BEZMIALEM VALIDE SULTAN MOSQUE
AT THE SEASIDE BETWEEN KABATAŞ AND BEŞİKTAŞ,
OPPOSITE THE LARGE COURTYARD GATE BY THE CLOCK TOWER OF DOLMABAHÇE PALACE,
IT'S CALLED "DOLMABAHÇE MOSQUE" DUE TO ITS LOCATION.
[man] Don't even try.
Doors are closed, you missed the boat.
[Zehra] Oh. Can't you just open the door?
I'm afraid once it's closed, it's closed.
I mean, the boat's there.
Just open the door for me so I can get on the boat, please.
Ma'am, the boat's supposed to leave at a specific time.
First time on a ferry?
But if you’d let me through, I'd make it on time.
Istanbul’s where the impossible happens.
It’s why I came here. Nobody can steal that from me.
Can you just open it up?
[ferry horn blares at distance]
ISTANBUL ENCYCLOPEDIA
[nostalgic music playing]
[growls] Get out!
Get up and come out!
Take ownership of your trash!
[frustrated shout]
The trash, cans…
[loud clatter]
…go right here!
Enough already!
-[Emel] L-58! -Thank goodness.
[Şükran] You're just in time. She’s disturbing the whole neighborhood.
She keeps yelling about trash.
Okay, Ms. Şükran. Thank you very much.
Go home, I'll handle it. Go home, I'll be fine.
[Emel] One, two, three cans!
-Enough! -Stop! What are you doing, Emel?
L-58!
-[Nesrin] Stop! -Take out your goddamn trash!
-What are you doing? Stop yelling! -[muffled] I'm not.
Stop it, Emel, I mean it. You are disturbing all of these people.
-Please, Emel! Stop! -Satisfy yourselves! Move, I'm protesting.
-Shh! -Nesrin. It's a protest.
-Protesting, I get it. Just calm down. -I'm owning my trash. Move.
-Nesrin, move! [groans] -[sighs]
[Emel chuckles]
[in singsong] Own up to your garbage!
-Emel, please. -Own up to your garbage!
-Please, Emel. -Own up to your garbage!
-Shut it. -Own up to your garbage.
-Own up to your garbage! -Shut up!
-Own up to your garbage! -God, shut up!
Please, my darling, stop. I am asking you.
-What? -Please.
-What was that? -What was what?
Nesrin, did you say…?
-Did I say what? -Nesrin.
-What about it? -Did you call me "darling"?
Yes, my darling Emel.
But did you mean me?
-That's right. -Nesrin, did you mean me?
-[Nesrin sighs] -But say it again.
Once more, do it.
Say it once more. Do it. Nesrin, say it again!
I'm about to! My- my darling, all right? What is your problem?
-My darling Emel. -[chuckles]
[laughing]
'My darling.'
Nesrin, sit.
-Come up. -Come on. I don’t want to sit up there.
-Own up to your garbage! -Shh! Stop it. Oh, God.
Nesrin, come on!
-I'm coming. -Nesrin, you coming?
Yep, sure thing.
-Nesrin. -I'm coming to you.
Up!
[laughing]
Nesrin.
[softly] Own up to your garbage, is all.
-[shouts] -[water running]
Nesrin! [moans]
[moans]
[giggles]
Nesrin.
You must've come to save me, huh?
Huh?
Doctor Nesrin saves yet another life. [chuckles]
Wow. Wow.
[hums]
Sevinç.
Ah.
It's me, Mom, Nesrin.
Nesrin.
Nesrin?
Your daughter.
Nesrin.
Sevinç is your sister.
Mm.
Mm-hm.
I'm a mom.
You are.
Of two daughters, Mom.
-Two daughters, mine? -That's right.
Emel, Nesrin.
-Emel is my… -Daughter.
I had two babies, wow.
[dog barks in distance]
-Nesrin. -Mm-hm.
And Emel.
Mm.
[birds chirping]
[wind blowing]
LADIES ONLY, FULLY FURNISHED NICE HOME IN CITY CENTER
NESRİN INCOMING CALL
DECLINE - ACCEPT
[clears throat]
Excuse me, good morning to you.
What can I help you with?
Uh… I, uh, am actually a student, a freshman.
Um, I'm… My suitcase, I'm hoping that maybe you'll keep it for me.
That's not an option.
Please don’t send me to class with a big suitcase, I beg you.
-Then don't bring a big suitcase. -I had no option. Pretty please.
How am I supposed to know what you're carrying with you?
-It's just my stuff. Let me open it. -No. Don't. Can you please not?
-You may not drop off your bag, miss. -I'll leave it for a little bit.
I promise I will hurry back after my class ends to pick it up.
Look. Pick it up by 5:00.
That's when I'm off. Hamit's in next.
I don't wanna have to explain and deal with his yapping.
I’ll be back, no worries at all. Back by 5:00. Be right back then.
-By five o'clock! -Be here at five, absolutely.
I'll be back! Five o'clock!
The Anatolian Fortress. What made you select it?
[student] Its great historical significance.
[Ozlem] To whose history?
[student] You know, Ottoman history.
Critical during the Conquest of Istanbul.
The like, bombs thrown from there, etcetera.
So it was important to the Byzantines also, naturally.
[students chuckling]
So, what's its impact on your history?
Guys, the point of this assignment
isn't picking out photographs from the internet
and then assembling a generic little slideshow about all of them..
It's to build a totally new, personal Istanbul history.
Using your curiosity and enthusiasm, rediscover Istanbul.
Next, when we look at the letter "B," you should think about that in particular.
Moving on. Before we wrap up today,
does anybody have one of their personal stories for "A"?
[gentle music playing]
Isn't there anything that touched you,
affected you?
Anybody have a good story?
Anyone care to share?
A STEEP, UNREGULATED STREET AT A LARGE FIRE SITE…
[line calling]
What about grabbing a bite to eat with me?
No, thanks, I'm okay.
How about if I buy you a barbecue chicken pizza?
Fine. I'll be right back. I have to do something.
-Cool. -Okay.
-Do you want me to wait here? -No, don't wait, it's fine.
[murmuring prayers]
[soft breathing]
[murmuring prayer]
[woman] What's the hurry?
-Excuse me? -You should move calmly when you pray.
Don't rush through it.
Try it that way.
Allah bless you.
Salaam aleikum.
Must be a freshman. I've seen you around campus.
Alaikum salaam.
How nice, it's good to see you.
I'm Fatıma.
-Thanks. Sorry, I'm just-- I'm in a hurry. -What's your name?
Zeynep.
Good meeting you.
You too.
Unbelievable.
I said don't come to see me, Serdar.
Definitely not at work. Don't push it with me.
[Serdar] Don't worry, I have no expectations.
Tell me why you came to see me.
Just to say that we made absolutely the best possible decision.
Which is my right to speak about and your right to hear,
wouldn't you agree?
What did I expect from someone like you?
A selfish woman who's about to abandon her sister and her sick mother!
[chuckles]
You've barely ever met my family.
But you think it's okay to make attacks against me using them?
Oh, I'm out of line?
Hmm.
Bailing your sister out of custody. My responsibility, wasn't it?
Me taking your sick mother to the hospital
when you were busy was fine, too, but now it's like this?
This kind of bullshit is what I'm escaping from, Serdar.
I'm finished with being dumped on by you.
I'll make myself a new, better life, to-- to be free of this mess you've made.
[Serdar] Nesrin, what if you're the one who created this mess?
Huh?
I want you to look at these papers.
-What for? -Take a look.
For what reason?
I didn't beat cancer, Nesrin.
I only said I was cancer-free because I didn't want to depress you anymore.
[seething]
Please don't stoop this low.
-Look at it. You'll see. -No.
-Because you don't wanna confront it. -Stop this, Serdar.
Because you know you're the one responsible!
-What am I responsible for? -You messed up my life.
What did I do to you?
My cancer didn't show up until you cheated on me!
My God, that did not even happen.
Making a dinner date behind your back is not the same as cheating on you,
and I've said "I'm sorry" over 100 times already!
[laughs] You're unbelievable.
So I’ve been able to move past it, and you can't accept it?
And what if I had cheated?
How could that possibly relate to you getting cancer? Explain that.
-You keep avoiding the issue, Nesrin. -I'm just always the person responsible?
Why did you wait if you didn't want us?
Could it be that I loved you, maybe? That I wanted to be there by your side?
No, Nesrin, you couldn't confront it
You know you're the one who's responsible but you suppressed it.
I've done everything I humanly can, everything, to help you.
It's as simple as that.
You didn't even believe my cancer was real, did you?
Right, at first I didn't believe that you had it.
Because I know you, who you are as a person.
Your character, your temper,
and the manipulative piece of garbage you can so often be.
I've lied once.
One time, and that one time was yesterday evening.
And I was thinking of you.
It was to stop being this burden you bear. It was for your benefit.
I wish you'd lied to me more, Serdar.
Because I really cannot tell what is a lie and what is the truth.
I’m not able to anymore. Who can tell anymore?
My expectations, my trust, are broken.
Just asking you what time it is,
my knee-jerk response is to assume that what you tell me,
is what's going to work out best for you.
I've always been honest with you about everything!
It doesn't matter now that I've experienced this anxiety.
Why's that?
With someone like you, anything is suspect.
You are the sad kind of man
who can lie to his partner's face about his cancer.
[glass shatters]
You gonna slit your wrist?
Go right ahead then! Aren't you going to?
I say slit it!
That's why you came to the hospital, right?
The emergency room is right down the hall.
There are people who can save you. Slit it! Why don't you?
[pained grunt]
[body thuds]
-Oh, sorry, am I interrupting? -[Cihan] Not at all.
Hi there. Could you just close the door back up behind you? It gets nippy.
Zehra's your name?
-Zehra. -Welcome, Zehra.
-Thank you. -You can sit anywhere.
[exaggerated death sounds]
[imitates blood spurting]
As I was just explaining,
playing make-believe isn't authentic
and is totally disconnected from reality and truth.
Just think on it.
I'm so sick of all of it.
Of all the pretense, in life, and in art.
Don't worry, I won't expect anyone to really stab themselves on stage.
But I think we can stop playing dead like I just did,
and confront real-life problems instead.
Theater heals, or so the famous saying goes.
Have you all heard that?
Maybe we can start with ourselves. Heal ourselves.
What do you say to that?
You may be four months late, but because we're starting a new play,
your timing is perfect, actually.
No prior experience required. No need for any of you to be overwhelmed.
All of you will tell your own story.
Each and every time we meet up, you'll share something hard.
It might be something traumatic, a moment you'd like erased.
In short, you'll share a story that weighs heavy on your heart.
We'll all try to make it a little bit better.
Hm? Ah, then our new script can be based on your experiences,
while adding fictional elements.
Then, you can take on the characters you create in each other's stories.
Despite some ambiguity,
I trust that the tales we create will make a wonderful art piece.
So now, everybody, be prepared to tell your stories in the coming weeks.
I need a volunteer for next week.
I want you guys to get a head start.
-I'm willing to do it. -Okay, great.
Alright then.
For this week, I'll start things off.
To give you an idea.
if you're ready, then,
we shall begin with my biggest worry.
[Selin] Fan-tas-tic!
Gorgeous girl! I mean she's beautiful, and this is what I wanted to show you!
And this is what you can do with your own fabulous star girl makeover, got it?
Mwah! Volcanic eruptions are coming soon, be ready.
Girl, you're on fire!
Okay, don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe, everyone!
-Mwah! -See ya, guys!
[Zehra applauds]
-[Zehra] That was great. -Good, it's done.
Pelin, I think you should give Zehra a makeover.
Ugh, no, don’t try to make me,
I’ll mess up and she’ll end up looking like a stripper or something.
I am really tired, I've been here an hour already!
-[Zehra] I really-- -Alright, c'mon, I'm doing it.
-No one will recognize you. -But I don’t want to, really.
-Get over here. You'll be unrecognizable. -You know what?
You're plenty gorgeous for us both, my goodness, I'm… Oh my word--
[Pelin] Hey, shush! Girl, you're being a buzzkill.
Maybe you're killing the vibes, dude.
Besides, to be around us, people better look totally glamorous,
So you gotta get glammed up, my dear.
-Hm. Do I, my dear? -Yes, my dear.
You need to give up, the makeup's going on,
so stop fighting, pretty please. It's your fate. You gotta deal, alright?
-Come on, there's really no point. -I need to see those hands right now.
Have you been dabbling in construction work, or what the heck?
Come on, just cut 'em.
God, I can hardly stand it. I really gotta do this girl's nails.
Alright, look. Don't make her sad. Smile, go on, smile at me.
-[Pelin] It's gonna look good. -[Selin] She said smile!
-This is my best smile. I'm glowing! -This is your best smile?
[laughter]
-You're not! -Right, it's not really my best one.
[in French] Maybe he was going to cut himself if I hadn't stopped him.
-I guess you'll never know for sure. -That's the worst of it.
Mm.
I wish you hadn't come on such a ridiculous day.
It felt so good.
Your class is like therapy to me.
I'm glad you're feeling better. It means I'm not too bad a teacher.
[laughs]
Yes, thank you.
Sometimes I feel like I have enough energy for everything.
I think I can do everything I can imagine and everything I plan.
In fact, it seems so easy that even I am surprised.
And sometimes you feel powerless to take even the smallest action.
Mm-hmm.
-Bizarre, right? -Yes, it's bizarre.
It's like it's hard to breathe in. Or to breathe out.
In fact, the day I leave all my life behind and move to France,
I feel as if my life will be reset.
As if I will start all over again.
Um… I guess there is no other way out for me.
That's not how it works.
How does it work?
Do you want to continue this at home?
I'd like to. But I thought I'd pay my mom a visit.
Right.
-You have to take care of that too. -Yes.
-I'll go then. -Louis.
I’m glad you're here.
Me too.
-[Nesrin] Hello. Hi. -[guard] Hi there.
I'm Nesrin Caner. Doctor Nesrin Caner.
I am looking for one of your students. Her name is Zehra Demirci.
Where is the architecture department? Which way?
[guard] Over there. Can I just see your ID, ma'am?
[Nesrin] Oh, yeah, of course.
-[guard] Thank you very much. -[Nesrin] No problem, thank you.
-But it's up this way? -That's right.
Thanks.
[tense music playing]
[panting]
[Harun] We know there's a problem with Dad's condition.
He tries to brush it off, you know.
But the doctors should--
Hi Zehra, how are you?
-I'm great. You? -Also great.
You're here?
Ah. [chuckles] Don't you remember?
I thought we were meeting when you finished class.
I came over because you hadn't confirmed.
It's been a long day.
Ah.
Mm-hm.
And Harun and I made plans.
-Oh. -Uh-huh.
-You guys have plans. -Uh-huh.
Well, I hope you have a lot of fun together.
Okay, so Harun, remind your father to come to the office and see me.
We have some tests to do.
No need to make an appointment. You can call me anytime you need to.
-Thank you. This is perfect for him. -You're welcome.
Well then.
I suppose I'll see you at the house.
-Hm. -Hm.
See you then.
Let's go.
-Thanks again. -Have a nice day.
[horn blaring]
[gentle music playing]
[seagulls squawking]
[Zehra] I don't believe anyone in the world
has done enough to deserve a mansion here.
I don't know the owners, but I hate them already, all of them.
Hate! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.
-[breathy chuckle] -What do you propose?
Huh?
The land should be public.
Open to all.
But how about the owners, hmm?
They can have houses away from the sea.
They've had plenty of time to admire the waves.
An anarchist, is that what you are?
I just wanna walk on the beach for once.
It's not fair they prevent us from doing that.
-It's where they live. -But why do they get to?
Yeesh. That's determined by who?
Who made that decision?
So you've seen what people from Istanbul don't,
from the moment you first got here.
Yeah, pretty much.
For you Istanbul folks, this is all so normalized,
but in truth, you're looking right at something you refuse to see.
My thought is that the flats in those mansions are stirring up some class rage.
'Mansion flat' is a misnomer.
More capitalist nonsense pulled out to sell expensive homes.
"Mansion apartment" isn't a real term.
It's not pretend. A mansion flat is a type of apartment.
Hm. It's an insult to architectural terminology.
Maybe it's not an insult to anything.
And besides, that's what Nesrin's home is.
You can start by kicking her out of her place.
[seagulls squawking]
Hey, I'm home. I'm home, Mom!
Mom, are you still sleeping?
Mom?
Mom!
Mom?
[nostalgic music playing]
[panting]
Oh no.
[panting]
Where did you go off to, Mom?
Were you seeing the neighborhood?
[Nazife] All the cookie-cutter buildings. So alike.
Anyone would get confused, right?
Everyone gets lost, Ma.
Some feel trapped.
Zehra's trapped.
I feel lost and trapped.
Who's Zehra, hm?
Hm?
Aylin's daughter.
Look.
[chuckles]
You and me.
[laughs]
Ah.
[laughing]
[continues laughing]
[Harun] C'mon, Zehra!
Bring down the mansions!
-[Pelin] Don't give up. -I will try.
Okay, okay.
[Pelin] Go get 'em tiger.
-[Dodo] Wow! -It was alright. Alright, I think.
-[Pelin] Nice, good job! -She knows what's up.
-You rock! -[Selin] I want to switch teammates.
[Harun] You can't do that.
-[Pelin] Phew, come on! -Oh don't worry!
-[Pelin] Don't mess with my teammate! -Get outta here.
Can you move? I'm trying to bowl here.
-[Pelin] C'mon, Dodo! -[Dodo] Here I go.
[Harun] I am moving. Who takes this long?
[Pelin] Here he goes.
-[shouts] -[Dodo] Yeah!
-Oh, my wonderful teammate! -[Dodo growls]
-[Pelin] Now that was good! -Pretty much finished us! They did!
-They have to hit it to beat us. -It’s my turn, but I’m not--
The difference is almost nil. No, eight to 18 is no gap at all.
[Dodo] Just saying.
The moment's come. My teammate. She throws!
Did she make it? She did!
-[Harun] No way. -She did!
-[Selin] Slay girl! -[Zehra] What's the deal with our team?
You know what I'll say? That's my teammate, that's right!
[Pelin] Were you really hiding your ball? Did you bless it with prayers?
This is for our stolen youth, alright?
-[Dodo] That's it! Go get them! -[Selin] Go on, baby.
[Pelin] What happened to our stolen youth?
[laughing]
-[Pelin] How are you that bad? -[Dodo] It counts.
We're not done, you have a baby shot.
A small opportunity, maybe.
-It's up to me to turn this around. -Get a strike and we make it.
-I'm bringing out my best, I am, really. -Let's go.
-[chuckles] -[Pelin] What's the deal?
-[Zehra] Should I pick this one? -Let's see.
Take this one.
[Dodo] See?
-Don't mess with us! -[Pelin] Do not mess with us.
I need to use the bathroom. Can I pass this turn to you?
-No prob, yeah. -Okay, I'll pass.
-All good? -Yeah, yeah, of course.
Oof.
[Pelin chuckles]
I have to use the restroom, so I passed on the turn.
Uh, nuh-uh.
I can't stand it when anyone switches mid-game. I hate it the most.
Oh wow, this phrase. How many things can you possibly hate the most, huh?
Sorry about that!
My capacity for hate's limitless.
Have fun, y'all.
[Selin] Pelin.
-What? -"What?"
[Dodo] I couldn't ask in front of Zehra. How do you bowl?
-[laughter] -[Pelin] Just roll it from here to there.
-[nostalgic music playing] -[door locks]
[shallow breathing]
[spits]
NO ENTRY
[bowling machine whirring]
[pins clatter]
-Your absence left a hole in my heart. -[giggling]
So I came right over.
Why were you in there?
Mm.
"No entry."
Thought I better go in, um, and see for myself.
-That's very you. -Yeah. Thanks.
[both laughing]
But wait, your makeup's gone.
Did Pelin make you cry?
No, come on, no Don't be ridiculous. I'm, mm…
I just changed my mind and removed it.
-Can I say something? -You bet.
We won.
I got a strike the minute you left.
[chuckles]
[nostalgic music playing]
I feel like if this happens now, then everything'll be incomplete.
But that''s just life. Everything's incomplete.
[swallows]
["İyi Kötü" playing]
[singing in Turkish]
[gasps]
Guys, the doctor has come to see us, incredible!
She's such a good doctor.
If anyone has a medical issue, then line up. She's the best.
Doctor Nesrin!
-Ooh. -Any musical requests?
-You look great. -[laughs]
What'll you have? Huh?
What to drink?
No, I’m okay, I’m not drinking. I need to talk to you about something.
We have this fantastic beer. You should sample it, go on.
It's okay, come sit with me.
-Come. -[man] We need to run a mic check.
[Emel] Okay, okay.
Why can't I treat my big sister?
It’s big sis’s first time visiting us here!
Alright.
Emel.
Please.
We should talk.
Things can't continue like they've been.
-Please, I need you to listen to me. -[Emel chuckles]
What is this?
Are you gonna bring world peace?
Transform into Gandhi?
Emel, I know you might not understand how serious things are. Mom isn’t well.
-I came here from the house. -You're kidding me!
-She went outside by herself, Emel. -Oh?
She couldn't get back on her own.
She was stranded on the bridge, completely lost, when I found her.
Good that you're always by her side.
-How could we ever make it alone? -I'm serious.
-Me too. I'm so glad you're around. -Emel, I am not messing around.
I'm going to be moving to France very soon, do you hear me?
Wow!
-Hear the news, boys? -I've prepared all my documents.
It's coming together. I have left my French language exam.
Excellent. Good for you.
You'll definitely ace it. I mean, you are positively amazing.
-Go you. -I don't want to worry about you and Mom.
I can't take all of this.
Pull yourself together, be there for Mom. Can you do that for me?
So you'd like me to just be cool with you fucking off like Dad?
-[sighs] -But you want to clear your conscience.
I imagine you're probably planning to pawn off the car he left you.
-Explain to me how our father is relevant. -Go, I'll stay back and clean up!
I'm only part of your improvement project because of Mom.
I'm not important, am I?
-I'm not. That's what you've been saying. -That's--
What I'm saying to you, Emel, is that I'll do what I can!
-Since I won't be here… -What are you gonna do?
-…I can't keep helping you. -What are you gonna do?
I'll pay the bills, help you financially! Whatever I can do!
-You always think money's the solution. -Whatever it takes. Whatever I can do.
-That's what you're gonna do? -I can hire somebody to come to the house.
Did you ask her?
Why do you act like our mother matters to you?
Since when do you care?
You were broken, and you crawled back here!
-Knock off the martyr act. You aren't one. -Nesrin!
Just get the hell out of here! [grunts]
[nostalgic music playing]
[Zehra] I was just thinking, maybe we should pull an all-nighter.
Wouldn't it be fun?
Coming up with more projects to keep us crazy busy, Zehra?
I'd say you should come by here, but our house is kind of a disaster zone.
Don’t worry about that. I don’t mind. I’m happy either way.
I don't wanna go back home.
[Selin] Sorry, it's just that things are complicated over here right now.
[Pelin] Man, I don’t even think I want to be at home at the moment.
This is an asylum.
[Zehra] Do you know if the library is 24-hour?
[Selin] No, it isn't. I wish though.
It's ridiculous. Millions of us are just stuck studying in cafés at all hours.
Why do you ask? What's up?
No reason.
I was thinking that I might start writing about places open late.
[Pelin] Hey, that's a cool idea!
I'm gonna go to bed.
-Kisses. Goodnight you guys. -Kisses from me too!
Night-night.
[Pelin] All right, g'night, Zehra, kisses.
[Zehra] The letter B.
Bezmialem Valide Sultan Mosque.
[nostalgic music playing]
By the sea between Kabataş and Beşiktaş,
the mosque is across from the big gate on Dolmabahçe Palace's watchtower side.
The locals call it Dolmabahçe Mosque" due to its location near the palace.
They call this place your home, Allah.
Is that true?
Can you fit inside a home?
I can't either, don't worry.
I couldn't fit in anywhere,
and took shelter in this Muslim temple built by the Armenian Balyan family.
But I feel like I fit in this city.
I tucked myself in.
Because in this city,
people yell, "To the back of the bus! There's plenty of room!"
Well, even though those people steal my chance to catch up and be on time,
I think I'm holding onto the hopes of those bus drivers.
I'm caught up in the hope that there will always be plenty of room for more.
I'm a little hungry.
And it smells like feet here.
Or am I in a giant bag of chips that smell like feet?
I wish I had something crunchy to eat.
But if I go out now, I can't get back in.
How can this holy place of Allah have limited hours?
I'm glad you were here when I came, Allah.
What? [laughs] Right.
"Nonsense, child. I'm always home," you say?
Or am I going insane?
I told you I was hungry, God.
Anyway.
What's left until morning?
[closing theme music playing]