DIRECTOR: Murat Firatoglu
STARRING: Murat Firatoglu, Salih Tasci, Ali Barkin
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 23 minutes
LANGUAGE: Turkish
PLOT: Eyüp toils under the scorching sun in the tomato fields of southeastern Turkey, haunted by a looming debt he must repay. A confrontation with his supervisor sets him adrift in the city, where desperation pushes him toward an extreme course of action.
GENRE: Drama
FILMING LOCATION: Sanliurfa, Turkey
To check out all previous submissions for Turkey, click HERE.
STARRING: Murat Firatoglu, Salih Tasci, Ali Barkin
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 23 minutes
LANGUAGE: Turkish
PLOT: Eyüp toils under the scorching sun in the tomato fields of southeastern Turkey, haunted by a looming debt he must repay. A confrontation with his supervisor sets him adrift in the city, where desperation pushes him toward an extreme course of action.
GENRE: Drama
FILMING LOCATION: Sanliurfa, Turkey
To check out all previous submissions for Turkey, click HERE.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“What can we do? It's not like there's any other work."
Murat Fıratoglu’s One of Those Days When Hemme Dies is a quietly searing portrait of a man on the edge. Set in the sun-scorched fields of southeastern Turkey, the film follows Eyüp, a seasonal tomato worker crushed by financial pressure and denied dignity by those who control his livelihood. Through minimal dialogue and naturalistic pacing, the film immerses us in the emotional and physical exhaustion of labor under oppressive heat — both literal and systemic.
What sets the film apart is its refusal to rush. As Eyüp drifts through his village over the course of a single day, the story unfolds in quiet, observational fragments. Fıratoglu, who also stars in the lead role, infuses every moment with quiet tension, letting encounters with everyday people gently complicate what might otherwise be a simple arc. The cinematography leans into the stillness, evoking a world where time stretches, choices weigh heavily, and every gesture speaks volumes.
Without grand spectacle or melodrama, One of Those Days When Hemme Dies becomes a meditation on rage, fatigue, and the subtle defiance of simply enduring. It’s a film that trusts silence, trusts patience, and ultimately trusts the viewer to sit with uncomfortable questions. Fıratoglu announces himself as a filmmaker with a distinct voice — one attuned to the poetry of the mundane and the quiet dignity of the overlooked.
In its stillness and restraint, the film delivers a quietly radical statement: that the most profound struggles are often fought far from view, in silence, beneath the weight of the sun.
(This review contains spoilers.)
“What can we do? It's not like there's any other work."
Murat Fıratoglu’s One of Those Days When Hemme Dies is a quietly searing portrait of a man on the edge. Set in the sun-scorched fields of southeastern Turkey, the film follows Eyüp, a seasonal tomato worker crushed by financial pressure and denied dignity by those who control his livelihood. Through minimal dialogue and naturalistic pacing, the film immerses us in the emotional and physical exhaustion of labor under oppressive heat — both literal and systemic.
What sets the film apart is its refusal to rush. As Eyüp drifts through his village over the course of a single day, the story unfolds in quiet, observational fragments. Fıratoglu, who also stars in the lead role, infuses every moment with quiet tension, letting encounters with everyday people gently complicate what might otherwise be a simple arc. The cinematography leans into the stillness, evoking a world where time stretches, choices weigh heavily, and every gesture speaks volumes.
Without grand spectacle or melodrama, One of Those Days When Hemme Dies becomes a meditation on rage, fatigue, and the subtle defiance of simply enduring. It’s a film that trusts silence, trusts patience, and ultimately trusts the viewer to sit with uncomfortable questions. Fıratoglu announces himself as a filmmaker with a distinct voice — one attuned to the poetry of the mundane and the quiet dignity of the overlooked.
In its stillness and restraint, the film delivers a quietly radical statement: that the most profound struggles are often fought far from view, in silence, beneath the weight of the sun.
