Journey to the Sun

When Mehmet, a cheerful young man from western Turkey, meets Berzan, a Kurdish rebel, the two form an unlikely friendship. Their bong not only survives the dark political realities of contemporary Turkey, it is strengthened by them. The friendship inspires Mehmet to embark on a sweeping, spiritual journey across Turkey to his friend's Kurdish homeland.

Graced with beautiful cinematography, Journey To The Sun is writer-director Yesim Ustaoglu's remarkable second feature. She skillfully weaves a compassionate story into a political atmosphere while eliciting strong, authentic performances from a non-professional cast.

Journey To The Sun won the Blue Angel Prize for Best European Film and the Peace Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. It was named Best Film and Ustaoglu was named Best Director at the Istanbul Film Festival, where the film also won the Audience Award and the International Critics' Award.