Final Rating: 3.5/5
In IIlker Çatak’s follow up to his excellent film The Teachers’ Lounge, he sets his sights on modern day Türkiye and their oppressive authoritarian regime. Yellow Letters is about the power of art and how the state tries to exert control of those who wish to call out injustices of the world.
Married couple Derya (Özgü Namal) and Aziz (Tansu Biçer) have just mounted a play, where they were the star and writer respectfully, that calls out the continued conflicts the current regime is involved in, and causing a crackdown at home of citizens. When a governor comes to see the play on opening night, he causes a cascading effect of punishments.
The theatre company is forced to end the run of the play, Derya is let go from the troupe because of political social media posts, and the crew of intellectuals who helped put the show on are all suspended from their teaching positions at a local university. Aziz is even charged with instigating violence towards the regime when he suggests students attend a protest to see what the government is truly interested in.
The film shifts from being a political screed to a family drama, as the tightening of the screws on Derya and Aziz force them and their teenaged daughter Ezgi (Leyla Smyrna Cabas) to flee their home and move in with Aziz’s mother. The couple suddenly must navigate new stresses as they prepare for Aziz’s trial, deal with Ezgi teenage angst and find a way to earn money so they aren’t dependent on others.
It would have been impossible to film Yellow Letters in Türkiye, so Çatak cleverly uses Germany, the country he was born in, as a substitute. In the opening scene a titlecard announces BERLIN AS ANKARA, using the capital of Germany to stand in as the capital of Türkiye. Later on when the family moves away a new title card announces HAMBURG AS ISTANBUL. Using clever angles and casting almost entirely Turkish actors, Çatak’s spin works seamlessly. It also is a clever way to show that the rising fascism isn’t just in some far away place like Türkiye, but also in places like Germany, which for decades seemed like a bastion of freedom and liberty.
The film unfortunately fails its impressive leaps as the family, struggling to keep their daughter safe and food on the table, start to figure out how to work within the system. Aziz attempts to downplay his politics and show contrition when his trial finally comes and Derya deletes any “controversial” social media posts when accepting a job as a lead in a TV show that is toothless and appeals to the masses. It makes sense that some people would likely try to reorient their priorities in order to stay alive under a fascist regime, but the change of heart seems to make Çatak’s film seem directionless and pointless.
Yellow Letters was seen during the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival.
