A Tale of Three Sisters

A mountain village in Anatolia, 1980s: following his wife's death, widower Şevket had sent his three daughters to the city as besleme, meaning that they moved in with well-off families as both foster children and maids. After getting pregnant the oldest daughter Reyhan had to leave her family though. Back home, Şevket married her off to the rather dim-witted shepherd Veysel. The two younger sisters eventually returned as well, the rebellious Nurhan because she had gotten into an argument with her foster mother, while the youngest sister, Havva, was sent back after a death in her foster family. Lacking the means to support his daughters, Şevket tries to figure out how to get the girls off his hands again.

In his third film, Turkish director Emin Alper combines Turkish folktale elements with beautiful camera work including striking chiaroscuro moments, while also showing what life was like for women in rural Turkey.