Bride Kidnapping (2023)

A diligent and cheerful young woman, Umut works as a nursing assistant with aspirations to become a certified nurse. She lives with her mother, and they depend on each other. Egemen lives with his elderly father and ekes out a living by stealing scrap metal. Every day, his sisters come to his house to do chores and nag at him to marry, not knowing he has a secret girlfriend, Meyerim. Meyerim, though, was once kidnapped and forced into marriage, and is now a divorcée raising her daughter alone. Because of this, Egemen is unable to introduce her to his family. Inspired by numerous, shocking true events, the film exposes the widespread practice of bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan, following the characters and incidents with a dry gaze of an observer. The gradual build-up of the narrative and an unwavering gaze on the social issue even amid raging emotions are the strengths of this film.