MUSTANG

This powerful and controversial drama about the dissolution of sisterhood details the extreme expectations and beliefs of a culturally diverse society, in which their strict standards may be perceived as child abuse in the westernised world.

Set in a small village in Turkey, five orphaned sisters are wrongfully accused of inappropriate behaviour with boys and are transformed into house prisoners by their grandmother and watchful uncle.

Everything changes for these girls, who now live behind locked doors and are isolated from society. They have home schooling, are forced to wear plain clothing and their mobiles and computers are confiscated. They must also learn to cook and sew in what can aptly be described as a “wife factory” as their marriages are arranged.

This daunting and thought-provoking film sheds light on a repressed society, where women are not permitted to laugh in public, must guard their chastity and laughably can attend “female only spectator” football events.

Effectively scripted with fine performances from a predominantly young cast, this film has high production values and resonates themes of growing dissension to these repressed traditions, as two of the sisters take desperate measures to live their own lives. (MMo)

★★★★