The Bachelor House

Seven Kurdish men living in one flat in Istanbul. Each has his own story but they all share one room, arguments about unwashed dishes, and the longing to stand on their own two feet. Living with a partner is only a dream in this bachelor house. The film opens with a series of long focused looks into camera. Stuffy air permeated with the smell of peppermint tea, cigarette smoke and testosterone emanates from the screen. On the floor we see mattresses and a stack of folded clothes. That’s all the furnishings. Each of the protagonists tells his story: one was born in Istanbul, another came from a village, the next can’t read and write and doesn’t know his exact age. Some of them work in construction, the others do whatever comes up. None of them have a contract, much less good working conditions. The documentary captures the daily routine in a flat full of bachelors, arguments about loud music and the bathroom schedule, but even more importantly, male vulnerability when there is no longer any way to hide it. (One World)