About Dry Grasses

2023 3h 17m TR

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 183

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young art teacher hopes to be transferred to Istanbul after completing his mandatory duty in a remote village school in Anatolia. After accusations of inappropriate contact with a student surface, his hopes of escape fade and he descends further into an existential crisis.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Deniz Celiloğlu
Samet
Merve Dizdar
Nuray
Musab Ekici
Kenan
Ece Bağcı
Sevim
Erdem Şenocak
Tolga
Yüksel Aksu
Vahit
Münir Can Cindoruk
Feyyaz
Onur Berk Arslanoğlu
Principal Bekir

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Writers: Akın Aksu, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan
Languages: Turkish
Countries: Turkey, France, Germany, Sweden

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 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 197 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Turkey, France, Germany, Sweden.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Philip Timofeyev. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Deniz Celiloğlu and Merve Dizdar and Musab Ekici carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nuri Bilge Ceylan directs. Kürşat Üresin behind the camera. Philip Timofeyev scores. Oguz Atabas cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Turkey, France, Germany, Sweden. Dialogue in Turkish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 197 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2Shot for just $3.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 3 years ago.
4International production across 4 countries: Turkey, France, Germany, Sweden.
5Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, shot by Kürşat Üresin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Philip Timofeyev. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Oguz Atabas shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Deniz Celiloğlu and Merve Dizdar and Musab Ekici carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt13231544 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kürşat Üresin
Original score: Philip Timofeyev
Editing: Oguz Atabas
Makeup / hair: Fatih Yücel
Sound: Jean-Pierre Laforce
Runtime: 197 min · 3h 17m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,720,000
Original language: TR
IMDB: About Dry Grasses (2023)

Awards

Lumière Award for Best International Co-Production
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress

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

Also by

Nuri Bilge Ceylan

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Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Lachlan Thiele2023-05-28
★ 8/10
INT. BEST SURPRISE OF THE FESTIVAL - DAY When I heard the concept of the film, I'll be honest I wasn't that interested. A young teacher hopes to be appointed to Istanbul after mandatory duty at a small village. After long time waiting he loses all hope of escaping from this gloomy life. However, his colleague Nuray helps him to regain a perspective. But, a moment in this film made me realise I was watching cinema. Thank you, Turkey, for this film. It was a treat! Now time to tally all the times someone called it 'About Dry Glasses.' 2 Hours of gripping drama, the final hour is happy hour from the director. FADE OUT.
joannefilm2024-11-15
★ 10/10
Masterpiece is the only word for this film. Nominated for the 2023 Palm D'Or, Nuri Bilge Ceylan has created an extraordinary film set in the snowy mountains of Turkey. The film explores life in an elementary school in a small village, and the lives of some of the teachers and kids. Sounds innocuous, right? Well, this may be the most powerful study of evil I have ever seen. There's no blood. No onscreen violence. It's all exposed through subtle dialog, spaces between words, and is a deep study of manipulation and power. I'm amazed that Nuri Bilge Ceylan's films win all the film prizes in Turkey given how repressive their regime is. But what he is able to do - as all Master filmmakers do when living in this kind of world - is to translate the world of evil from the halls of government to hallways of a children's school. When evil is expressed quietly and those who could stop it stand aside, the results are devastating to the victims.
joannefilm2024-11-15
★ 10/10
When Master filmmakers live under repressive regimes, they cannot openly criticize the government that requires silence. Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan tells stories set in small villages, and in this case, in an elementary school. But his examination of evil may be the most profound I have ever seen. In this film, evil is not shown committing bloody violence, but using subtle language and actions to destroy people, including children. The film explores how those who would destroy are protected by those who do not have the will to stand up to that evil, even when they can see it clearly. In this film, no one is capable of protecting the victims, many of whom are not even aware of the trauma they are experiencing. Brilliant. Do not miss.