Zuhal

Meow. Meow. Meow. Streets and homes of Istanbul are always full of lovely cats. When lonely Zuhal hears a cat’s meow somewhere near her rented flat, suddenly nobody believes it may be possible. Neighbours never saw any cat, which does not meow, if someone accompanies hard-working lawyer and teacher Zuhal. Evidently all unfriendly hateful people whisper rumours and gossips about craziness of a suspicious cat lady. Zuhal passionately awaits for arranged romantic date after a very long break and goes mental to find a mysterious cat. She brings a hammer to demolish the wall against prohibitions of angry landowner. But what if there will be no cat in the wall?

Invisible little cat uncovers social problems of hatred, slander, bullying, jealousy and questions dilemmas of unmarried woman in a patriarchal society. It is forbidden to have cat in flat, but also unimaginable for an educated woman to live alone without husband.

After 3 internationally noticed shorts Turkish debutant Nazli Elif Durlu mounts intimate, provocative, absurdist, minimalist, disturbing drama out of truly simple everyday situation. Revelationar Nihal Yalçın (previously casted by Yesim Ustaoglu, Reha Erdem and Zeki Demirkubuz for supporting roles) shines in very first leading performance, which is convincing, humorous and bold. It is pretty rare to see Turkish film about an upper middle class successful independent woman.

Edvinas Pukšta