As part of his compulsory service, Samet (Celioglu) is teaching in a public school in East Anatolia. Restless and somewhat detached, he seems to be marking time till he can get transferred to Istanbul. He favors a precocious young female student named Sevim (Bagci), which fuels rumors of favoritism. Samet also meets the beautiful Nuray (Dizdar), but only shows an interest in her when she starts dating his friend and colleague Kenan (Ekiai). Events conspire to make a long, restless winter much worse for Samet.

Don’t let the long runtime put you off from this brilliant film from master director Ceylan.  Over these three-plus hours, we follow a drama that unfolds gradually but gathers force, and via the film’s stark, stunning cinematography, also inhabit this remote corner of Turkey where long, claustrophobic winters can feel like a prison sentence. Lead actor Celioglu is superb as Samet, a misguided soul who feels cut out for better things and manipulates those around him, largely out of frustration and boredom.  The rest of the cast is equally strong, particularly Dizdar as Nuray, who finally sees right through him. Samet’s comeuppance feels fully earned. Don’t miss this atmospheric, densely layered drama from Turkey.