The issue of harassment and abuse of adolescents and children is sometimes blurred in the use of the term "bullying," which does not even remotely suggest the spectrum of the action, which can reach intimidation, threats, and torture. It is rarely addressed in a serious manner in world cinema, if we consider the thousands of cases that occur daily in all societies (with film industries). Sometimes a title appears that confronts the audience with a horrifying case, but after a manipulative climax, it returns to the spectators' placid state of inaction. Furthermore, abuse is often so quotidian that it does not make the headlines, or the victims are not even aware of its dramatic effects.
From 2019 is the Turkish production «Not Knowing», a domestic drama written and directed by Leyla Yilmaz that tells the story of Umut, a 17-year-old student who strives to be a good water polo player and win a scholarship to study in the United States. The panorama in his house is not at all placid. It is the typical dysfunctional family, with a father that controls both his wife and Umut, who is their only child. Then suddenly, a new member of the water polo team starts the rumor that Umut is "a faggot", after he defends a boy who is being beaten by schoolmates.
Contrary to what I expected the movie really impressed me. The first half has an observational tone and takes its time to show tense situations that made me question where the story was going, but without losing interest: the father witnessing the layoffs in the private company where he has worked for decades, the mother confronting health and migration issues in the public hospital where she works, the profiles of secondary characters: the sports coach, Umut's best friend, their mates,...
When the action took a dramatic turn, I realized Yilmaz's descriptions of Umut's little world were necessary to who how the "bullying" had a strong impact on the characters, and our perception of the plot. We discover that it is a tale about secret truths, about the relativity of lies and non-truth, about what we are forced to say, and about our right to give no answers, crowned with an ending that is definitely... audacious, I would say. Maybe "audacious" is a slightly exaggerated word, because, in short, «Not Knowing» is a domestic drama about abuse among adolescents, in which Umut is cornered as a victim of rush judgement and harassment, so he takes a decision. However, the ending suddenly gives us a kind of... slap in the face. It does not twist your arm. It simply tells you "Skip the melodrama...".
"Not Knowing" (which the French gave a better title: «A Secret Soul») reminded me of the theme of a play by Australian author Fin Kennedy, but whose title I will not disclose because it could ruin the movie for you. Recommended.
From 2019 is the Turkish production «Not Knowing», a domestic drama written and directed by Leyla Yilmaz that tells the story of Umut, a 17-year-old student who strives to be a good water polo player and win a scholarship to study in the United States. The panorama in his house is not at all placid. It is the typical dysfunctional family, with a father that controls both his wife and Umut, who is their only child. Then suddenly, a new member of the water polo team starts the rumor that Umut is "a faggot", after he defends a boy who is being beaten by schoolmates.
Contrary to what I expected the movie really impressed me. The first half has an observational tone and takes its time to show tense situations that made me question where the story was going, but without losing interest: the father witnessing the layoffs in the private company where he has worked for decades, the mother confronting health and migration issues in the public hospital where she works, the profiles of secondary characters: the sports coach, Umut's best friend, their mates,...
When the action took a dramatic turn, I realized Yilmaz's descriptions of Umut's little world were necessary to who how the "bullying" had a strong impact on the characters, and our perception of the plot. We discover that it is a tale about secret truths, about the relativity of lies and non-truth, about what we are forced to say, and about our right to give no answers, crowned with an ending that is definitely... audacious, I would say. Maybe "audacious" is a slightly exaggerated word, because, in short, «Not Knowing» is a domestic drama about abuse among adolescents, in which Umut is cornered as a victim of rush judgement and harassment, so he takes a decision. However, the ending suddenly gives us a kind of... slap in the face. It does not twist your arm. It simply tells you "Skip the melodrama...".
"Not Knowing" (which the French gave a better title: «A Secret Soul») reminded me of the theme of a play by Australian author Fin Kennedy, but whose title I will not disclose because it could ruin the movie for you. Recommended.