Tania Martins

 

SLEEPING PRINCESS is about Aziz, a librarian with a permanent smile on his lips who lives with his childhood friend, Necet. A young girl and her mother move upstairs and Aziz takes an interest in the mother, Secil, which she readily rebuffs. As her ex-boyfriend finds out where she has moved to, he decides to get an explanation for her walking out on him; an argument ensues and Gizem, the young girl, ends up hitting her head and slipping into a coma. Whilst the girl is in a coma, Aziz decides to continue with her journal and grant her her three wishes: meet her favourite band, Redd, take the old man at the bus stop wherever he wants to go and that her mother likes Aziz. Aziz tries his hardest to make all her wishes come true. 

 

 

The film weaves a sweet tale of life and love mixed in with animation sequences, special effects, live performance and lots of cinema verite camera work. It is an interesting film that held the audience's attention throughout. You can't help but empathise with Aziz from the first few minutes and you grow closer to him as the film goes on. The mother seems quite unpleasant at the beginning, but then we learn to understand her.

Aziz's housemate, Necet and his paring with the old man in the bus stop (Genco Erkal) provide the comic relief. 

An interesting first film to begin the festival and for a complete novice to Turkish cinema.