The Market – A Tale of Trade

It's 1994 and Mihram is an affable, independent young Turkish trader in a changing world. The neighboring Soviet Republics have collapsed and the market is a free-for-all. Local entrepreneurs such as Mihram are middlemen, profiting from finding goods for anyone who needs them. Desperate to support his growing family, Mihram passes his time driving around in his truck – accompanied sometimes by colorful local musicians who serve as a sort of Turkish chorus – sniffing out deals, drinking, and gambling away his meager profits. Convinced the future lies in cell phones, he attempts to start his own business but lacks the cash to start up. Meanwhile, the local Mafia pressures him to join them, which he steadfastly resists. “The world turns,” the Mafioso explains. “We all become dogs in the end.” One day, a doctor approaches Mihram with a plea to cross the border to Kazakhstan to procure medicine needed to save children's lives. Seeing benefits for himself in the project, including an upgrade of his standing with God and his wife, he undertakes the journey. With his cantankerous elderly uncle in tow, Mihram sets out on his transnational quest, determined this time to become permanently independent. (In Turkish with English subtitles) – B.B.