Lemonade (Limonata)

Lemonade (Limonata) (translated)

Movie · 2015 · 4 people

Actor Ali Atay directed his first film, Limonata (Lemonade), a Turkish comedy-drama, co-writing the script with lead actor Ertan Saban. It opened in cinemas on 24 April 2015, distributed by Mars Entertainment Group. A road movie shuttling between Macedonia and Istanbul, it tells how two brothers who begin as strangers come to know one another. One critic called it refreshing and mischievous but sad once it ends, noting Atay's roots in Onur Ünlü's films.

Suat, a retired long-haul truck driver living in Macedonia, is bedridden with a terminal illness. He calls his son Sakip (Ertan Saban) and states his last wish: years ago he married a woman in Istanbul in a religious ceremony and had a son named Selim, but left while the boy was still a baby. Before he dies, Suat wants to find that son and ask his forgiveness. Sakip sets off for Istanbul in his father's worn-out car, with only Selim's name and an old address. Serkan Keskin plays Selim and Zekir Sipahi plays Suat. Funda Eryiğit (Nihal), Luran Ahmeti (Fuat) and Bedia Begovska are also in the cast.

Adal Yapım produced it, with Ahmet Sesigürgil as cinematographer and music credited to Okan Kaya, Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç, Taner Yücel and Gevende.

DirectorAli Atay
Production companyAdal Yapım
Lemonade (Limonata) Lemonade (Limonata) Lemonade (Limonata)

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Cast

Also in the cast: Bedia Begovska

Through different eyes

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Ali Atay's directing debut Limonata pairs the road-movie template with the story of two brothers who start as total strangers. That Atay co-wrote the script with lead actor Ertan Saban suggests the character of Sakip was shaped around the performer. The route between Macedonia and Istanbul divides the structure into natural stops, but the genre's classic risk applies here too: between those stops the narrative sometimes gives in to a light, episodic drift. The Onur Ünlü roots one critic pointed to can be felt in the balance between mischief and melancholy. The meeting of Serkan Keskin and Ertan Saban is the film's real test; for a first feature, it is a likeable and brave step.

Yeşilçam Nostalgic A viewer raised on the classics, looking for warm storytelling and strong acting.

Limonata begins with a dying father's wish to ask forgiveness of the son he abandoned years ago, the kind of story Yeşilçam loved, resting on family ties, regret and forgiveness. The warmth I often look for in films by the new generation is here. The old melodramas told this sort of story with floods of tears; Ali Atay chooses to tell it with mischief and a light smile. This restrained tone may not touch everyone equally, but leaving a sweet sadness behind when it ends is the mark of a good story.

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

Let me be straight: Limonata is not my kind of film. It is a road movie, but there are no chases, no thrills and no big set pieces; everything centres on two brothers getting to know each other. The pace is calm and dialogue leads the way. Still, setting off in an old car with nothing but a name and an old address has a small sense of adventure. If you want a quiet evening film rather than action, give it a chance.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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