“If a country enters a murderous phase, external pressures, like global public opinion and the actions of other states, can set limits”
– BERLINALE 2026: The Turkish helmer gives us the low-down on his powerful parable about human fear and hatred, set in remote areas of his home country
(© 2026 Dario Caruso for Cineuropa – dario-caruso.fr, @studio.photo.dar, Dario Caruso)
Salvation [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emin Alper
film profile], the newest feature by Turkish director Emin Alper, premiered in the competition of this year’s Berlinale. It is a powerful parable about human fear and hatred, set in remote areas of Turkey. We spoke to the filmmaker about the real events that inspired him to tell this story and his use of dream sequences.
Cineuropa: You often work with feverish visions and dream sequences. What attracts you to this as a cinematic element?
Emin Alper: Artistically, it fascinates me. I love fever-dream films – getting lost in dreams and delusions, telling stories of madness… In this movie, dreams function on several levels. First, they reflect the paranoia, fears and nightmares of our protagonist, Mesut. Second, since we deal with a mystical Sufi religious experience, dreams are essential: divine orders are delivered through dreams. In the film, the men believe a new leader is coming because they have received messages in dreams – true dreams, in their understanding. Finally, these collective dreams reinforce collective paranoia: they fear attacks from within at any moment. The dreams intensify this atmosphere of fear and hatred.
Indeed, fear and hatred alternate; they form a vicious circle. You seem rather pessimistic about breaking this cycle.
It’s very difficult to break because it reproduces itself. It’s like a slippery slope: isolation breeds delusion; delusion deepens isolation. Under certain circumstances, the cycle can be broken. But historically, when people fall under the control of a fanatic, authoritarian leader, escape becomes very difficult. Such leaders control knowledge, propaganda – everything. That’s why it is crucial not to give them power in the first place. Historical experience shows that once authoritarian leaders consolidate control, it is hard to remove them. If a country enters a murderous phase, external pressures, like global public opinion and the actions of other states, can set limits. History shows that clear limits from the international community can stop escalation.
The younger brother believes that education is crucial. Is education really a solution?
In Sufism, education is not the decisive factor. It can be an asset, but charisma is more important. Even someone who cannot read or write can become a charismatic sheikh. Scholarship brings prestige, but it is not necessary.
You say the film is inspired by true events. Could you elaborate?
In 2009, a massacre was carried out by a Kurdish village-guard family. They raided a wedding and killed 44 people, including women and children. That incident strongly influenced me. I was not initially planning to make a film about it. But as the world – and my own country – moved towards increasing authoritarianism, I realised the story had global relevance. So, I decided to write it.
Have you encountered any censorship issues, or do you expect any?
We haven’t shown the film in Turkey yet, but I don’t expect a direct ban. We were unable to obtain public funding – that is already a reaction. Direct bans are rare in Turkey, although they do happen. More common is indirect censorship and pressure.
The textual level is very important in your movie. How did you develop the dialogue?
I write quickly – the first draft comes fast. Then I rewrite repeatedly. When I cast actors, I rewrite again. During rehearsals, I rewrite again. This constant rewriting defines my process.
There’s a large ensemble cast here, and each character has space to develop. How did that come together?
Auditions were crucial. I conducted many auditions with colleagues and actors. Talent is important, but fitting the role is equally vital. After selecting the actors, we rehearsed for nearly a month. Several languages are spoken in the film, including Kurdish and Turkish. There are Kurdish actors and Turkish actors who do not speak Kurdish, so it’s a combination. In working together, we mainly followed our instincts and rehearsed extensively, especially for the large crowd scenes – chanting, religious rituals and the fight sequence. The rehearsals prepared us well.
Were there any specific challenges you encountered related to the shooting location and production?
The location was about an hour from the hotel. With 12-hour workdays, that meant 14 hours between leaving and coming back. The region is extremely hot during the day and very cold at night. These shifts were challenging. But the biggest challenge is always funding – you never have enough money, so time is limited, and you are always rushing.
The villages look remarkably well preserved. How much set design was necessary?
The villages exist as they are. It’s increasingly difficult to find such places, but after extensive scouting, I found two of them: one abandoned in the valley and another, inhabited, higher up. The lower village you see was partially created digitally by combining locations.
