Bliss

Description

Product Description

Adapted from internationally acclaimed author Zulfu Livaneli’s novel, BLISS is an unconventional road movie in which the executioner of an honor killing and his victim go on a journey of self-discovery.

When 17-year-old Meryem (Ozgu Namal) is found disheveled and unconscious by the side of a lake, her family believes the worst – that her chastity has been lost and that she has been a willing accomplice in its disposal. They turn to the ancient principle of “tore,” a strict moral code governing the rules of sexual practice, which condemns Meryem to death. The duty of defending the family’s honor is given to distant cousin Cemal (Murat Han), who must take Meryem to Istanbul and kill her along the way.

The two begin to fall for each other and their journey takes an unexpected turn when they meet Irfan (Talat Bulut), an academic escaping his big city angst, who is also looking for a second chance in life. Set against the impressive backdrop of Turkey’s natural wonders, BLISS pits tradition against modernity, urban against rural and East against West, all the while refusing to settle for easy answers.

Review

Critic’s Pick! “A panoramic allegory of Turkish national identity, beautifully acted… this consistently gripping, visually intoxicating film stands as a landmark of contemporary Turkish cinema.” –Stephen Holden, The New York Times

Powerful adaptation of Omer Zulfu Livaneli’s politically trenchant novel… extraordinary pain and beauty. –Betsy Sharkey, The Los Angeles Times

{5 STARS}! Oguz’s narrative is just as crystalline as the Aegean Sea he opulently photographs… Bliss is wonderful storytelling through and through. –Justin Strout, Orlando Weekly