Beraber

Belonging

14-year-old Zeki struggles with the recent loss of his mother. His life is turned upside down again when his father Mahir decides to move from Rotterdam to Istanbul. Zeki and Mahir come to live in a luxurious gated community, sealed off from the city by high walls. While Mahir goes to his work at the bank to work every day, Zeki has to spend the rest of his summer holidays in the compound. In his desire for freedom, he decides to climb over the wall and explore the city on the other side while freerunning.
Zeki ends up in a varoş, a poor neighbourhood, and befriends Kemal and a group of street kids who spend their days pickpocketing. Zeki is soon included in the merry group but out of fear of losing their friendship, he conceals the fact that he lives in the posh gated community. Kemal’s best friend Cihan becomes jealous when he notices that Kemal and Zeki are getting closer every day. Zeki starts actively participating in pickpocketing himself and has to twist and turn to keep his two lives apart. When Cihan discovers where Zeki lives, Zeki refuses to admit who he really is and tries to prove that he really belongs to the children of the varoş.

Year
2023

Director(s)
Mete Gümürhan

Screenwriter(s)
Chris Westendorp

Producer(s)
Stienette Bosklopper (Circe Films, NL) Maarten Swart (Kaap Holland Film, NL) Co-Producer: Nadir Öperli (Liman Film, TR) Dries Phlypo (A Private View, BE) Aydin Dehzad, Bas Broertjes (Kaliber Film, NL) Martien Vlietman (VPRO, NL)

DOP
Stephan Polman

Cast
Alihan Sahin, Hayat van Eck, Lorin Merhart, Mina Demirtaş, Sinan Eroglu & others

Nominations

2023 Selection Sarajevo Film Festival – In Focus
2023 Selection Netherlands Film Festival
2023 Selection Anatolian Film Festival
2023 Selection Cinekid Film Festival – Best Dutch Children’s Film
2023 Selection Cinekid Film Festival – Best Youth Film

2024 Selection Kristiansand festival