A Run for Money

A Run for Money, 1999

Turkey, 35mm, Color, 100’
Cast: Taner Birsel, Zuhal Gencer Erkaya, Engin Alkan, Sermet Yeşil, Bülent Emin Yarar

Selim, who owns a shirt shop and leads an ordinary life, and his wife Ayla get hold of a large amount of money. The money also affects their neighbor Nihal, a divorced woman who lives on the basement floor with her mother and whose only connection to the outside world is television. The big money that enters their small lives leads to a small crime and a big tragedy.A Run for Money represented Turkey at the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

“Taner Birsel does a great job as Selim, the main character seen in almost every frame of A Run for Money. The slow transformation of his character –a dream for any actor– is highly impressive. Selim is an extremely serious and very honest man; virtually a straight arrow…. When, out of a sudden, he unintentionally finds himself the owner of five hundred thousand dollars that were obviously obtained dishonestly… Will the money take control or will Selim’s honesty prevail?” – Sevin Okyay