Two films are presented: Stronger Than Me, the story of a young man with Tourette’s syndrome, and Yellow Letters, a Turkish drama about the repression of intellectuals. Two stories of struggle, commitment, and resistance.
He highlights the specific tone of British cinema, capable of addressing sensitive themes without pathos. The film is based on a true story, translated into fiction, to better bring out its characters: “This is the ability to start with something quite tragic since Tourette’s syndrome is someone who cannot help but say insanities, especially when stressed, and therefore in the most impossible situations.“
The first scene illustrates this constant tension between drama and discomfort: “At the beginning of the film, he receives a medal from the Queen and insults the Queen of England.”
Peter Mullan plays an essential mentor in this story, carried by a striking performance from the lead actor. The journalist insists: “The actor’s performance is absolutely exceptional.“
He also mentions the effect on the viewer, torn between laughter, anger, and compassion: “If you like moving films that make you laugh sometimes, you will be thrilled because the situation is terrible, but it works because the British know how to tell this kind of story perfectly.“
The second film presented, Yellow Letters, delves into a completely different context: contemporary Turkey and the repression of intellectuals. The journalist explains: “Yellow letters, these famous yellow warning letters that Turkish intellectuals receive under the regime of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan even today.“
The film, recently awarded in Berlin, was not able to be filmed in Turkey. A significant detail appears from the credits: “When listing the actors, it is also indicated that the cities of Istanbul and Ankara are played by Hamburg and Berlin.“
The story follows a university professor and an actress, faced with the loss of their jobs and exile. The main issue is resistance against an authoritarian regime. The journalist emphasizes: “The question is, how far do we go when we want to fight against a regime, economically, within a couple, with fractures, oppositions, how far can we fight?“
He also highlights the director’s commitment and his way of filming social tensions: “The director had previously made The Teacher’s Lounge, which told the teacher’s sufferings nowadays. Now, he tells the story of Turkish society in general, and it is a great political film.”
Biopic (GB) directed by Kirk Jones starring Robert Aramayo, Peter Mullan, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson
In the 1980s, John Davidson grows up with Tourette’s syndrome, a still largely unknown condition. Between misunderstanding, stigma, and determination, his initially obstacle-ridden journey transforms into a fight to be recognized for who he is, beyond prejudices.
Turkish drama directed by Ilker Catak starring Ozgu Namal, Tansu Bicak
A professor at Ankara University, Aziz receives the “yellow letter” arbitrarily signifying his dismissal. When his wife Derya, a renowned actress at the national theatre, also receives it, it is a devastating blow for the couple. Condemned for their ideas, they are forced to seek refuge in Istanbul at Aziz’s mother’s house. The compromise between this new precarity and their political commitment will test their marriage.
