Political thriller - "In the blind spot": suspense to the point of no return
Crime thriller, historical drama, horror film and political thriller: the feature film "In the Blind Spot" is everything in one. Turkish-German director Ayşe Polat ("En Garde") juggles different narrative levels and styles with virtuosity. The story revolves around the difficulties faced by a crew who want to shoot a documentary in north-eastern Turkey.
A cleverly convoluted odyssey between yesterday and today develops into a thought-provoking examination of Turkey's recent history and present. It also reflects on the possibilities and limits of perception itself. Is something true just because we think we see it? This question gives rise to enormous uncertainty, which creates great tension.
Ayşe Polat uses patterns from horror cinema to reflect irrational and real hauntings. A look at the lives of Kurds in Turkey takes up a great deal of space. In doing so, the film points beyond individual fates. This leads to serious reflection on the chances of humanity itself when inhumanity is the order of the day.
High entertainment factor
The film, which is divided into three acts, is carried by an excellent team of actors. This is led by Katja Bürkle as the documentary filmmaker. Tudan Ürper impresses as a woman whose son disappeared around a quarter of a century ago, abducted by the secret service according to his mother. A little girl named Melek (Çağla Yurga) plays a special role. It becomes clear that social grievances are fatally passed on from generation to generation.
Cinematographer Patrick Orth has created a documentary-like visual world that cleverly intensifies the pull of the often mysterious events. Viewers are kept on their toes with many a tricky puzzle. The entertainment factor is therefore high. It is enhanced by the clever immersion in a society whose rules can become pitfalls for many people.
An award-worthy political thriller
In September, "Im toten Winkel" won the main prize at the film festival in Oldenburg. And the political thriller is also a hit with film fans in Turkey. As the German distributor Missingfilms recently announced, "In the Blind Spot" is "by far the most successful German production at film festivals in Turkey" with 14 awards. This year, for example, the production won awards at the International Istanbul Film Festival and the Ankara Film Festival.
In the Blind Spot, Germany 2023, 118 min., FSK from 16 years, by Ayşe Polat, with Katja Bürkle, Tudan Ürper, Çagla Yurga
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Source: www.stern.de
