By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Ahmet Ulucay
Starring: Gülayse Erkoc | Ismail Hakki Taslak | Kadir Kaymaz
Original language title: Karpuz kabugundan gemiler yapmak
Country: turkey
Year: 2005
Running time: 97
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325675/combined
Bruce says: “At the Tribeca Film Festival the audience was told by one of the festival directors that BOATS OUT OF WATERMELON RINDS was chosen because it speaks in an original voice. I would certainly not introduce the film in such a way. An aspect of the film is very reminiscent of CINEMA PARADISO and hardly original. The film’s strength in my opinion is the ability of director Ahmet Ulucay to frame each scene with immense care, as though he were composing a painting. A simple village is transformed into a work of art, a composition of brick, stone, stucco, rusty tin roofs, railroad tracks, and faded paint on worn wood. Ulucay’s eye is not stuck solely on architectural details – in each scene his actors are thoughtfully placed. Even when there is movement, Ulucay’s compositions remain intact, a feat mastered by few filmmakers. Alas, there is some bad news; Ulucay’s scriptwriting is no match for his impeccable eye.
“BOATS OUT OF WATERMELON RINDS is a coming of age story, a slice of life. Two boys want to create there own theater. They rifle through the trash barrel at the local cinema and pick up film that has been discarded. They construct a projector out of wooden boxes and foolishly think they can roll the film through by hand at 24 frames per second. For the summer, Recep (Ismail Hakki Taslak) works at a watermelon stand in the middle of town. Mehmet (Kadir Kaymaz) is a barber’s apprentice. Neither boy has much to do.
“Recep is dusting the melons one morning while a corpse is brought out of a nearby home. A man emerges and squats near the door and begins sobbing. We cannot see his face but are aware of the pattern his tears are forming on the pavement. It appears that the death will have something to do with the plot but in fact this scene merely sets a mood.
“Auntie Nezihe, a wealthy woman in town, stops by the watermelon stand and invites Recep to her home for tea and bread. She fears he is not getting enough to eat. Her younger daughter develops an instant crush on Recep. He barely notices the young girl for he is totally taken by her older sister Nihal. Throughout the summer Recep becomes lovesick and Mehmet tries to cheer him up by giving him a haircut. Recep end up with a shaved head and is subject to more ridicule from Nihal, whose feelings for Recep never wavered after she chastised her mother for ‘feeding the poor’ when he first came to their house.
“Another character, an epileptic half-wit, is involved in the boys’ secret film projection project. One assumes he is in the film to add local color. Unless there is a reason for including such a character (in this film, there is not), half-wits or other mentally impaired people add confusion to the story because of their irrational behavior.
“I hope that Ahmet Ulucay does not abandon filmmaking for he has a rare talent; however the scriptwriting should be placed in other hands. 4 cats”
BOATS OUT OF WATERMELON RINDS was shown as part of the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival.