Silenced Tree (Ceviz Ağacı)

SILENCED TREE

A film by Faysal Soysal.

What the hell?

What the hell are you doing?

Sami, what are you doing?

Kadife asked me to chop it down.

Don't! Leave it!

This tree is long dead. What use is it to you?

That's my business, Sami. Leave it alone!

Whatever you say.

I don't understand. What's your problem with that tree?

Are you talking to me?

No, Mother. What's there to say?

Get out! Filthy thing! Get out! My God!

Shoo it away!

Here's that cheese you like.

Thanks, Mother.

Bring your wife to dinner one night. Let's all have a nice meal together.

And we can finally cook that old rooster.

What's this rush to kill everything?

When I woke up this morning, my wife had left home.

Honestly, I did not care much. She always left early and came late.

In fact this reminded me of my father

who was often away from home during my childhood.

Once upon a time, I lived and grew up by shrinking in the shadow of the man

I called father a thousand times, but never felt any warmth toward.

Now, I think I am dying by living in the shadow of my wife.

There isn't a noticeable difference between the two.

Or maybe my father is in disguise, hidden in the body of my wife.

He is staring into my eyes through her eyes,

and abandoning me when she leaves home.

Thank you, Ezgi.

Now, compare the father figure we read about here with the father figure

in The Brothers Karamazov that we talked about last week.

Get started.

Hey, here comes your buddy.

My buddy? You're the one who keeps watching him.

Shut the hell up, you idiot! What business do I have with him?

The guy is a writer, man, of course you have no business with him.

Writer, my ass. He'd better watch his wife instead of trying to write.

Before it's too late.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Ismet, you get mad at everything.

I have told him many times to quit his job.

Even selling lahmajoun would earn him more.

What do I know about other jobs, Husamettin?

If I understood anything other than books, then I'd do that!

You know, I inherited this shop from my father.

That's right, Recep put his life into that shop.

May his soul rest in peace!

I still think you should consider it.

Welcome kids.

Wasn't your girlfriend supposed to come and take care of everything?

She'll be here soon. I've almost convinced her.

I'm sure she'll come. But I hope you haven't made a mess of the shop by then.

You'll see when she gets here.

How is Kadife doing?

Did the new medicine do any good?

No change. Thank God she isn't worse.

At least she is fine mentally.

Does she still make you wash the rugs?

Of course not.

But she still pinches me with fingers like pliers.

It smells great.

I'm putting vinegar on the salad.

Do you want me to pepper your chicken now?

Go ahead and eat. I'm not hungry yet.

My mother has invited us to dinner again.

The disease has spread to her entire body.

Yet, she's still anxious to have us over for dinner.

If you want to hide it from the poor woman, go ahead. But please don't drag me into it.

And since she's ill, say we don't want to disturb her.

Put her off! Do I have to tell you everything?

Couldn't you at least visit

ask how she is and pretend everything's okay?

And later?

Won't she realize?

We have a court date next week!

Thank you for reminding me.

For a long time

I've been pitying myself for not waking up one morning as a roach.

Maybe then, I could be more indifferent about everything,

and more carefree as others trample me.

I'd also save them from

a guilty conscience they might feel in the future over what they've done.

After all, I'd be nothing more than a roach crushed under their feet.

I don't know what I've done wrong.

Why can't I even manage to be a roach?

How is it? Does it look okay?

I don't know. You tell me.

Green would have been nicer, but the color you chose isn't bad either.

-I hope I didn't keep you waiting. -No.

I got the books and magazines you wanted.

We'll launch the boat into the lake tomorrow.

I have discovered some nice springs.

You finally found the old issues of “Hayalet” Gemi” and "Karagöz" reviews.

Nothing eludes me. I found the missing issues of “Pazar Postasi” review as well.

They're in the other bag.

Don't you have class today?

It's postponed to the afternoon.

Don't bother with that tree. Come and clip my toenails before you go.

Okay mother, I'm coming.

Whatever you do, that tree won't bear any more walnuts.

It's gone off life.

Come. Let me see if it looks okay.

I'm not done yet.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

There's a crack in Dad's mirror.

There's a big mirror over there but you struggle with that small one.

I'm done now anyway.

Is something the matter, Hayati?

No, Mother. The wardrobe door is broken.

Hayati Gungormus! Yaprak Gungormus!

Come on, Hayati! It's our turn.

The reason you want to divorce?

Irreconcilable differences, your honor.

Have you received counseling?

No, your honor.

Might you be deciding prematurely?

We have another important reason, your honor!

You've been married for two years. Did you just realize this?

In the beginning we didn't have this problem, your honor.

Do you have anything to say Hayati?

I...

I think

it will get better.

I love my wife, your honor.

Did you go to a doctor for your husband's problem?

Even if it gets better, my decision will not change, your honor.

I can no longer bear being in the same house as him. We don't get along.

I've even asked to be transferred at work.

Yaprak? Where is Hayati?

I'll be damned if I don't make you regret what you've done.

What do you gain from divorcing me, whore? Are you happy?

- Hey! Calm down! - You made the judge pity you! You bitch!

- Calm down! Stop it! - Let me go! Who the hell are you!

For God's sake, stop!

- I gave you all of my life, slut! - Sister, are you okay?

Don't you have friends or relatives? Did you come here on your own?

How can they do this to a woman?

How dare you get in bed with me.

I'm still your husband.

Okay, I'm going.

Yaprak.

Can we at least hide this court situation for a little while?

You know how my mother is.

So that's what you're thinking about at this hour?

Here!

Take this to your mother, too!

I thought we could give it one more chance.

What chance? What chance are you talking about?

What chance should I give you? Have you ever kept any of your promises?

I'm tired of you being a coward, a pushover! All you do is whine.

You disgust me. Do you understand?! I'm disgusted!

You are right.

Maybe I have never been the husband you wanted but if we could

just give it one more chance.

Okay, okay, come here then.

Here's your chance. Come, come.

What are you doing?

Isn't that what you want? Here's your chance.

-Yaprak, stop! -Come! Here's your chance.

Yaprak, stop! What are you doing?

Come! Here's your chance. Don't you want it?

-Yaprak, please don't! -Come!

-Come! -No. Don't! Let go of me.

See, you won't be able to, like always.

This is what you've driven me to!

What have you turned me into!

God damn you!

Okay, Hayati.

I'll try not to let your mother know until the next hearing.

But on one condition.

At our next hearing, agree to a divorce with no objections, okay?

And during this time, no interfering in each other's lives.

We'll tolerate each other until the next hearing.

After that, we'll separate as friends.

My father worked as a guard at night and slept during the day.

And just like him, I would guard the house during the day.

I'd protect him from the noise coming from the

playground so that no one would wake him up.

Only the lullaby of the walnut tree in the garden was allowed me in.

That's why, when my father was asleep with his old hat on...

I would crack the walnuts with my teeth to make less noise.

Do you want fresh tea, Hayati?

Sure.

Did that guy really follow his wife despite court orders?

- Have a good one, Ismet. - Thank you guys, welcome.

What else could he do? He's a real man, brother.

Should he have let her go unpunished?

Still,

beating a woman in the middle of town in front of everyone isn't right.

God knows what she did to deserve it.

Don't talk nonsense without knowing the truth.

That man has always beaten his wife.

The neighbors saved the woman several times.

Ok, grandpa. Don't get angry. Get us some tea, would you?

- Why are you setting up? Where's Ramazan? - He'll be here in ten minutes. You start.

A woman's place is at home looking after the children and cooking.