Almost Certainly False

Reviewed by Ben Nicholson

Things are difficult for Hanna (Rahaf Armanazi) in Cansu Baydar’s Almost Certainly False.

She is a young woman growing into adulthood in a country that is not her own, living in a pokey apartment in a run-down Istanbul neighbourhood, trying to care for her pre-adolescent brother. She is evidently not someone who has been given the luxury of a childhood filled with freedom and wonder. Forced into a position beyond her tender years, one of carer and provider in a land far away, she is also trying to come to terms with herself and her position in the wider world.

Such intersections are key to what writer-director Cansu Baydar is doing with this film, whose original title is Neredeyse Kesinlikle Yanlis. It is the narrative portrait of an individual, but she is one at various crossroads and being pulled in different directions. While she may dream of what it would take to make her way to Europe, she must also face the reality of learning her trade in a nail salon so that they can make ends meet. While she might want to go out partying and to clubs, and bring back handsome boys, she also has her brother next door in their tiny home. While she might be a beautiful young woman who enjoys the attention of men, she is also the target of racist ire if she steps out of line with them.

Baydar has evidently drawn on her own experiences of growing up in an immigrant family to construct this nuanced and complex picture, but that is no guarantee of its impact. Fortunately, between director and star they manage to make each of these elements feel important and discrete while also presenting their naturally entangled nature. And in fleeting moments of sibling silliness, the world feels simple for a second, before the demands of the outside come flooding back in.

Director, screenplay: Cansu Baydar
Main Cast: Rahaf Armanazi, Isa Karatas, Ferhat Akgun, Busra Albayrak, Ubey Gul
Producers: Ulay Tuna Astepe, Sinan Yusufoglu, Cansu Baydar, Izlem Genc, Ali Farkhonde, Ceyda Yuceer
Cinematography: Baris Ozbicer
Editing: Doruk Kaya, Cisem Baydar
Sound: Neset Ufuk Demir, Yalin Ozgencil
Production design: Gorkem Canbolat
Costume design: Ceyda Yuceer
Production companies: Ekho Film, Nana Film, Fok Project (Turkey)
Venue: Venice Film Festival (Orizzonti Short Films Competition)
In Turkish, Arabic
20 minutes