THE PIGEON is an intrinsically detailed, minimalist film focusing on one boy’s transition from a quiet life of bird-keeping to a confrontation with the realities of working life. Director Banu Sivaci takes viewers on a humbling journey through the Adana slums of Turkey, where life prospers within the small urban community, but protagonist Yusuf struggles to fit in.
Kemel Burak, who plays Yusuf, captures the emotiveness of youth, and the small pleasures we derive from the simple things in life. His persona is generally muted and subdued, but his wavering temper is expelled during heated moments. His family are not overly accepting of his lifestyle: the older members of the community demand a strong work ethic and a conventional morality. Burak’s performance as Yusuf demonstrates the power of positive vulnerability and rebellion in the face of toxic masculinity.
The film opens on the birth of Maverdi, Yusuf’s beloved pigeon, as he tentatively peels from his shell and strokes into the cold light of the world. There is something to be said for this Cinematographer Arda Yildiran captures moment, the minute size of the egg signifying beautiful aerial views of one individual’s life, the tentative fragility of our world. on the roof of a single house, in the slums of a town. THE PIGEON does not break down We are introduced to the family home, and barriers, but instead carries an interesting Yusuf’s isolated rooftop where he spends narrative of examining societal expectations, day and night. This bizarre, yet endearing the defiance of tradition over passion and the sanctuary provides a haven for the birds who contentment of sitting in the bare ruins of diligently return each evening after their a rooftop, with just the companionship of a release. Yusuf sleeps between woven blankets bird. next to the crackling of an open fire, his cosy nest contrasting with the crumbling paint on - Elle Haywood the walls and the miscellaneous junk littered THE PIGEON screens at Emma College on the across the rooftop. 26th October at 21.15 and the Picturehouse on 31st October at 10.00am.
The Pigeon directed by Banu Sivaci
