Though its often referred to as a "Turkish THE VIRGIN SUICIDES," director Deniz Gamze Ergüven's quietly devastating, emotionally bracing, and ultimately nail-biting debut MUSTANG was actually inspired by her own upbringing in France. Led by remarkable performances from an outstanding ensemble, the film beat out some stiff competition to become that country's official entry for this year’s Academy Awards, and won multiple César Awards (including Best First Feature Film and Best Original Screnplay). MUSTANG tells the story of five orphaned teenage sisters in northern Turkey whose lives change when playful romping with male friends is misinterpreted, and reported to their family as sexual licentiousness. Determined to keep the girls pure, the family effectively imprisons them, prompting the girls to become even more closely knit as they rebel against their arranged marriages.

Sunday, April 24
Doors 12:30 | Movie 1:00 pm

Tickets $10 advance / $12 at the door

*All ages OK in balcony! Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
**Groupons and passes OK. Please redeem at the door.

"MUSTANG has successfully rowdy comedic moments, an earthy non-exploitive sensuality, often clever visual framing, and even a hard-won scrappy optimism to balance out its tough reality checks. In short: it's excellent." (Film Experience)

"In MUSTANG, what begins as a playful look at five young women’s rebellion against their strict upbringing soon becomes something far more stirring and emotional. First-time feature director Deniz Gamze Ergüven has crafted a story of female empowerment which is attuned to the buoyancy of adolescence, but she’s also deeply critical of a modern Turkish patriarchy in which women still struggle to be equal citizens. Buoyed by a cast led by appealing newcomer Güneş Nezihe Şensoy, MUSTANG is a deceptively simple tale bearing an urgent message." (Screen)

MUSTANG (Deniz Gamze Ergüven, 2015 / 97 mins / PG) | When five orphan girls are seen innocently playing with boys on a beach, their scandalized conservative guardians confine them while forced marriages are arranged.