High school years can be some of the best of your life or the worst: for many who survive, it’s something in between. In the film Not Knowing (Bilmemek), 17-year-old Umut (Emir Ozden) is intelligent and studious – getting ready to take his university entrance exams – somewhat reserved yet happy. Enjoying being on the school’s water polo team, he’s hoping to win a sports scholarship in the US.
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On the surface, his middle-class, Turkish home life seems almost perfect. Mother Selma (Senan Kara) works as a doctor in a public hospital; dad Sinan’s (Yurdaer Okur) is an engineer for a large shipping firm. The audience sees cracks almost immediately, though, beginning with his parent’s marriage. Sinan’s indifferent to his wife and a chauvinist, treating her like chattel in front of their son. He’s under constant pressure at his job and has money worries. Subsequently, his drinking increases. Both may be having affairs.
The bottom falls out of Umut’s world after he comes to the aid of a teen being beaten up. A teammate has taken a photo of the moment compassionate Umut is comforting the young man, cradling his face. It looks as if the two will kiss, but we don’t see if that happens. Rumours soon swirl around the pool. In the locker room, Umut’s asked if he’s a “f****t” and confronted with the ‘evidence’ on the teammate’s mobile. The young man refuses to dignify the question with an answer, and each time this group demands a response, he refuses to comply or apologise. The players soon gather the rest of the squad on their side and ostracise him.
His parents are too preoccupied with their lives and careers to notice something is wrong. Sinan especially pressures his only child to stay on the team for the scholarship. The torment and harassment get worse, turning physical in the pool. Our protagonist receives abusive texts at all hours and is pushed into the deep end mentally.
Director/writer Leyla Yilmaz has crafted a sensitive yet slowly harrowing film with her second feature, first released in 2019. With her camera, she says she didn’t want viewers to know everything about the characters. We don’t discover if husband and wife are cheating on each other, see all the messages and photos Umut is bombarded with, or learn if he’s gay or not. (Perhaps he doesn’t know himself.) Yilmaz reserves the right to give us this information conveying everything isn’t everyone’s business, and we shouldn’t judge. She shows how prevalent and intrusive social media has become and how destructive it can be, along with homophobia and bullying. The stars are accomplished and believable as a family, and in the final scene of Not Knowing, I think we do know.
Not Knowing (Bilmemek) was shown as part of the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival 2021, held in Cardiff for its 15th year during October. It’s available to watch online until the end of the month. More info: here
Dir: Leyla Yilmaz (95 mins)
words RHONDA LEE REALI
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