During the Sarikamis Battle, the Ottoman army runs out of ammunition and appeals to the people of Van for help, who happen to have supplies. However, the First World War is on and all men are fighting at four corners of the empire and therefore can not respond to to the appeal. The young children of Van want to do something...
Cinematography
Brutal mountain passages that make you feel the altitude.
Production
Painstaking WWI Ottoman detail rarely seen on screen.
Acting
Child performances carrying the emotional weight of nations.
Director
Özhan Eren
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real 120 children of Van are memorialized in Turkish schools, though the film dramatizes specifics; director Özhan Eren is also the composer.
Sarikamis was one of WWI's deadliest defeats — 90,000 Ottoman soldiers froze. This film reframes national trauma through children's eyes, controversial in Turkey for its patriotic tone.
US
