrian director Feo Aladağ, who also wrote the screenplay, made the film in Germany for Independent Artists. Critic Ali Ercivan accepted that the story offers rich cinematic material but wrote that the film states its case too loudly, and gave it 2.5 out of 5.

DirectorFeo Aladag
Production companyIndependent Artists

Reactions

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Cast

Ceren Benderlioğlu Ceren Benderlioğlu Actor · 43 years old Emir Benderlioğlu Emir Benderlioğlu Actor · 47 years old Erdal Beşikçioğlu Erdal Beşikçioğlu Actor · 56 years old Erkan Avcı Erkan Avcı Actor · 43 years old Kaan Urgancıoğlu Kaan Urgancıoğlu Actor · 45 years old Kanbolat Görkem Arslan Kanbolat Görkem Arslan Actor · died at 45 Kenan Çoban Kenan Çoban Actor · 51 years old Nihan Büyükağaç Nihan Büyükağaç Actor · 45 years old Tuvana Türkay Tuvana Türkay Actor · 36 years old Özgür Özberk Özgür Özberk Actor · 52 years old Cüneyt Mete Cüneyt Mete Actor · 56 years old Sibel Kekilli Sibel Kekilli Actor · 46 years old Settar Tanrıöğen Settar Tanrıöğen Actor · 66 years old Derya Alabora Derya Alabora Actor · 67 years old Almila Bağrıaçık Almila Bağrıaçık Actor · 36 years old Nursel Köse Nursel Köse Actor · 65 years old Ufuk Bayraktar Ufuk Bayraktar Actor · 45 years old Ayla Arslancan Ayla Arslancan Actor · died at 78 Turgay Tanülkü Turgay Tanülkü Actor · 73 years old Orhan Güner Orhan Güner Actor · 72 years old Demir Gökgöl Demir Gökgöl Actor · died at 74 Meral Perin Actor · born 1965 Tamer Yiğit Tamer Yiğit Actor · 84 years old

Also in the cast: Florian Lukas

Titles sharing this cast

Through different eyes

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

In Ayrılık, which she both wrote and directed, Feo Aladağ builds the story of a woman under family pressure in a plain language. Sibel Kekilli carries the film almost alone as Umay. The production was put forward as Germany's Academy Awards candidate and was a finalist in a European Parliament competition. The script offers rich cinematic material, but the film states its case too loudly, giving the message directly even where subtlety would serve, which leaves the viewer little room to think; even in scenes that could trust silence, explanation wins out. Still, the acting and the seriousness of the subject are strong. An affecting but somewhat didactic drama.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Ayrılık treats family, honor and gender norms through the story of a woman caught between two cultures. Her relatives shunning Umay when she returns to Berlin shows that the same act is forgiven in a man and not in a woman. The film ties migration and double belonging to a personal drama. It is valuable that it handles these sensitive issues through one woman's struggle rather than by lecturing. Still, one should take care not to read every family as the same: the film tells a story, not a general portrait.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humor and heart.

This is not a film to watch with children. It has heavy subjects such as the husband's violence and the family's rejection. For teenagers and adults, though, it is a thought-provoking drama. It runs 1 hour 59 minutes, which is long. It is emotionally tiring. Choose a calm evening and be ready to talk afterwards. It may also feel heavy for grandparents.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

Reviews (0)

Log in Log in to write a review.

Comments