The Edge of Heaven
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Fatih Akin
Hanna Schygulla
Tuncel Kurtiz
Baki Davrak
Patrycia Ziolkowska
Nursel Köse
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Retired widower Ali sees a solution to loneliness when he meets prostitute Yeter. Ali proposes to the fellow Turkish native to live with him in exchange for a monthly stipend. Ali's son Nejat, a university professor, seems disapproving about his boorish father's choice. But the young German man quickly grows fond of kind Yeter, especially upon discovering most of her hard-earned money is sent home to Turkey for her daughter's university studies. The accidental death of Yeter distances father and son even more. Nejat travels to Istanbul to begin an organized search for Yeter's daughter, Ayten. He stays in Turkey and trades places with the owner of a German bookstore who goes home to Germany. What Nejat doesn't know is that 20-something political activist Ayten is already in Germany, having fled the Turkish police. Alone and penniless, Ayten is befriended by German student Lotte, who is immediately seduced by the young Turkish woman's charms and political situation. Lotte invites rebellious Ayten to stay in her home, a gesture not particularly pleasing to her mother Susanne. Ayten ends up arrested and confined for months while awaiting political asylum. When her plea is denied, Ayten is imprisoned in Turkey. Lotte decides to abandon everything to help Ayten. In Turkey, Lotte gets caught up in the frustrating bureaucracy of the seemingly hopeless situation of freeing Ayten. A chance bookstore meeting leads her to becoming Nejat's roommate. A tragic event brings Susanne to Istanbul to help fulfill her daughter's mission. Emotional moments spent with Susanne will inspire Nejat to seek out his estranged father, now residing on Turkey's Black Sea coast.
Director
Fatih Akin
Cast
Hanna Schygulla
Tuncel Kurtiz
Baki Davrak
Patrycia Ziolkowska
Nursel Köse
Nurgul Yesilcay
Gursoy Gemec
Cengiz Daner
Idil Uner
Erkan Can
Turgay Tanulku
Elcim Eroglu
Nurten Guner
Asuman Altinay
Gokhan Kirac
Nejat Isler
Lars Rudolph
Ali Akdeniz
Nadire Irtel
Sevilay Demirci
Oznur Kula
Gokce Isil Tuna
Michael Wolf
Suleyman Kaplan
Stefanie Piehl
Andreas Westphal
Jorg Janicke
Annette Uhlenh
Andreas Thiel
Cigdem Goymen
Onder Cakar
Salih Kaar
Omer Kaar
Mert Koc
Guven Kirac
Feridun Koc
Ilhan Huzmeli
Faik Huzmeli
Sule Nayir
Yusuf Kaba
Aliye Alioglu
Crew
Ali Akdeniz
Fatih Akin
Fatih Akin
Monique Akin
Murat Alabay
Katrin Aschendorf
Katrin Aschendorf
Gokhan Atilmis
Ayse Barim
Andrew Bird
Andrea Bockelmann
Richard Borowski
Eyup Boz
Sirma Bradley
Onur Cakir
Paolo Colombo
Herve Dieu
Alberto Fanni
Yugel Guler
Michael Gutmann
Maike Heinlein
Barbara Henninger
Andreas Hildebrandt
Aksel Kamber
Rainer Klausmann
Nevra Kocoglu
Eric Koyun
Joerg Krieger
Tamo Kunz
Zekeriya Kurtulus
Torsten Lemke
Kai Luede
Klaus Maeck
Klaus Maeck
Tina Mersmann
Margaret Metz
Funda Odemis
Olcay Oguz
Erhan Ozogul
Ronnie Paul
Surk-ki Schrade
Daniel Schroder
Nurhan Sekerci
Ceylan Senbark
Christian Springer
Andreas Thiel
Seth Turner
Nergis Usta
Peter Wiemker
Jeanette Wurl
Ercan Yilmaz
Seren Yuce
Flaminio Zadra
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Released in United States Spring May 21, 2008
Released in United States May 30, 2008
Released in United States on Video October 14, 2008
Released in United States 2007
Released in United States December 2007
Released in United States 2008
Released in United States January 2008
Released in United States February 2008
Released in United States June 2008
Shown at London Film Festival (Film on the Square) October 17-November 1, 2007.
Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Special Presentations) September 27-October 12, 2007.
Shown at Dubai International Film Festival (Cultural Bridge, Dubai Gala Screening) December 9-16, 2007.
Shown at Santa Barbara International Film Festival (International Features) January 24-February 3, 2008.
Shown at Seattle International Film Festival (Emerging Masters) May 22-June 15, 2008.
Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival (Gala Screenings) January 3-14, 2008.
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (German Cinema) February 7-17, 2008.
Shown at San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (World Cinema) June 19-29, 2008.
dialogue German, Turkish and English, subtitled English
Released in United States Spring May 21, 2008 (NY)
Released in United States May 30, 2008 (Los Angeles)
Released in United States on Video October 14, 2008
Released in United States 2007 (Shown at London Film Festival (Film on the Square) October 17-November 1, 2007.)
Released in United States 2007 (Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Special Presentations) September 27-October 12, 2007.)
Released in United States December 2007 (Shown at Dubai International Film Festival (Cultural Bridge, Dubai Gala Screening) December 9-16, 2007.)
Released in United States 2008 (Shown at Santa Barbara International Film Festival (International Features) January 24-February 3, 2008.)
Released in United States 2008 (Shown at Seattle International Film Festival (Emerging Masters) May 22-June 15, 2008.)
Released in United States January 2008 (Shown at Palm Springs International Film Festival (Gala Screenings) January 3-14, 2008.)
Released in United States February 2008 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (German Cinema) February 7-17, 2008.)
Released in United States June 2008 (Shown at San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (World Cinema) June 19-29, 2008.)
Winner of the 2008 award for Best Supporting Actress (Hanna Schygulla) by the National Society of Film Critics (NSFC).
