One woman. An entire tribe's toxic traditions. And a law degree she's not afraid to use.
Şara was born and raised in Istanbul, is a law student in her final year, and is an educated tribal girl. She learns that her father, whom she has never met, is seriously ill and goes to her hometown to see him. At first, her family, tribe, and step-siblings are prejudiced against her and avoid her, but she later establishes a good dialogue with them and wins their affection. Thanks to her education, she will educate and raise awareness among the people there. However, this requires a difficult struggle. According to tribal customs, girls are not entitled to inheritance, so after her father's death, her uncles demand that Şara renounce her inheritance, but she refuses. By resisting the injustices committed against defenseless, uneducated women and girls, she finds herself face to face with death. Through her education and love, she will single-handedly defy an entire tribe, shatter their traditions, and bring them to their knees.
Acting
Mine Çayıroğlu carries the film with quiet, burning determination.
Direction
Orhan Oğuz captures rural Turkey's suffocating beauty and claustrophobia.
Director
Orhan Oğuz
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film dramatizes real Turkish inheritance laws that were finally reformed in 2001, two years after release, making Şara's fight eerily prescient.
Mine Çayıroğlu was primarily a theater actress; Şara became her definitive screen role precisely because she understood the rhythm of sustained, dialogue-heavy confrontation.
TR
