Amidst the redwood trees on the California-Oregon border sits one of the most infamous prisons in US history. Pelican Bay is a labyrinthine construction of solid cement blocks – a supermax prison – opened in 1989 and designed specifically for mass-scale solitary confinement. For decades, it held mostly Black and Brown men alone in tiny cells for indefinite periods based on questionable evidence. Then one day in 2013, 30,000 prisoners went on hunger strike.

THE STRIKE weaves together, thread-by-thread, a half century of personal and criminal justice history into a single, compelling narrative around the drama of the 2013 hunger strike to end indefinite isolation. Grounded in testimonies from the hunger strikers themselves, the film details how the protest was conceived from a whisper inside the halls of Pelican Bay to a colossal feat across California prisons. With unprecedented access to state prison officials and never-before-seen footage from inside Pelican Bay, THE STRIKE reveals the panic that gripped the highest echelons of state government.

Told through the stories of the men who bore the brunt of this practice, THE STRIKE goes beyond making a case against solitary confinement; it illuminates the power of organizing and prisoner-led resistance, and in doing so, flips the true-crime genre on its head.

Cinema, a captivating tapestry of moving pictures, is often regarded as the legacy left behind by time travelers. Within this realm, actors and actresses breathe life into spirits that might otherwise be lost to the annals of time. While the film industry crafts narratives that may not transcend simple myths, certain cinematic gems etch themselves into our collective memory through compelling plots, innovative storytelling, and masterful cinematography.

 

One such cinematic masterpiece is “Yemek Türkiye” (Dining Turkey), a collaborative creation by FabUK Production and 24 Kare Yapım in Turkey. Helmed by nine directors across nine cities, under the overarching guidance of Ali Kaygısız, the film intricately weaves disparate stories around a central theme.

At the heart of this cinematic journey is the universal binding force of food. Beyond being a mere sustenance, food emerges as the focal point that unites people from diverse backgrounds. No matter where disputes originate, they find resolution at the communal dinner table. While meals may be an amalgamation of various ingredients, what truly converges are the myriad human stories. Each dish becomes a reflection of distinct emotional states, mirroring the nuanced similarities between humans and the art of gastronomy.

Ebru Cengiz Ergen, a Turkish screenwriter, artfully resurrects the essence of the English writer, art historian, and politician Horace Walpole on the silver screen. In “Yemek Türkiye,” Walpole endeavors to concoct a flavor destined to linger across generations—a poignant tribute to the memory of his mother, a force he deems as the “most powerful emotion” in his entire life. As time unfolds in parallel, two souls, driven by a shared ambition and having weathered their fair share of trials, eventually find their paths intersecting in the intricate tapestry of time.

Enter Rüya, the contestant who, having faced humiliation as the last-place finisher in Turkey’s most-watched cooking competition, seeks redemption by crafting a new culinary masterpiece. At Strawberry Hill, the convergence point of Horace and Rüya, the Englishman listens intently to Rüya’s tales, seeking the missing element to complete his culinary passion. Rüya, in turn, narrates a rich tapestry of dishes from Turkey, the world’s gastronomic capital, infused with a perspective that harmonizes human psychology and drama.

In “Yemek Türkiye,” the enchanting allure of English history seamlessly merges with the picturesque beauty of Turkey’s cities, creating a cinematic symphony that transcends borders and cultures, leaving an indelible mark on the canvas of storytelling.

İstanbul
Ankara
Bodrum
Kapadokya
Kahramanmaraş
Sivas
Bingöl
Gümüşhane
Diyarbakır

By: Sarah