The Edge of Heaven (Auf der anderen Seite), 2007 )Grade B

Director:  Faith Akin
Awards? none known of
Cast: Nurgul; Babi Davrak; Tuncel Kurtz; Hanna Schygulla; Patricia Ziolkowska; Nursel Koses

 sez says: this exploration of the relationship between Turkey and Germany is played out via young people who don't want to live the way people did in the past. They are struggling to make the world different--politically, socially, personally. But the old ways are hard to die. The story is somewhat convoluted and complicated--but it works.

The political activism of a young Turkish woman leads to sorry dealings with The State, The Police, Immigration Officials--meanwhile her comrades are not really her friends. Meanwhile in Germany an old Turkish man forms a relationship with a prostitute -- and his son (the professor) has to try and address the mess that results from his father's actions.  It tuns out that the your Turkish woman-activist is the prostitute's daughter--and with the police on her trail she heads to Germany looking for her mom. What she finds is another young woman student whom she falls in love with. This lesbian couple challenge the old Germany ways but eventually find themselves caught by the police and immigration law take control of their lives. The story is well done having each character seeking changes--both personal and political to address the wrongs that the world delivers.    In the end it is a strangely hopeful story --and the acting is all around  good.  It is not a perfect movie and certainly wouldn't appeal to eveyo9ne--but I found it worth while.