FRED’s Nicolò Comotti interviews Senem Tuzen, director of the film ANA YURDU (Motherland) from the International Critics Week section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival. Senem Tuzen reveals the secrets and influences behind her intense feature.
ANA YURDU (Motherland): Nesrin, an urban middle class woman recovering from a divorce, goes back to her deceased grandmother’s old village in Anatolia to finish a novel and live out her dream of being a writer. When her conservative mother turns up uninvited and refuses to leave, Nesrin’s writing stalls and her fantasies of village life turn bitter. The two women are forced to confront the darker corners of each other’s inner worlds
A double victory for Woman Unknown, major prizes for established auteurs and a strong showing for political cinema, new talent and Italian performers. The complete verdict of the Venice Film Festival 2026.
Presented out of competition in the Open section of Venice 83, Theo Rollason and Peter Tatchell trace Derek Jarman's legacy and today's fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Queer Edward II
"Listy-Letters from the Silenced Country" by director Andrei Kutsila reveals intimate stories of Belarusian prisoners and exiles, giving voice to resilience and hope amid repression.
"Guria" by director Levan Koguashvili offers a captivating blend of humor and tragedy set in 90s Georgia, highlighting human resilience and authentic stories from post-Soviet times.