Bliss (Mutluluk)

Zülfü Livaneli's 2002 novel of the same name, an international bestseller, is the source of Mutluluk (Bliss), a 2007 Turkish drama. It was directed by Abdullah Oğuz and produced by ANS Productions; Livaneli, Kubilay Tunçer and Oğuz wrote the script; Livaneli composed the music. It opened in cinemas on March 17, 2007.

The story begins with Meryem, about to become a victim of so-called custom: her family judges her honor stained and decides she must die. The task falls to a close relative, Cemal, just back from military service; the two set out on a journey toward death, but Cemal, however resolute he seems, cannot carry out the sentence. When their path crosses that of Professor İrfan Kurudal, who has fled his stifling Istanbul circle, the story becomes a road movie. Özgü Namal, Talat Bulut and Murat Han star, with Lale Mansur and Mustafa Avkıran.

The film competed nationally at the 2007 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and won best actress at the 44th edition. It opened the 2007 Mumbai Asian Film Festival and Rome's Medfilm Festival, then won audience and young-jury prizes at the 2008 Nuremberg Turkish Film Festival and the international-films audience award at Miami in 2008. It also received the Council of Europe's Prix Odyssee Human Rights Award.