Night of Silence (Lal Gece)

Written and directed by Reis Çelik, the 2012 Turkish drama Lal Gece (Night of Silence) follows the wedding night of a fourteen-year-old child bride who is married off to a man some fifty years her senior, recently returned to his village after a long prison term, in an attempt to end a blood feud between two families. Drawing on a true story, the film treats the issue of child brides through a narrative largely confined to a single room and a single night.

İlyas Salman stars opposite Dilan Aksüt, who made her acting debut in the film; Mayşeker Yücel also appears, with cinematography by Gökhan Tiryaki. The film won the Crystal Bear in the Generation 14plus section of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, brought Salman the best actor award at the Golden Adana Film Festival, and took best screenplay at the Asia Pacific Film Awards. In a 2014 poll by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism marking the centenary of Turkish cinema, it ranked 68th.