by Mert Erez
Konya Selçuk University, Turkey
From the very first moments of The Contact, even before a single line is spoken, it becomes clear that we are about to witness a remarkable work from Turkish cinema. The atmosphere, color palette, and initial silence immediately evoke the meditative tone characteristic of Turkey’s most contemplative films.
The story unfolds gradually, layer by layer — like peeling an onion, with each layer revealing a new truth and a deeper emotion. At its center stands a father who returns after many years, seeking to know a son who, in fact, does not exist. This absence forms the emotional and symbolic core of the film, drawing the viewer into a world of loss, memory, and the search for identity.
The director skillfully uses dialogue as a bridge between scenes. Each exchange serves not only to convey information but also to sustain rhythm and narrative continuity. Every scene is linked to the next through a key phrase or subtle cue, giving the film a fluid and cohesive structure.
The screenplay and direction move in perfect harmony. The mise-en-scène is precise and deliberate, while the camera captures the unspoken emotions beneath the surface. In the silences and lingering gazes of Ali — the film’s central character — lie sorrow, regret, and a repressed pain that ultimately erupts in an intense emotional climax.
The film’s measured rhythm allows emotions to settle gradually within the audience, keeping them immersed in a state of quiet reflection until the very end.
Following the death of his son, Ali returns to the town he left years ago. There, he is left with only a few belongings of the boy he never knew — a wallet, a photograph, and a cell phone. Using the contacts stored in the phone, Ali begins to trace his son’s life, speaking with the people who once knew him. Like a detective, he pieces together fragments of his son’s world in a quiet effort to finally understand him.
He was born in 1993. He received training in radio, TV and cinema. He wrote two storybooks. He also continues to work as a football writer, screenwriter and director.
Director: Mert Erez
Cinematography: Mert Erez
Producer: Mert Erez, Alican Erkılıç Yormaz, Meryem Sena Metin, Ece Yörenç, Bilen Bilmen
Original title: Rehber
Running time: 20'
Film type: Fiction
Country: Turkey