‘My Father’s Violin’ : Movie Review
‘My Father’s Violin’ is a Turkish movie directed by Andac Haznedaroglu, which stars Gulizar, Nisa Uray, Engin Altan Duzyatan and Belcim Bilgin. The film was released on Netflix in Jan 2022.
The movie is so poignantly beautiful that it leaves you with a lump in your throat that takes a long time to dissolve.
It begins with the shot of a little red-haired girl, about seven or eight years old, dancing with abandon, to a live folk song, with music played by street musicians. There is one vocalist, and three other men, one young, but the other three, past middle age. The girl sings along and dances, and then walks around the ring of enthusiastic spectators with a hat into which she collects their generous offerings. Half way through, a whistle blows and they pick up their things and run away, pursued by the cops.
Later, sitting in a restaurant, the girl asks the father, “Daddy, why do they chase us when we are performing on the streets?”
And he answers, after a beat, and a pause, “That’s because they are afraid of us!” The lass takes time to digest that, and then, “Why?” For answer, the father, Ali Riza picks up his violin and plays an achingly haunting tune that causes other patrons in the restaurant to look around in surprised delight. “Because they can’t do this,” he says.
But Ali riza is unwell, and he knows he has not much time left. So he goes to his wealthy, successful brother, and meets him after one of the latter’s performances. There is darkness in their relationship, secret pain, and unanswered questions. ‘Can you look after my daughter Ozlem, when I go?” he asks Mehmet, the world-famous violinist. “No,” says Mehmet. “You left me. Why should I help you?” Out of his pocket, Ali Riza fishes out an old, much-thumbed photo of two young boys, and hands it to his younger brother, still standing aloof. It was his trump card. But Mehmet looks at it and gives it back. “That is yours,” he says, and then cruelly, “I threw mine away.”
Ali Riza takes it back with a sigh, more broken and bent than he was, before he met his brother.
Mehmet walks away to his swanky car, and returns to his mansion of a home, in an affluent neighbourhood, where his elegant, charming wife, Suna awaits him.
I can not relate the rest of the story, without being a spoiler. The movie goes on with these sensitively delineated characters, their joy and sorrow, songs and tears, darkness and light. But at the heart of all of it, is a love that transcends everything.
I loved the movie for the plotline, the minimal dialogues, the sensitive and skillful character delineation and the superb acting. I loved it because it is not the superficial, or over-the-top story that depends on special effects and exaggerated stock characters in black and white parody to apparently, set the cash registers ringing.
This movie is subtle and soulful. The characters are not afraid to laugh or cry, or sing, or love, completely and whole heartedly.
Watch ‘My Father’s Violin’ to help us remember that at the heart of everything and everyone, is love. That every relationship goes out of kilter when we block or dam the flow of love. That the energy that emanates from that love can be both healing and life-affirming.
Thank you for reading.
Have a love-filled day.
