Autumn (Sonbahar)

Autumn is a 2008 Turkish-German co-production drama written and directed by Özcan Alper and produced by Kuzey Film. Shot over six weeks in the Black Sea villages of Hopa, Çamlıhemşin and Kemalpaşa, the film is performed trilingually in Turkish, Georgian and Homshetsi.

The story follows Yusuf, a former university student jailed for rioting who joined a hunger strike in prison, as he is released with only months to live and returns to his ailing mother's village in the Fırtına Valley. Reconnecting with his old friend Mikhail and mourning his lost youth, he falls in love with Elka, a Georgian bar girl. Alper's feature debut premiered at the 15th Golden Adana Film Festival, where it was named best film. Onur Saylak leads a cast that also includes Megi Kobaladze, Serkan Keskin and Raife Yenigül.