This is one of those superb festival films that takes us somewhere we've never been, and probably have no real interest in going. But we're glad we took the journey. The characters are real people, and director-writer Ustaoglu creates a film that looks so authentic that we feel like we've actually been there. As Mehmet is wrongfully accused by the all-powerful police and then branded a criminal, we travel with him. Yes, it's a very political film; the Turkish authorities can't be terribly happy about its portrayal of a society that's fundamentally unjust. These young people just want to live without religious, social or political prejudice. According to this film, that will require a long, arduous journey for everyone.