Piano Girl


Piano Girl is a 2009 Turkish comedy-drama film, directed by Murat Saraçoğlu, starring Tarık Akan and Şerif Sezer as two elderly people forced to question their histories and reveal their big secrets. The film, which went on nationwide general release across Turkey on , was the opening film at the Sinema Burada Film Festival in İzmir, Turkey, and has since been screened in competition at a number of other film festivals, including the 46th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, where, according to Terry Richardson, writing for Today's Zaman, the rapt audience gave it a standing ovation.

Plot

After the Russian '93 War between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, the Molokan community, a part of the Russian nation, are forced to migrate to Kars in eastern Anatolia. Among the migrating families is Mişka's family. Mişka grows old in Kars and now operates the only mill in the village. However, he has to struggle with financial difficulties after modern machines start replacing traditional methods.
In the meantime, the cranky old woman of the village, Popuç, hates Mişka and does not want him in the village. Popuç lives with her son Semistan, daughter-in-law Figan and three grandchildren. However, the smallest and most wayward of her granddaughters, Alma, befriends the old Mişka. Alma will help two elderly people question their histories and reveal their big secrets.

Cast

General release

The film opened in 133 screens across Turkey on at number seven in the Turkish box office chart with an opening weekend gross of $99,761.

Festival screenings

Box office

The film reached number five in the Turkish box office chart and has made a total gross of $614,899.

Reviews

Terry Richardson, writing for Today's Zaman, describes the comic drama as, Entertaining if melodramatic.