REVIEWS
Kulyas 2: Zikr-i Ayin
Kulyas 2: Zikr-i Ayin is an ambitious and haunting continuation of Yunus Şevik’s dark mythological universe, standing confidently as a powerful work of supernatural cinema rooted in cultural memory and ritual. Drawing from Ottoman-era legends, Sufi mysticism, and jinn mythology, the film weaves horror with spiritual allegory, offering a rich experience that goes far beyond genre conventions.
At the center of the story is Helen, a tragic and compelling protagonist whose desperate attempt to reclaim lost love triggers forces far older and more merciless than she can imagine. The screenplay skillfully balances intimate human emotion with expansive myth, using forbidden spells and ancestral curses as metaphors for inherited guilt, desire, and sacrifice. The revelation of Helen’s sacred bloodline adds narrative depth, grounding the supernatural horror in questions of fate, identity, and responsibility.
Director Yunus Şevik demonstrates confident control over tone and atmosphere. His direction embraces slowness and ritual, allowing tension to build organically through imagery, sound, and performance rather than relying on shock alone. The journey from Istanbul to Kars—and ultimately to America—creates a striking sense of historical and spiritual continuity, emphasizing how the curse transcends geography and time. The sequences set in the dervish lodge are particularly memorable, capturing a rare cinematic portrayal of spiritual struggle through chilling restraint and symbolic power.
Visually, the film is immersive and evocative. The use of dimly lit interiors, ritualistic compositions, and stark landscapes enhances the sense of dread and inevitability. The editing maintains a deliberate rhythm that mirrors the ceremonial nature of the story, while the sound design and ritual chants intensify the film’s hypnotic quality. Each element works in harmony to draw the viewer deeper into the cursed world of the Kulyas jinn.
Kulyas 2: Zikr-i Ayin stands out in the festival landscape as a bold example of culturally rooted horror—one that respects its mythological sources while presenting them with cinematic ambition. It is a fearless sequel that expands its universe with clarity and conviction, offering audiences a chilling, thought-provoking experience that lingers long after the final ritual concludes.
At the center of the story is Helen, a tragic and compelling protagonist whose desperate attempt to reclaim lost love triggers forces far older and more merciless than she can imagine. The screenplay skillfully balances intimate human emotion with expansive myth, using forbidden spells and ancestral curses as metaphors for inherited guilt, desire, and sacrifice. The revelation of Helen’s sacred bloodline adds narrative depth, grounding the supernatural horror in questions of fate, identity, and responsibility.
Director Yunus Şevik demonstrates confident control over tone and atmosphere. His direction embraces slowness and ritual, allowing tension to build organically through imagery, sound, and performance rather than relying on shock alone. The journey from Istanbul to Kars—and ultimately to America—creates a striking sense of historical and spiritual continuity, emphasizing how the curse transcends geography and time. The sequences set in the dervish lodge are particularly memorable, capturing a rare cinematic portrayal of spiritual struggle through chilling restraint and symbolic power.
Visually, the film is immersive and evocative. The use of dimly lit interiors, ritualistic compositions, and stark landscapes enhances the sense of dread and inevitability. The editing maintains a deliberate rhythm that mirrors the ceremonial nature of the story, while the sound design and ritual chants intensify the film’s hypnotic quality. Each element works in harmony to draw the viewer deeper into the cursed world of the Kulyas jinn.
Kulyas 2: Zikr-i Ayin stands out in the festival landscape as a bold example of culturally rooted horror—one that respects its mythological sources while presenting them with cinematic ambition. It is a fearless sequel that expands its universe with clarity and conviction, offering audiences a chilling, thought-provoking experience that lingers long after the final ritual concludes.
28.12.2025
Ice Breath
«Ice Breath» by Leonard Alecu is a unique work that transcends traditional documentary filmmaking and becomes a profound artistic exploration. Shot in black and white, the film is a poem where the primary actor is the filmmaker's gaze. His camera, dangerously close to the melting icebergs off Greenland’s east coast, captures not only the destruction of glaciers but also an ineffable, deep movement of time and humanity's connection with nature.
The film is imbued with a meditative atmosphere, especially accentuated by the outstanding soundtrack «Become Ocean» by John Luther Adams. The music, evoking an endless tide, melting ice, and rising sea levels, seamlessly blends with the visual part, creating an experience that is not only ecological but also philosophical. This work can be seen as a visual metaphor for life, an endless movement towards disappearance, where every frame carries meaning that goes beyond simple observation.
In his work, Alecu is restrained and focused; his film doesn’t need loud words. In «Ice Breath», there is an undeniable urge to explore silence and the space that emerges between each photograph and each shot. It is not just a film about climate change but a deep personal reflection on the nature of existence, time, and the inevitable disappearance that cannot be reversed.
Each minute of the film feels like part of the filmmaker's personal journey, his pursuit to find the perfect spot for both photography and inner understanding. With each year of filming, he uncovers something unique and unrepeatable, creating not just a visual, but a philosophical archive of change that will remain relevant long after the last frame is shot. «Ice Breath» is not just a film, but a work of art that makes us reflect on our place in this world and on time, which cannot be stopped.
The film is imbued with a meditative atmosphere, especially accentuated by the outstanding soundtrack «Become Ocean» by John Luther Adams. The music, evoking an endless tide, melting ice, and rising sea levels, seamlessly blends with the visual part, creating an experience that is not only ecological but also philosophical. This work can be seen as a visual metaphor for life, an endless movement towards disappearance, where every frame carries meaning that goes beyond simple observation.
In his work, Alecu is restrained and focused; his film doesn’t need loud words. In «Ice Breath», there is an undeniable urge to explore silence and the space that emerges between each photograph and each shot. It is not just a film about climate change but a deep personal reflection on the nature of existence, time, and the inevitable disappearance that cannot be reversed.
Each minute of the film feels like part of the filmmaker's personal journey, his pursuit to find the perfect spot for both photography and inner understanding. With each year of filming, he uncovers something unique and unrepeatable, creating not just a visual, but a philosophical archive of change that will remain relevant long after the last frame is shot. «Ice Breath» is not just a film, but a work of art that makes us reflect on our place in this world and on time, which cannot be stopped.
07.02.2025
