Set against a stark mountain village in Turkey, Salvation follows two brothers as faith, power and rivalry slowly entangle, pulling us into an uneasy space where belief can feel both redemptive and dangerously unhinged.
Salvation (Kurtuluş) is a powerful yet unsettling film to watch. As part of the 76th Berlinale competition section, this film urges you to think about where one draws a line when it comes to religion, community and beliefs. Who do you follow? Who do you believe? And what do you believe in?
Turkish director Emin Alper tries to tell a story of two brothers in a small mountain village trying to live a normal life. But what is normal when you live in a country where extremists and terrorists can disrupt your life and bring it to a standstill?
The film takes place in a remote village high in the Turkish mountains, where the return of an exiled clan reignites a decades-old land feud between two villages within walking proximity. The story revolves around two brothers, Ferit (Feyyaz Duman), the village leader, and his brother Mesut (Caner Cindoruk), who is known for being more of an action-oriented man. While Ferit is regarded as a sheikh who will lead the villagers, Mesut has always been the second fiddle, but that changes when Mesut is riddled with strange visions, which he believes are divine warnings from their grandfather, and challenges his brother’s leadership.
What happens next in the film makes it stand out, bringing in the elements of a thriller and a bit of horror, with the visions and dreams of a sleepwalking messenger, the omens, burnt fields, and religious discussions, creating an uneasy mood and building tension, which in turn makes you wonder how the character will attain the salvation that he seeks.
Caner Cindoruk as Mesut is fantastic. He mesmerises you with his searching gaze and sometimes makes you wonder about the depth of his understanding of the layers of emotion — sometimes intelligent and sometimes not. This character holds all the cards together in the film and makes you wonder about the relationship between the two brothers and their outlook on life and toward their village duties.
The film’s cinematography captivates you with wide-angle shots of the barren yet beautiful landscape, winding alleyways, and dark corners that transform the village into something unknown or surreal, leaving you with questions in your mind and bitter memories.
Our team is on the ground at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, running from February 12th to 22nd, 2026.
