Istanbul Modern hosts new German classics

Consisting of prominent works from German cinema, Istanbul Modern Cinema presents a film selection titled, "Grey Area" which is a compilation of opposing themes such as light and dark, good versus evil, pessimism and hope, mercy and ruthlessness.

Some of the movies take place in the past while some take place in the present. Some of them are based on true stories while some are fictional. In general, they draw attention to the state of humanity, which is contradictory in and of itself, making the audience consider the current world order. Here is a list of movies that are to be screened as part of the program.

Fukushima My Love (Grüsse Aus Fukushima), 2016

Marie and her husband break up on the day they get married. Marie decides to go far away to leave her unhappiness behind and travels to Japan to work for the "Clowns 4Help" organization. Their purpose is to help survivors of the Fukushima disaster. Even though Marie realizes that she can't fulfill this duty, a woman's call for help prevents her from going back home. She accompanies an aged geisha named Satomi and they travel to Satomi's house, which was destroyed, located in an area that has been under quarantine since 2011 due to radioactive pollution. During this period, the two women from different backgrounds develop an unexpected friendship. Premiering at the Berlin Film Festival 2016, "Fukushima My Love" has been compared to some of the best movies of Director Doris Dörrie and is being praised for its outstanding black-and-white cinematography.

Marija, 2016

When Marija migrates from Ukraine to Dortmund, where she wants to open the beauty center of her dreams, she realizes that she first needs to save some money and tries to do so by taking several different jobs. Meanwhile, someone she meets finds her a job but asks for something else in exchange. Marija is not happy with this situation but she can't refuse someone who offers her help in a foreign country. Directed by Michael Koch, the movie received appreciation in Locarno Film Festival in 2016 and then in Toronto Film Festival.

We Are the Tie (Wir Sind Die Flut), 2016

Fifteen years ago in a small seaside village in Wildholm, the sea and all children in it suddenly disappears. Since then, the emptiness and deserted houses prevail in the village. Everyone loses their hope after the children disappeared. Two young physicists, Jana and Micha, go to the village from Berlin to solve this mysterious problem. The residents do not welcome them warmly and refuse to help. The only person who is interested in their research is Hannah, the only young survivor in the village. They try to see what is behind the darkness.Directed by Sebastian Hilger, the movie premiered in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section of this year's Berlin Film Festival.

Polizeiruf 110: Wolves (Polizeiruf 110: Wölfe), 2016

Directed by Christian Petzold, "Polizeiruf 110: Wolves" features a detective named Hans von Meuffels from Munich and his colleague Constanze Hermann from Dortmund, with whom he is in love. Hermann receives treatment for her alcohol addiction in a health clinic in a village in of Bayern. One night, when she goes out after she drinks alcohol a lot, she sees a wolf. At first, she thinks it is not real and is just an effect of alcohol. However, a young woman's body is found the next day. Her face was ripped to pieces by a wild animal. Meuffels attempts to solve the case with Hermann. The film received appreciation similar to Petzold's previous series Circles, which was screened as part of the Brand New Movies series from Germany last year. Successful acting, cinematography and use of music were particularly appreciated.

Wild, 2016

A reserved housewife who leads a monotonous life taking herself between work and home every day, Ania's world is dramatically shaken after she encounters a wolf in a park. From the moment they look at each other, Ania feels herself begin to change. She avoids having a social life and becomes completely obsessed with the wolf. Finally, she catches the animal and brings it to home and they develop a relationship which no one else can understand. The young woman forgets about social rules and just listens to her instincts. Directed by Nicolette Krebitz, the movie, which is also a modern social critique, is shocking and also erotic with its outstanding use of music and successful scenes.

Me and Kaminski (Ich Und Kaminski), 2015

Manuel Kaminski enters the art world as a student of Matisse and a friend of Picasso. When he loses his sight, people start to call him the "blind painter." An interesting legend of modern art history, Kaminski doesn't go out in public for such a long time that some think he has died. Then, a self-ordained and opportunist journalist Sebastian Zöllner manages to get Kaminski's home address in the Swiss Alps, where he lives his eremite life. He unexpectedly finds himself on a journey with the legendary painter. After "Goodbye Lenin!," the director Wolfgang Becker and actor Daniel Brühl come together again after 12 years, accompanied by many well-known European actors with large and small roles.

A German Youth (Une Jeunesse Allemande), 2015

This movie offers a glimpse of the German Federation of the 1960s and the foundation of the Red Army Faction (RAF). French director Jean-Gabriel Periot uses only archival materials to limit viewers in their interpretations of the film. The movie includes sections from various movies directed by well-known directors, including Hellmuth Costard, Ulrike Meinhof, Holger Meins, Helke Sander, Thomas Giefer, Helma Sanders-Brahms, Jean-Luc Godard, Michelangelo Antonioni and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The movie was nominated for "Best Documentary" at the Cesar Awards.

We Monsters (Wir Monster), 2015

After the couple Paul and Christine divorce, their teenage daughter Sarah refuses to accept the split, excommunicating both parents who struggle to create a line of communication with their daughter. Neither Paul nor Christine could possibly predict that Sarah's depression would bring such devastation, unaware of how deeply their daughter is suffering. Sarah's best friend Charlie goes missing, and as the movie develops, all clues point to the impossible: Sarah is the suspect. A murder fueled by jealousy and fighting changes Sarah forever when she confesses to the crime. Paul and Christine try to whitewash the murder for the sake of their daughter's future. Directed by Sebastian Ko, this cold blooded thriller turns middle-class moral values upside down and keeps the audience in its grip with topsy-turvy developments.

Four Kings (4 Könige), 2016



When four young people, Lara, Alexandra, Timo and Fedja visit a private psychiatry clinic at Christmas time because of home problems, Doctor Wolf, who takes care of them, relates to their sense of loneliness over the holidays. As a bachelor, Doctor Wolf offers therapy sessions to the four patients which are as compelling as they are intriguing. It turns out that family-related problems are the underlying reasons of what they experience. Directed by Theresa von Eltz,"Four Kings" is an impressive coming-of-age story, which will make you laugh and cry.