About Dry Grasses

'About Dry Grasses', directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan and co-written by Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan and Ak?n Aksu, stands as a milestone of Turkish cinema of the year 2023. Starring Deniz Celilo?lu, Merve Dizdar and Musab Ekici, this film premiered in competition in the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in 2023 and was selected as the Turkish candidate in the best international film category at the 2024 Oscars.

The plot of 'About Dry Grasses' follows Samet, a young teacher in his last year of service in a remote Anatolian village , as he awaits his transfer to Istanbul. However, his fate changes when he and his friend Kenan face accusations of harassment from two students. In the midst of desperation, an encounter with Nuray, also a teacher, could offer Samet a way out of the darkness that seems to surround him.

Filming, which began in March 2021 in Erzurum and also included nature shots in Ad?yaman, was supervised by cinematographers Kür?at Üresin and Cehavir ?ahin. The film received significant financial backing of €470,000 from the European Council's Eurimages fund, as well as the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with a joint production by ARTE France and TRT. It is Ceylan's ninth feature film and tenth overall. He co-wrote the script with his wife Ebru Ceylan and Ak?n Aksu; They also co-wrote Ceylan's previous film, 'The Wild Pear Tree' (2018).