Particle (Zerre)

Zerre (Particle), a 2012 Turkish drama, is the first feature of Erdem Tepegöz, who also wrote it and is known for short films and more than twenty awards. Running about 80 minutes, it follows a woman trying to stay afloat alone in a big city against unemployment, debt and insecurity.

Zeynep, played by Jale Arıkan in the lead, lives with her young daughter and her mother. While a landlord presses her over mounting debts, she takes whatever work comes along, from dishwashing to garment work. When she finds a job outside the city she has little choice but to head for Tekirdağ. At the clothing firm everyone is out for themselves and the big fish eat the small. Whether Zeynep can hold to her principles is the film's central question. Rüçhan Çalışkur, Özay Fecht and Ergün Kuyucu co-star.

The film was shown at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival on 6-12 October 2012, then screened at the Istanbul Independent Film Festival on 16 February 2013 and opened in Turkey on 12 April 2013 on 16 prints. It won five awards across the Golden Orange and Malatya festivals. In the main competition of the 35th Moscow International Film Festival it took the Golden George for best film, and Jale Arıkan won the Silver George for best actress.