About Dry Grasses (Turkish, 2023)
According to the movie, that is what we are: the dry grasses seen paving the hillside over Eastern Turkey as the frost melts at the start of spring. They look lovely, adding a hue to the mundane colour of nature. Walking over the hill, we step over the grass as they give us a grip on the ground. We do not bother about the grass. They are insignificant. They serve a purpose to their existence, which is not apparent to us. The dry die only to be replaced by the next generation only to whither away, yet again.
Is that symbolism of human existence here on Earth? We think very highly of ourselves, that we are indispensable, that our existence means a lot, or perhaps we are God's answer to mankind's problems. We fail to understand that, like the dry grass on the hill, our presence is temporary. Like many before us, we will disappear away one day, often forgotten by annals of time. All the seemingly big problems we are embroiled in are insignificant in the greater scheme of things. All the jealousy, ill feelings, shame, power balance and intellectual mediocrity that bog down our day-to-day living will all disappear one day.
What, then, is the purpose of all these? That is the question humans have been asking since time immemorial.
This Turkish slow movie narrates just that in a convoluted way that lasts three hours, but not in a draggy way. The protagonist gets embroiled in many life indecisions, troubles, animosities, and hardships, but all appear not so crucial later in his life.
The film is set in the remote and coldest part of East Turkey in the height of winter. If the teeth-chattering cold is not bad enough, there is a lack of economic activity and disturbances from the Kurd rebels.
Samet, who considers himself a dedicated school teacher, drags himself grudgingly back to school in the thick snow. He cannot wait to return to Istanbul after completing his compulsory rural posting.
He is an art teacher who takes great care of the welfare of his adolescent students, unlike the other teachers in the school who run down their students, or so he thought. In the movie, we can see that Samet is quite pally with his students, perhaps too pally and touchy sometimes, bordering on a teacher's inappropriate behaviour.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Is that symbolism of human existence here on Earth? We think very highly of ourselves, that we are indispensable, that our existence means a lot, or perhaps we are God's answer to mankind's problems. We fail to understand that, like the dry grass on the hill, our presence is temporary. Like many before us, we will disappear away one day, often forgotten by annals of time. All the seemingly big problems we are embroiled in are insignificant in the greater scheme of things. All the jealousy, ill feelings, shame, power balance and intellectual mediocrity that bog down our day-to-day living will all disappear one day.
What, then, is the purpose of all these? That is the question humans have been asking since time immemorial.
This Turkish slow movie narrates just that in a convoluted way that lasts three hours, but not in a draggy way. The protagonist gets embroiled in many life indecisions, troubles, animosities, and hardships, but all appear not so crucial later in his life.
The film is set in the remote and coldest part of East Turkey in the height of winter. If the teeth-chattering cold is not bad enough, there is a lack of economic activity and disturbances from the Kurd rebels.
Samet, who considers himself a dedicated school teacher, drags himself grudgingly back to school in the thick snow. He cannot wait to return to Istanbul after completing his compulsory rural posting.
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| Where's the line between care and inappropriate? |
All that came crashing down one day when the headmaster did a classroom spot-check and discovered a love letter in one of a female student's schoolbags. Samet tries to save the day by intercepting the letter. He thought he was doing something good for the student, but instead, the student accused him and his roommate of inappropriate behaviour of the teacher.
The movie is not so much about the high psychological drama of addressing the issue of teacher burnout or paedophilia. The complaint is tackled amicably by the school. Nevertheless, Samet is devastated. He and his roommate start questioning their whole life purpose, dedication, and hardships they have endured throughout life. At the same time, Samet is introduced to a young, pretty schoolteacher. She has her sad story, surviving a terrorist's bomb blast but losing her leg. However, she is optimistic about life and lives on her own terms. Samet introduces her to his roommate, thinking he would find her fascinating. Samet starts developing feelings for the teacher when he sees them romantically linked.
The rest of the movie is about these three people resolving their issues as Samet prepares to get his transfer out of the school back to the big town.
The rest of the movie is about these three people resolving their issues as Samet prepares to get his transfer out of the school back to the big town.
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