ELEPHANTS AND GRASS

ELEPHANTS AND GRASS, 2000

Turkey | Betacam, Color, 115’ | Turkish

Cast: Ali Sürmeli, Sanem Çelik, Bülent Kayabaş, Haluk Bilginer, Uğur Polat

There is a hitch in the flow of bribes paid regularly to a minister who is protected against the Intelligence Agency by a gang. The cash doesn’t reach the minister and is used instead to buy cocaine from Colombia. The minister, who protects a casino in return for money, immediately takes action to solve the situation. Meanwhile, the casino officials, who have also hired an underground organization for protection, are sponsoring Havva, a girl who dreams of winning the Eurasia Marathon. In an atmosphere of violence and corruption, things get more and more complicated.

“From minister, mafia leader, hit man, and courier to chief of police and civil servant, Zaim seamlessly incorporates into his film, as if thrusting it under our eyes, every person and organization trying to dig Turkey’s grave. For Turkish cinema, Elephants and Grass is a show of mastery in the genre of political cinema.”- Murat Özer