Clouds of May

Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan directs this subtle, minimalistic film that recalls the work of Abbas Kiarostami. Filmmaker Muzaffer returns from Istanbul to his hometown on the Anatolian plain to shoot a movie featuring his family. He brings a video camera to test his relatives' acting ability. His father Emin proves to be less interested in his son's project than in buying land from an adjacent lot. Muzaffer is helped out by his friend Saffet, who recently flunked a school entrance exam, and Saffet's young nephew Ali. While shooting, Muzaffer makes a deal with the little boy: if he can keep a hen's egg unbroken in his pocket for 40 days, he will win a musical watch. As Ali struggles to care for the egg, Muzzaffer works to keep his vision for the film intact. (Jonathan Crow)