A woman is sitting in the middle of a group of men in a Turkish bathhouse, a 'hamam'. She is an exception in this strictly male environment; she is also the centre of the doings and events. Only a waistcloth adorns their naked bodies. As the camera closes in, the image softens, becomes misty from the heat and humidity. The colours become subdued, you do not hear what is being said which creates a sense of distance while at the same time emphasizing the intimacy of the scene. In a listless and relaxed atmosphere the movements of the people are followed from close by with slow camera movements. The men encircle the woman and wash and massage her with care and attention. The camera keeps following her and she knows she is being examined by the men and the camera, but seems totally at ease with the situation which slowly takes on a more festive tint. The inner soul is also being cared for in a stylized allusion to sensuality. Then the camera freezes this tableau vivant and draws back, leaving her behind in her 'harem'. Here, the other in her otherness in body, spirit and cultural orientation is the central focus. As a woman between the men in a 'hamam', she tempts the men into breaking tradition. She remains passive, innocent. She submits to the whole scene which makes her the voyeur with regard to changed ideas of woman as whore, virgin and Madonna.
– Carla Hoekendijk
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Camera: Nurettin Tay, Ümut Aksoy, Music: Antonio Iasevoli, Voice: David Barittoni, With: Sükran Moral, Mahmut Ahmet, Halil and others, Production: Art Production, TV2
Sükran Moral ° 1962, Terme (Turkey)
Lives and works in Rome (Italy) and Istanbul (Turkey)
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