Lovelorn (Gönül Yarası)

Gönül Yarası (Lovelorn) is a 2004 Turkish drama written and directed by Yavuz Turgul, his first film in eight years after Eşkıya. Released nationwide on January 7, 2005, it drew roughly 898,000 cinema admissions in Turkey.

Nazım, an idealistic teacher, retires from his post in Anatolia and returns to Istanbul, driving his friend Takoz's taxi while waiting for his pension. When Dünya, a nightclub singer troubled by her violent ex-husband Halil, gets into his cab one day, both of their lives are transformed. Starring Şener Şen, Meltem Cumbul and Timuçin Esen, the film won awards at festivals in Antalya, Palm Springs and New York and was Turkey's official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards, though it was not nominated.