Son Sarki – Ahmet’in Türküsü (2024)

Of the most important Turkish singers, Ahmet Kaya has sold millions of albums in the past, his songs still attracts millions of people today. In an occasion in which he was presented the award of ‚the Artist of the Year‘, he was socially lynched upon his announcement of his intention to release an album which will include a song in Kurdish as well, and he had to go to self-exile in Paris in 1999. ‚Last song‘ narrates the story of the artist who dies while he was in exile, in a fantastic way, based on a fictious journey of him. The films starts with him meeting a young women in his 30’s (Mahur) during his hard and lonely days in Paris. Once Ahmet learns that she actually intends to do a docu-drama about him, the reluctant artist keeps a strict distance to her; however an unexpected news of 1999 earthquake changes the whole story Ahmet has serious legal risks to return to Turkey. But he was determined. He makes his mind. He is going to return back to Istanbul at whatever it costs. And the only viable option was to drive; and in this journey, he will have a company: Mahur Their journey back to Turkey turns out to be an adventure. Through a scuffled but honest and emotional relationship, they try to get to know each other better, Throughout the journey, we observe the emotions and psychology, Ahmet developed in exile, including his deep longing for his family and country, and the important moments of his life in flashback memories, with the real footages from the archive that adds a substantial sense of reality. Their tense dialogues and encounters leads to the questioning of the life and ‚oppressive political atmosphere of the period‘ first and then a sincere closeness between the two. At the end, despite many challenges on the way, they reach Istanbul where a big surprise was awaiting for him. At the end that, he gets to face the fact that it was actually a journey of settlement and clearance between him and his daughter. Beyond this fictious journey, there is an effort of the girl who tries to understand his dad who had to leave her when she was very young. (Quelle: Verleih)