The Long Way Home

The Long Way Home Information

The Long Way Home () is a 2013 Turkish drama film directed by Alphan E?eli.

Unlike most films about war, which are direct narratives of the glory of the battle or the horror of the war, The Long Way Home focuses our attention on the psychology of its characters, while they are bravely fighting against the harsh weather conditions and hunger in a derelict village (and later, out on the wild mountains) to stay alive, with the only hope of going back home to reunite with the loved ones. Although the misery of war is an ongoing background theme in the movie, the main plot revolves around the characters' will to survive and what must be done sometimes to survive, and makes way for a deeper understanding of the tragedy called "war".

Plot

The Battle of Sarikamish, an engagement between the Russian and Ottoman Empire during World War I, resulted with the defeat of the Ottomans, 90.000 soldiers were martyred. The Eastern Anatolia region happened to be a place of uncertainty and chaos by January 1915. Neither the Russians nor the Ottomans had control over the area. Due to absence of authority, the people were left to their own fate in a battle of survival.

Saci Efendi, who is an officer in Hariciye Nazirligi accompanies Gul Hanim, the wife of the Principal Clerk of Hariciye Nazirligi (equivalent of Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and her daughter, Nihan, on their way to Erzurum. They try to find their way in the terrible winter. On their first night in this deserted village in the middle of nowhere, they realize that they are not alone. Passing through a deserted village in the mountains of East Anatolia, 7 people from different walks of life try to endure the terrible winter conditions as well as starvation while attempting to make their way back to home. ?

Production

Filming

Filming of The Long Way Home took place in Divri?i district of Sivas " a city in Eastern Anatolia - over the course of 35 days. Much like in the movie, shooting the film on location in the winter of 2012, with temperature dropping to -20°C, proved to be a big challenge.

The Long Way Home is also a visually striking movie benefiting from strong use of real locations, with stunning shots of backdrop scenery " mostly, the snow-covered nature.

Music

In composing the score to The Long Way Home, the director hired Hungarian musician Mihály Víg - known for his collaborations with director Béla Tarr on films including The Turin House and Werckmeister Harmonies - to compose and perform the movie's main theme as well as other sweeping musical scores featured in the film.

Influences

"I grew up listening to the stories about my grandfather in the Eastern front of World War I in 1915 from my father, where nearly 90,000 Turkish soldiers froze to death. To tell such an epic story with only seven people was a very tempting and challenging idea for me as a filmmaker," says director Alphan E?eli, and dedicates The Long Way Home in memory of his late grandfather who actually fought against the Russian troops in the Battle of Sarikamis.