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Yellow Letters’ Premieres in Berlinale Competition as International Deals Roll In

The TurkishGerman drama uses German cities as stand‑ins for Ankara and Istanbul to deliver a warning about democratic backsliding to Western audiences.

Overview

  • Director İlker Çatak’s film entered the Berlin Film Festival’s main competition, vying against 21 titles for the Golden Bear.
  • Brussels‑based Be For Films announced first‑wave presales across Europe, including Germany/Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux and the Nordics, with no U.S. deal announced.
  • Çatak describes the film as a cautionary tale, arguing that Western societies are not immune to political repression and job loss over political speech.
  • The story follows a playwright‑actor couple who receive state “yellow letters” that upend their livelihoods and force painful compromises that strain their family.
  • Early reviews highlight powerful lead performances and topical urgency, while some critics fault the film’s bluntness, repetition and heavy‑handed delivery.