In den trüben Gewässern Istanbuls

“In den trüben Gewässern Istanbuls” is never quite what it seems. Ece and Meltem are two students and amateur divers who, in 1995 Istanbul, share their poverty and a stuffy dormitory, and discover a red Cadillac containing a woman’s body deep in the Bosphorus. Then everything happens in quick succession: the pair are courted and threatened by gangsters and politicians; they sense an opportunity for quick money; the elections in Istanbul draw nearer, and with them corruption, religious manipulation and misogyny; Ece uncovers the lie of her childhood – and eventually both find themselves facing a major ethical dilemma ... Just when you think you’ve figured out the story, Özge Samancı, a Turkish artist living in the USA, throws in another twist: Comedy, crime thriller, political thriller, critique of religion, satire, social commentary, family drama – “In den trüben Gewässern Istanbuls” is all this and much more, always fast-paced and captivating, deadly serious and utterly absurd, with depth and substance.