Salvation

There is Upper Pingan and Lower Pingan, two parts of a Turkish mountain village separated by more than just a difference in altitude. Years ago, a hostile clan was driven out of the village, but now they have returned to the lower part of the village. The people in the higher part are certainly not happy about this. And then there is the National Guard, which regularly patrols the area due to a terrorist threat. Amidst all this unrest, village chief Ferit tries to keep the community together. Even when the situation threatens to escalate, he continues to urge calm. His brother Mesut, who is tormented by visionary nightmares which he himself regards as divine warnings, openly questions Ferit’s approach. The call for tough action is growing ever louder.

Religious beliefs, power struggles and mistrust are poisoning the atmosphere in this small village, but in this drama, director Emin Alper clearly shows that it is these very same destructive mechanisms that can also destabilise an entire society. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize, Berlinale, 2026.