Edge of Night | Gecenin Kiyisi by Türker Süer (2024)

Edge of Night | Gecenin Kiyisi by Türker Süer (2024)

Production Country: Germany, Türkiye

Duration:85'

Directed by: Türker Süer[1]

Script: Türker Süer

Cinematography: Matteo Cocco

Editing: Rainer Nigrelli

Sound: Hasan Can Kaya

Music: Ozan Tekin

Actors: Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Berk Hakman

Production:MFP GmbH, Liman Film

Producers: Viola Fügen, Michael Weber, Nadir Öperli

Co-production:WDR, ARTE

Production Design: Meral Efe Yurtseven, Yunus Emre Yurtseven

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production companies: MFP, Liman Film

International sales: The Match Factory, info@matchfactory.de

Edge of Night - The Match Factory

Sinan, a lieutenant in the Turkish army, is tasked with escorting his brother, who is also an officer, to face military court. This mission feels like the ultimate test of obedience for Sinan, especially since the disgraceful discharge and tragic end of their father still cast a shadow over his otherwise spotless career prospects. However, things take a dangerous turn when, during the transfer, Turkey plunges into a night of deep political unrest and turmoil. With the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, as its backdrop, debut director Türker Süer crafts a mature thriller that draws comparisons to Michael Mann’s cinema. In the world of Edge of Night, even the bright daylight can’t dispel the darkness of uncertainty, where every decision could turn into a catastrophic mistake. A film deeply rooted in the 1980s aesthetics, complete with an evocative and haunting soundtrack.

[1] Türker Süer studied directing and screenwriting at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, Germany. During this time, he directed several short films, which were shown at international and national festivals. His graduation short, Brüder (Brothers), was nominated for the First Steps Award and the Max Ophüls Prize, among other awards, and received praise from the German Board of Film Recommendation (FBW) as “highly recommended.” He participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus and received a six-month scholarship at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. His feature film debut,

Edge of Night, starring Ahmet Rıfat Şungar and Berk Hakman, was selected at Venice IFF Orizzonti for the world premiere, and at the Toronto International Film Festival for its North American premiere.

Filmography

2006 Shaving Hacke (short doc, co-direction)

2010 The Best Father Ever (short)

2012 Brothers (short)

2024 Edge of Night

REVIEW

‘Edge Of Night’: Hamburg Review

By Boyd van Hoeij30 September 2024

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A confident debut from Cologne-born director Türker Süer marks the director out as a talent to watch

 

EdgeOfNight1_©MatteoCocco

 

Source: Matteo Cocco

 

‘Edge Of Night’

 

Dir/scr: Türker Süer. Germany/Turkey. 2024. 85mins

 

Two estranged brothers from Turkey find themselves on opposing sides in Edge Of Night, the confident debut feature from Cologne-born director Türker Süer. A socio-political parable posing as a military thriller, at least for its first hour, this strikingly shot drama is a solid calling card for Süer. The German-Turkish coproduction premiered at Venice before screening at Toronto and is having its local bow at Hamburg. It should prove itself to be an in-demand title for showcases spotlighting new talent.

 

This strikingly shot drama is a solid calling card for Süer

 

When we first meet Sinan (Ahmet Rifat Sungar, from Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys and The Wild Pear Tree), he is a seemingly poker-faced lieutenant in the Turkish army. The institution is portrayed as both self-important and cold — think shots of long, empty yet ornate corridors — as well as slightly absurd and pointless (echoes of Mahmut Fazil Coskun’s 2017 tragicomedy The Announcement, about a fictional coup in Turkey).

 

The very serious Sinan is bossed around by those in charge and is asked to accompany a soldier to a military court that is a long drive away. The man in question assaulted a colleague before trying to flee the country. The twist, revealed early on, is that the detainee is Kenan (Berk Hakman, from Emin Alper’s Beyond The Hill), Sinan’s estranged brother.

 

Though this is not exactly a Cain and Abel narrative, there is a lot of friction between the siblings. This has to do with their shared history which is revealed over the course of the narrative – though mainly from Sinan’s point-of-view, as Süer privileges a perspective close to his protagonist. (The drama could have benefitted, especially in its early going, from a more even-keeled approach.) The main bone of contention is how they perceive their duties towards their fatherland and their actual father, a military man who committed suicide years earlier to get out of a long prison sentence. Sinan had a part in his father’s conviction, as he did what he thought was right for the country rather than his family. The irony is that this is a value that their father had instilled in his offspring – though Kenan has another view of things.

 

The family drama is fascinating, especially because Süer, who also wrote the screenplay, deftly uses often minimalistic dialogue to explore the crevices and contradictions of the men’s opposing viewpoints. But this isn’t only a family drama. As they travel through the dark Turkish night, a coup occurs at the highest level of government, throwing events into a tailspin. (The film is set in July 2016, at the time of a real-life coup attempt by a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces). Who do soldiers respond to when the hierarchy becomes unclear? Is it even possible to reach the military court or a military base that’s closer to the protagonists?

 

The coup, which occurs mostly offscreen, overlays the family drama with a political one, and throws into high relief how Sinan and Kenan have displayed very different coping mechanisms as they have tried to keep their heads above water in a rigid hierarchy in an increasingly undemocratic country. Why risk your life for an institution that doesn’t seem to care about yours?

 

Working with Italian cinematographer Matteo Cocco, Süer shows an impressive sense of mise-en-scene and spatial choreography that helps to tell the story visually. Ozan Tekin’s electronic score is atmospheric and builds tension, especially in the more intense first hour which plays like a thriller. If the remaining 25 minutes are less intense they are thematically the richest, as the complex relationship between the siblings further crystallises and Edge Of Night’s thematic interests come to the fore.