Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

A closer look at the story

A small convoy of cars winds across the Anatolian steppe after dark, following a murder suspect who has promised to lead them to a buried body. Prosecutor Nusret, police chief Naci, a group of gendarmes and the young doctor Cemal must rely on the hazy memories of the suspect, Kenan, and every hillside starts to look like the last one. As the hours pass, the search becomes an occasion for the men to talk about their own lives, regrets and the stories they tell themselves. Scripted by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ercan Kesal and Ebru Ceylan and directed by Ceylan, the 2011 film stars Muhammet Uzuner, Yılmaz Erdoğan and Taner Birsel in a patient drama that uses a police procedure to look closely at people.