Distant

2002 1h 46m TR

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 269

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young man from rural Turkey arrives in Istanbul with dreams of working on a ship and stays with a cousin while he searches for work. Over time, the former’s struggles to find employment and the latter’s troubles and disappointments strain their relationship and living situation.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Muzaffer Özdemir
Mahmut
Mehmet Emin Toprak
Yusuf
Zuhal Gencer
Nazan (as Zuhal Gencer Erkaya)
Nazan Kesal
Lover (as Nazan Kırılmış)
Feridun Koç
Janitor
Fatma Ceylan
Mother
Ebru Ceylan
Woman (as Ebru Yapıcı)
Bahattin Serter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Writers: Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Cemil Kavukçu
Languages: Turkish
Countries: Turkey

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 5

ERA

Did you know

Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 5

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, shot by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 5

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nuri Bilge Ceylan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 5

CAST

Did you know

Muzaffer Özdemir and Mehmet Emin Toprak and Zuhal Gencer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 5

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0346094 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nuri Bilge Ceylan directs. Nuri Bilge Ceylan behind the camera. Nuri Bilge Ceylan cuts. Produced in Turkey. Dialogue in Turkish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 24 years ago.
2Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, shot by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Nuri Bilge Ceylan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Muzaffer Özdemir and Mehmet Emin Toprak and Zuhal Gencer carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0346094 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Editing: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Status: Released
Box office: $767,337
Original language: TR
IMDB: Distant (2002)

Awards

Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

griggs792025-03-28
★ 6/10
Uzak struck me as a quiet, contemplative look at loneliness—not just being alone, but that more profound kind of isolation you can feel even when someone’s right there. I admired Ceylan’s direction: those long, still shots, the wintry mood, the way silence does most of the talking. Muzaffer Özdemir felt totally believable as Mahmut—stuck in his routines, emotionally bottled up—while Mehmet Emin Toprak brought this quiet sadness to his role that stayed with me. I appreciated the craft and atmosphere but never entirely connected with it emotionally. Beautifully made, just a little too distant for me.

Production companies