Dutch premiere of the 2026 Berlinale main prize winner: a powerful portrait of love, resistance, and intellectual repression in contemporary Turkey, following two artists forced into exile within their own country after being purged for their political beliefs.
Aziz, a theater director and professor at the University of Ankara, receives the “yellow letter” informing him of his dismissal. When his wife Derya, a renowned actress, receives the same letter, it becomes the final blow for the couple. Their dismissal is the result of their political views, which have placed them under government scrutiny. Together with their daughter, they move to Istanbul to live with Aziz’s mother. Balancing this new and difficult situation with their political convictions will put their marriage to the test, exposing the intimate human cost of authoritarianism.
After the film we are joined by the Dutch-Turkish filmmaker Meral Uslu to comment on the film and the topics it touches upon.
The Rode Tulp Film Festival – RTFF is an annual Turkish film festival in the Netherlands. With a diverse program, the festival showcases the richness and diversity of cinema from Turkey and the region: from inspiring arthouse feature films and documentaries to short films and children’s films.
Speakers
Running time: 127 minutes
Year: 2026
Country of origin: Germany, Turkey, France
Language: Turkish
Subtitles: English
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After the screening: in conversation with Marco De Stefanis on the Armenian elections
