Set in a remote village in Kastamonu, northern Turkey, about two hundred kilometers from the capital, Ankara, MUSTANG is the story of five daughters finishing school at the end of the summer and trying to cope with their family's demands. Custom dictates that once a girl reaches a certain age, she should be married off; hence the three oldest daughters are exposed to the ritual of meeting their partner (chosen for them by their family) and his family and listening to the groom's family asking for her hand in marriage. Rings are exchanged; and everyone looks forward to the festivities, when the entire village has a wild party, the men fire shots into the air, and the "happy" couple enjoy themselves ... that is, until the dreaded wedding night ritual.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven's debut feature takes an even-handed approach towards its material. While certainly sympathizing with the girls (the narration of Lale, the youngest (Güneş Şensoy) provides an accurate indication of their feelings),the director also makes it clear that the arranged marriage of a teenage girl is part of the village custom. Nobody ever dares to challenge it, because that might destroy the fabric of everyone's lives. Western audiences might consider it a primitive ritual that does not take the girls' feelings into account, but this is a different culture with its own particular traditions. The grandmother (Nihal G. Koldaş) makes this point clear when she tells Nur (Doğa Zeynep Doguşlu) that she was married as a teenager many years previously and "grew to love" her husband once the knot had been tied.

Yet MUSTANG also has some trenchant points to make about the ways in which such traditions can be abused. Uncle Erol (Ayberk Pekcan) turns out to be a sadist as well as an abuser, whose sole response to the girls' wanting some kind of freedom is to build higher and higher walls round the house and install bars across the windows. This is a futile gesture; the more he creates a prison, the more the girls try to escape from it. There is a touching sequence early on in the film as all five daughters escape from their home and catch a bus taking female soccer supporters to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast to watch a match. Their enjoyment is both palpable and welcome.

In the end Nur decides not to go through with her arranged marriage; together with Lale they barricade themselves in the family home and manage to escape Uncle Erol's clutches at last. No one - least of all the viewers - knows precisely what will happen to them, but they have at least managed to exercise freedom of choice. The downside, of course, is that they have also endangered the stability of their village community. This ambiguity is not resolved by the film's end.

Director Ergüven coaxes some remarkable performances out of her five youthful actors as the daughters. Her cinematic style is brisk, even though there are perhaps too many extreme close-ups that draw our attention away from the characters' expressions rather than focusing on them. Nonetheless MUSTANG is a powerful film, a Turkish version of JEUNE ET JOLIE (2013),perhaps.

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer/director Deniz Gamze Erguven admits to being inspired by Sophia Coppola's 1999 The Virgin Suicides (though this is not a remake),and by offering us a rare glimpse into the lives of five sisters in a rural community in Turkey, it's clear why the film has been so well received at film festivals – culminating in an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. It's a bit confusing that the film is credited to France (Ms. Erguven's current place of residence) as it takes place in Turkey and is performed in Turkish. But of course, country of origin is a minor ripple in this year's uproar over diversity at the Oscars.

Not being any type of expert in Turkey culture or customs, I must accept that the insights provided by Ms. Erguven and her co-writer Alice Winocour are somewhat accurate, which makes the balance between the tradition of female oppression and the amazing spirit of the girls so relatable for many. What begins as a seemingly harmless game of chicken the girls play with some classmates (boys) on the way home after the semester's last day of classes, turns into a series of events that most will find absolutely unacceptable. The shame brought to the family and the threat of the girls being "spoiled" highlights the extreme reactions from their grandmother (Nihal G Koldas) and Uncle Erol (Ayberk Pekcan).

Lale (Gunes Sensoy) is the youngest of the sisters and in the end proves to be the toughest and most independent. And that's really saying something. We take in much of what happens through Lale's expressive eyes, and we as viewers long for reasonableness to enter their lives. After being what can only be described as imprisoned in their own home, the spirit of the girls collectively and individually becomes clear. They find ways, small and large, to rebel … but it's soon enough clear that the mission is to marry the girls off before it's too late (there's that "spoiled" thing again).

As Lale witnesses what her older sisters are subjected to, and how happiness or their own wishes play no role, she becomes more determined to avoid such destiny. With skewed perspective, one might make the argument that Grandmother and Uncle are doing what they think is in the long term best interests of the girls, but the Uncle's despicable actions void any such thought. Instead we are left to marvel at the strength and spirit of the girls in world that holds them in such low regard as individuals.

Lale's sisters are Sonay (IIayda Akdogan),Nur (Doga Zeynep Doguslu),Selma (Tugba Sunguroglu) and Ece (Elit Iscan). The girls are so natural together that we never doubt their sisterly bond. They argue like sisters, defend each other as sisters, and play together like sisters … were it not for their isolated existence, their bond would be a joy to behold. The cinematography throughout the film adds to the discomfort and dread we feel, and the acting is naturalistic and believable. In the end, it's the unbridled freedom of the titular creature that Lale defiantly embraces … whatever the consequences may be.

I've read the summary on IMDb as well as on Netflix and neither really does this film or its story any justice. It's not just a film about a traditional family forcing their girls into marriages...it's far, far more sinister and evil. Judging by the Netflix summary, it sounds like a comedy...and the film is instead tense, edgy and terrifying at times...not exactly the stuff of comedy!!

The film begins with four sisters (they appear to me to be from about ages 11-16) playing in the water with some boys. But this is occurring in a very traditional part of Turkey...one where innocent play like this is interpreted as evil and sensual. As a result of the family's perceived shame, the grandmother and especially her incredibly malevolent son, decide to crack down on the girls. Instead of continuing in school, the girls are given crash courses in being wives...and the plan is to very quickly marry them off...even despite some of them being incredibly young. What happens next...well, it's something you should see for yourself.

My daughter saw this film at a film festival and she talked to me about it. When she talked with other patrons, she was surprised how women perceived that the girls had been sexually abused by the uncle...whereas men who saw the film didn't get that same impression. I DID think this was the case (probably because of my experience as a therapist dealing with rape victims) but regardless of what he MIGHT have done, what he did do was horrible. The film is an unflinching indictment of traditionalist culture--one where women are essentially powerless. Having been made by an expat from this culture, it has a style and story that seem true and shocking. Very well made and well worth seeing, though the story is anything but fun despite the first 20 minutes or so of the film which is rather light-hearted. Instead, at times, it's heartbreaking and sad....very sad.