Journey to the Sun (Güneşe Yolculuk)

Journey to the Sun is a 1999 political drama film written and directed by Yeşim Ustaoğlu, made as a co-production between Turkey, the Netherlands, and Germany. Set in Istanbul, it follows the friendship between Mehmet, a Turk from Tire, and Berzan, a Kurd, who meet after a football match against the backdrop of the country's social tensions. Mehmet, little concerned with questions of identity, comes under state surveillance after a chance incident, and a mark drawn on his door drives him into isolation. Interwoven with Berzan's story, this journey ends with Mehmet taking his friend's coffin home in a painful farewell.

The 104-minute film was produced by İstisnai Filmler ve Reklamlar, with music by Vlatko Stefanovski, and its cast includes Nazmi Kırık and photographer Ara Güler. It competed at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival, winning the Blue Angel and Peace Film awards, and earned Best Local Film and Best Director honors at the Istanbul Film Festival.