A – Z Challenge | Directors series | N

Nuri Bilge Ceylan is a Turkish filmmaker who won Palm d’Or in 2014 for his movie Winter Sleep. Ceylan is passionate about photography. His movies contain many static shots and long shots which are nothing short of a beautiful portrait. Dealing with the issues of the monotony of life and existential crisis his movies contains a deeper meaning. Like I said in some of my previous posts that the movie making the audience to interpret stands apart, movies of Ceylan leaves many things open to interpretation.

The movie to be spotlighted is Once upon a time in Anatolia. The story follows a doctor, a prosecutor, grave diggers and two brothers who are homicidal suspects. They are in pursuit of a body buried by the suspects. Their travel and their conversation in various topics form rest of the movie. This might sound like a normal story but, the topics of conversation, the inferences made, the purpose of murder and each and every happening gives another layer to the story. I am searching for a superlative term for beautifully shot and yet to find any to express the way it has been filmed.

Other great works of Nure Bilge Ceylan are Winter Sleep, Three Monkeys, and Climates.