Turkey, 2002, Nuri Bilge Ceylan

“Distant is an arthouse film par excellence, a consummately made study of loneliness and frustration…[It] is in the best tradition of serious, elegantly made Euro cinema, assembled with pristine professionalism.” So wrote Variety about the 2002 breakout work of Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who went on to win the Best Director prize at Cannes for Three Monkeys in 2008 and the Palme d’Or for Winter Sleep in 2014. Produced, directed, written, shot, and co-edited by Ceylan, the profoundly beautiful (think Antonioni and Angelopoulos), wryly funny Distant focuses on Mahmut, a lonely and melancholy Istanbul photographer shattered by his ex-wife’s decision to move to Canada with her new husband. Things get worse when his gauche, dreamy, unemployed younger cousin from the sticks, Yusuf, comes to live with him while searching for work. The actors who play Mahmut and Yusuf shared the Best Actor prize at Cannes 2003. Cleveland revival premiere. Subtitles. Restored DCP. 110 min. Special admission $11; members, CIA & CSU I.D. holders, and those age 25 & under $8. No passes or twofers. http://www.bigworldpictures.org/films/distant/index.html