Ask Your Heart

A love affair threatened by a barrier as great as itself... Can differences of faith stand in the way of an innocent love affair? Two young people, Esma and Mustafa, fall in love. For them, the future only has meaning if they are together. Failing this, life is meaningless. However, overhanging their love is a barrier unique to the period and location: Mustafa is a clandestine Christian, when everyone including Esma thinks he is Muslim. In the meantime, the Ottoman Empire introduces a series of reforms giving Christians the same rights as Muslims. From this point on, the Church urges secret Christians to reveal their faith. This poses a dilemma for Mustafa: he is caught between his love and the Church.

Directed by Yusuf Kurçenli, Ask Your Heart leans on a strong ensemble — Tuba Büyüküstün, Kenan Ece, Hakan Eratik — 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 2010.