The Heiress

Hülya is a young German-Turkish writer. Several years after the death of her father, she decides to write a novel about him. In order to get to know him better, she travels to Damal, the place where her father was born and grew up. She meets the people from his youth and reconstructs his life there - at school, at home and in the expansive landscape around the village. While she observes, she does not always get an equally positive picture of her father and the dramatic events that shaped his life and hers. Confusing memories fall into place. At the same time, present, past, reality and fantasy start mingling increasingly naturally and it becomes more and more clear that memory is a far-from-infallible instrument. Nature, idyllically one time and mercilessly next, forms the atmospheric decor for this reflection on the value of family bonds, love and honour.

Directed by Ayşe Polat, The Heiress leans on a strong ensemble — Mina Sagdiç, Oktay Çagla — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2013.