Kuma (2012)

Kuma (2012)

Kuma in Turkish literally means "second wife". Although it is not a common phenomenon, taking a second wife is how the film unfolds -- in disguise: what appears to be a son's wedding later turns into a father's wedding. Fatma, the first wife who was diagnosed of cancer is the master mind behind this fake wedding. She needs a "successor" to look after her family in case she was conquered by her illness.

In a dramatic turn of event, the father passes away unexpectedly, while Fatma is curred from treatment. That leaves Ayse, the second wife, in a curious position. She naturally has an affection toward Hasan, her fake husband, but she is turned down by his confession about his hidden sexual orientation. As young and beautiful as Ayse, she finds herself vulnerable to the temptations from outside world.

Director Umut Dag comes from a Kurdish immigrant family living in Vienna, thus he presents a honest view of what a modern immigrant family is like. There are clashes of generations and cultures old and new. Most importantly, it is how the family struggles through these clashes that captures the audience's attention.

• Official site