Salvation

In a remote village in eastern Turkey, the community is divided into two parts due to a decades-old land dispute. The Hazerans live in the upper part of the village, while the Bezaris once inhabited the lower part but were forced into exile. After their return, rumors begin to spread that the Bezaris intend to steal the Hazerans’ land. While the Hazeran leader, Sheikh Ferit, advocates calm, compromise, and coexistence, his troubled brother Mesut takes a different path. Haunted by nightmares he interprets as prophetic visions, Mesut convinces the Hazerans that the salvation of one side can only be achieved through the complete eradication of the other. The villagers respond enthusiastically to this idea, driven by a sense of grievance and righteous anger, and seeing themselves as defenders of their land rather than those claiming it at the expense of their neighbours. Although the film’s story is based on real events, Emin Alper deliberately blurs the boundaries between dream and reality and combines realistic elements with a highly stylised aesthetic, creating a timeless narrative with strong contemporary resonance. The film received the Grand Jury Prize at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.