Burning Days (Kurak Günler)

Directed by Emin Alper (Turkey, 2022, 129 min.).

Emre is a dedicated prosecutor at the beginning of his career when he is appointed to a small town afflicted by a water crisis and political scandals. The young lawyer is initially met with a warm welcome by the townspeople, but he soon finds himself in an increasing number of tense interactions and is reluctantly dragged into local politics. Over time Emre forms a bond with the owner of the local newspaper, but the pressure to get his work done only mounts under heated rumors.

“This handsome, knotty, Chinatown-tinged moral thriller deserves to provide Turkish director Emin Alper with his widest exposure to date.... Compassion is in almost as short supply as water in Emin Alper’s sardonic, seething Un Certain Regard breakout.” —Variety

Watch the trailer.