Having a loser as a protagonist is not exactly unusual in cinema. What would happen though, if you combined such a character with a zoo that is about to be demolished, an animal on the brink of extinction and a crime? Emre Kayis gives the answer to this question in a film that also functions as a metaphor on a number of levels.
“Anatolian Leopard” is screening at the 62nd Thessaloniki International Film Festival
The aforementioned loser is Fikret, the manager of a failing zoo in Ankara, with his life becoming evident in one of the initial scenes, where the parking spot reserved for the director of the organization, is occupied by anyone but him, who has to park far away from his office and walk in the mud to reach it. The zoo is on the brink of collapse, with the employees leaving one after the other, while a consortium of Arabs want to buy the place and redevelop it, something that the mayor of the town also wishes intently. The whole situation is a big headache for Fikret, who sees 22 years of service going down the drain, while the only thing that keeps the closing of the zoo from happening is the presence of an Anatolian Leopard, a species on the brink of extinction that is protected by law. Eventually, though, the animal dies, and Fikret finds himself wishing to keep its death a secret, something he achieves with the help of his assistant, Gamze. As the two come closer together, a police captain and a prosecutor start investigating the case.
Fikret, despite being the archetype of the loser, essentially having no friends, no romantic relationship, and no future, is actually a rather interesting character, particularly in the ways he masks his cowardice and lack of initiative under a veil of self-righteousness and self-centrism, which actually makes him believe that his own actions are self-sacrificing and heroic. This approach permeates both the character and the film, and becomes even more intense as the story progresses and it is revealed that, as a young man, he had a bright future ahead of him, but his conformist nature never allowed him to meet his full potential. Somewhere here is where the first metaphor of the movie lies, with Fikret mirroring the previous generation but also a number of current political and social powers, who seem to be fed up by the overall situation in Turkey, but are unwilling to do anything to change it. The leopard and the crumbling zoo also move in the same paths, as much as mirroring Fikret's own fate.
Ugur Polat gives a great performance in the role, highlighting all the aforementioned elements through a laconic but quite eloquent performance.
The presence of the police captain is somewhat humorous, again in an approach that seems to comment on how civil officers conduct themselves in the country, but the prosecutor on the other hand, adds a note of agony to the story, which works quite well for the narrative, with Ege Aydan being great in the role, and his one-on-ones with Fikret being among the most memorable scenes in the movie, in a style that borders on the noir.
In general, the characters are all rather interesting, and again indicative of Turkish society, with the giant guard, the Mayor and the ex-classmate all adding significantly to the narrative. Ipek Türktan as Gamze adds a romantic aspect to the movie, which, also stresses Fikret's mentality in the end. Lastly, a number of moments of subtle humor, some more direct political comments and a timeline that is purposefully vague conclude this rather layered movie.
Nick Cooke's cinematography captures the setting of the zoo in a style that could be described as dystopian, while the bleakness of the colors mirroring both Fikret's mentality and the overall situation. The many close-ups to Fikret's face, who appears, essentially, in every scene, also work quite well, also due to Aydan's performance. Ricardo Saraiva's editing implements a rather slow pace, in art-house fashion, which fits the age of the protagonist and the overall aesthetics of the movie nicely.
“Anatolian Leopard” is an accomplished feature debut, with its intriguing main character, many layers and various types of entertainment highlighting the directorial abilities of Kayis in the best way.
