Description:

Kutluğ Ataman, 2014, Turkey/Germany, digital, 87 min.)(In Person: Kutluğ Ataman)

The atmospheric landscape of eastern Anatolia forms the backdrop for this moving and insightful story about a family preparing for the feast that will celebrate the circumcision of their five-year old son. As they struggle to try to get the money together for the traditional centerpiece of the feast, a roasted lamb, the varied motivations and responsibilities of each of the family members emerge. Awarded best film at the 51st International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and the CICAE Art Cinema Panorama best film award at the 64th International Berlin Film Festival.

n collaboration with the Middle East and North African Studies Program and the Keyman Modern Turkish Studies Program, Block Cinema welcomes internationally recognized filmmaker and contemporary artist Kutluğ Ataman to Northwestern University to introduce and discuss two of his feature-length films. Known for his perceptive and incisive reflections on the ever-shifting social, cultural and political climate of contemporary Turkey, Ataman’s films are notable for their strong characterization and exploration of human relationships. The winner of numerous prizes and top awards at major international film festivals, Ataman has made an equally significant impact in the contemporary art world. He won the prestigious Carnegie Prize in 2004, and his works have been exhibited at museums and galleries including the Museum of Modern Art, Tate Britain, and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and at events including dOCUMENTA and the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015.