North American Premiere
When thirty-something husband and father Salih (Fatih Sönmez) loses his job, his middle-class life with wife Ayşe (Nilay Erdönmez) and six-year-old son Emre (Can Demir) is thrown into jeopardy. In the face of mounting bills and a string of job rejections, he takes the unusual step of joining an app-based motorcycle taxi driving service. But when his bike, named Rosinante, one day goes mysteriously missing, the family starts to run out of options.
Directed by first-time filmmaker Baran Gündüzalp, Rosinante charmingly updates Vittorio De Sica’s classic Bicycle Thieves to modern-day Istanbul, with the harsh realities of post-war Italy traded for the crippling cost-of-living crisis in Erdoğan’s Turkey. Featuring a deft mix of domestic drama and absurdist comedy, not to mention a welcome emphasis on everyday finances, the film is at once a touching portrait of a family under pressure and a joyous but realistic exploration of contemporary urban life.
Community Partner
Nilay Erdönmez, Fatih Sönmez, Can Demir
Turkey
2023
In Turkish with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Deniz Yeşilgün, Baran Gündüzalp
Screenwriter
Deniz Yeşilgün, Baran Gündüzalp
Cinematography
Arda Yıldıran
Editor
İsmet Araç
Art Director
Levent Uçma
Baran Gündüzalp
Baran Gündüzalp graduated from the Communication Arts Department of Anadolu University in 2004. His short films were shown in Turkey’s most prestigious festivals between 2008 and 2018. His debut feature Rosinante had its world premiere at the 36th Tokyo Film Festival in 2023. It won the Best Screenplay Award at the 4th Annaba Film Festival and the Best Film Award at the 22nd Ischia Film Festival held in Italy.
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