‘Edge Of Night’: Hamburg Review

Dir/scr: Türker Süer. Germany/Turkey. 2024. 85mins

Two estranged brothers from Turkey find themselves on opposing sides in Edge Of Night, the confident debut feature from Cologne-born director Türker Süer. A socio-political parable posing as a military thriller, at least for its first hour, this strikingly shot drama is a solid calling card for Süer. The German-Turkish coproduction premiered at Venice before screening at Toronto and is having its local bow at Hamburg. It should prove itself to be an in-demand title for showcases spotlighting new talent.

This strikingly shot drama is a solid calling card for Süer

When we first meet Sinan (Ahmet Rifat Sungar, from Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys and The Wild Pear Tree), he is a seemingly poker-faced lieutenant in the Turkish army. The institution is portrayed as both self-important and cold — think shots of long, empty yet ornate corridors — as well as slightly absurd and pointless (echoes of Mahmut Fazil Coskun’s 2017 tragicomedy The Announcement, about a fictional coup in Turkey).

The very serious Sinan is bossed around by those in charge and is asked to accompany a soldier to a military court that is a long drive away. The man in question assaulted a colleague before trying to flee the country. The twist, revealed early on, is that the detainee is Kenan (Berk Hakman, from Emin Alper’s Beyond The Hill), Sinan’s estranged brother. 

Though this is not exactly a Cain and Abel narrative, there is a lot of friction between the siblings. This has to do with their shared history which is revealed over the course of the narrative – though mainly from Sinan’s point-of-view, as Süer privileges a perspective close to his protagonist. (The drama could have benefitted, especially in its early going, from a more even-keeled approach.) The main bone of contention is how they perceive their duties towards their fatherland and their actual father, a military man who committed suicide years earlier to get out of a long prison sentence. Sinan had a part in his father’s conviction, as he did what he thought was right for the country rather than his family. The irony is that this is a value that their father had instilled in his offspring – though Kenan has another view of things.

The family drama is fascinating, especially because Süer, who also wrote the screenplay, deftly uses often minimalistic dialogue to explore the crevices and contradictions of the men’s opposing viewpoints. But this isn’t only a family drama. As they travel through the dark Turkish night, a coup occurs at the highest level of government, throwing events into a tailspin. (The film is set in July 2016, at the time of a real-life coup attempt by a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces). Who do soldiers respond to when the hierarchy becomes unclear? Is it even possible to reach the military court or a military base that’s closer to the protagonists?

The coup, which occurs mostly offscreen, overlays the family drama with a political one, and throws into high relief how Sinan and Kenan have displayed very different coping mechanisms as they have tried to keep their heads above water in a rigid hierarchy in an increasingly undemocratic country. Why risk your life for an institution that doesn’t seem to care about yours? 

Working with Italian cinematographer Matteo Cocco, Süer shows an impressive sense of mise-en-scene and spatial choreography that helps to tell the story visually. Ozan Tekin’s electronic score is atmospheric and builds tension, especially in the more intense first hour which plays like a thriller. If the remaining 25 minutes are less intense they are thematically the richest, as the complex relationship between the siblings further crystallises and Edge Of Night’s thematic interests come to the fore.