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The Festival of Troubadours
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sad, slow-moving father-son drama has some language.
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The Festival of Troubadours
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What's the Story?
In THE FESTIVAL OF TROUBADOURS, Yusuf (Kivanc Tatlitug) is a successful but melancholy lawyer who was sent off to boarding school as a child after his mother died and his folk-singing legend father, known as Whimsy Ali (Settar Tanriogen), traveled to pursue his musical career and a series of women. Now, 25 years later, Ali shows up at Yusuf's sophisticated apartment, terminally ill. Although he never discusses or excuses or apologizes for his choices, his presence seems to indicate remorse. Yusuf wants a conversation, acknowledgment of the hurt the father caused, but the father isn't capable or willing. Hoping he will buy time to talk, Yusuf drives his father to people and places to say goodbye, down roads blocked by flocks of sheep and geese, with the ultimate destination a troubadour festival where Ali will see many old friends. It's possible, though unspoken, that Yusuf accepts his father's shortcomings by the time the inevitable end comes.
Is It Any Good?
Once a dying old man shows up at his estranged son's doorstep, there isn't a single surprise as The Festival of Troubadours wends its way slowly to an inevitable ending. This is slow-moving and ponderous. Every time there's an opportunity to move our understanding forward, to offer an insight into the characters and their actions, the filmmakers deliberately choose to tell us nothing instead, so the story seems even slower and more ponderous.
Somber but believable performances help us make the journey with the honored folk musician and the angry, resentful son who can't get an explanation for why his father abandoned him. But ultimately the movie lacks any sense that anyone in it realizes or learns anything from the ordeal. The movie begins and ends with photographs, suggesting that the writer-director believes the only thing that counts is memory, or at least that sometimes that's all we get in life. But that's unsatisfying because it dismisses the pain at the heart of the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how this movie can resonate with anyone who has a troublesome parent. Does Yusuf learn anything by the end of the movie?
The movie compares father and son. Does the father seem irresponsible or self-absorbed? Does the son seem bitter or unsatisfied as he attempts to understand why the father abandoned him?
The movie suggests that looking for apologies when we feel wronged may not be an effective way of dealing with resentment. Why do you think it's common to want someone in your life to apologize to you?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 2, 2022
- Cast: Kivanc Tatlitug , Settar Tanriogen
- Director: Ozcan Alper
- Inclusion Information: Middle Eastern/North African actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 102 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: May 14, 2023
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