INCIR REÇELI - FIG JAM

Director: Aytaç Agirlar
Writer: Aytaç Agirlar
Stars: Sezai Paracikoglu, Melike Güner and Selim Akgul
Original title: Incir Reçeli (Fig jam)

On a night of despair after being turned down continuously for the scripts he writes, Metin ends up in a bar where he meets a girl named Duygu. After spending the night together, she walks out in the morning before he wakes up and leaves only a short note. The next time they meet, Metin becomes curious about her secret and decides to follow her. What he finds out will be the beginning of an everlasting love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bol6YsnPcGw

ASK YOUR HEART

Director: Yusuf Kurçenli
Writer: Yusuf Kurçenli
Stars:Tuba Büyüküstün, Kenan Ece and Hakan Eratik
Original title: Yüregine sor (Ask Your Heart)

Hundred years ago two young people of different faiths became victims of the law of their time. Mustafa's family had to hide they were Christians, to cope with statutory obligations of the Ottoman Empire. Two young people had to hide their love over high mountains behind the clouds. When the clouds scattered the secret that had been hidden for centuries was revealed. Social conditions are stronger than their love. In order to stand up for their love, they will need to become legends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kchjpf_0Evk 

A Muslim Turkish woman (Esma) falls in love with a Christian man (Mustafa). Esma, however, does not know the real identity of Mustafa, since he and his entire family pretend to be Muslims. The film tells us a love story of these young villagers in the mountains of the Black Sea at the end of the 19th century. Let’s read the background of the film from its official website at askyourheartmovie.com“Some of the Greeks living in the highlands of Trabzon/Maçka and Gümüşhane; hard to reach remote villages such as Krom, Yağlıdere, Stavri, Zigana, Santa, Torul, had to show themselves as Muslims, mainly to avoid paying heavy taxes. They were forced to convert to Islam in the 17th century but as they kept their faith in Christianity secretly, they are known in history as hidden/Cryptic Christians.Hidden Christians had two names (one Muslim and one Christian); they had their children baptized; they married into the real Christian or Muslim families. The marriage ceremony was seemingly in accordance with the Islamic traditions, but at night there was a secret Christian marriage ceremony as well. It was difficult for them to have their children baptized because there was no priest in most of the villages.”

THE OTHERS - LOS OTROS

During this month, we should watch the Spanish movie Los Otros - The others.

It is a very interesting movie, maybe you cannot learn from it about Spanish customs or culture, but you can really know how it is possible for an Spanish director and technical team to prepare a very well done and imaginative movie. Post a comment once you have watched it and tell us your opinion about the movie. Los otros (2001) The others 101 min - Drama | Mystery | Thriller - 7 September 2001 (Spain) Director: Alejandro Amenábar Writer: Alejandro Amenábar Stars: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston and Fionnula Flanagan Synopsis A woman named Grace retires with her two children to a mansion on Jersey, towards the end of the Second World War, where she's waiting for her husband to come back from battle. The children have a disease which means they cannot be touched by direct sunlight without being hurt in some way. They will live alone there with oppressive, strange and almost religious rules, until she needs to hire a group of servants for them. Their arrival will accidentally begin to break the rules with unexpected consequences. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230600/?ref_=fn_al_tt_7

Customs and festivities in San Clemente

Here is a video introducing to the customs, songs, dance, religion and festivities in San Clemente. There is also a short description of the most beautiful old-houses in our town.

Our trip to Turkey

In this post we will be posting a series of visual maps where you'll see all our trip to Turkey. You will be able to see what you will be doing in each moment of our trip with images and comments about it.

We hope you enjoy it with our european friends.

Day 1 - Traveling to Gümüshane from San Clemente

Better in full screen

Last day - Traveling to San Clemente from Gümüshane

Verlo en Animaps

PREPARING OUR TRIP TO TURKEY!!!

After having had very well-deserved holidays, we are here again, just looking forward to meeting again in Turkey.

The Turkish team has prepared a very well planified schedule, so we will be very busy in Turkey, you can look at the program here.

Here you can see one of the things we will visit:

Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii - The Way I Spent the End of the World (2006), Romania

During this month, if it is possible with the classes we will watch the following Romanian movie:

Director:  Catalin Mitulescu
Writers: Catalin Mitulescu and Andreea Valean
Stars: Doroteea Petre (Best actress prize in Cannes 2006), Timotei Duma and Anca Ahrfrescu
Bucharest 1989 - the last year of Ceausecu's dictatorship. Eva lives with her parents and her 7 year old brother, Lalalilu. One day at school, Eva and her boyfriend accidentally break a bust of Ceausescu. They are forced to confess their crime before a disciplinary committee and Eva is expelled from school and transferred to a reformatory establishment. There she meets Andrei, and decides to escape Romania with him. Lalalilu becomes convinced that Ceausescu is the main reason for Eva's decision to leave. So with his friends from school he devises a plan to kill the dictator