Europa Europa Film Festival 2022 Film Review: Brother's Keeper

Image courtesy of Asteros Film.

“But he doesn’t have a fever?”

Director Ferit Karahan draws upon his own childhood as a Kurdish boy growing up in Turkey, for his film Brother’s Keeper. Set in a cold and desolate boarding school for Kurdish boys in eastern Anatolia (or Kurdish lands, depending on who you ask), where boys live in a constant state of fear of their teachers who treat them as second class citizens. The deplete tone and use of corporate punishment gives off the energy that this story is set in the distant past, after all, who could treat children like that in this day and age? Until you see mobiles being used and realise just how sheltered many of us have been in comparison.

We open to a scene of young boys showering together, their visible ribs stretching through their skin, three boys to a cubicle. They take turns using the hot water as another child walks up and down yelling at them to keep them in line. Here is where we are first introduced to our main character, Yusuf, who sets himself up as an observer of everything around him. We watch as he silently takes in the punishment of his friends, who are forced to clean themselves in freezing water, staying silent like the rest of them, with only his expressive big brown eyes giving away his true feelings. 

The film then follows Yusuf as he desperately tries to get help for his sick friend, Memo.  The storyline is simplistic at its core, relying little on dialogue to get its message across. Our main character Yusuf rarely speaks, the only insight into his mind is through his eyes which betray his every emotion. We watch as Yusuf watches the world around him, silently judging the inept teachers and corrupt system who are too busy hitting children with canes and making threats to take Yusuf seriously when he reports his friend being sick. Upon realising Memo’s illness cannot be cured by taking an aspirin, the only form of care these boys are offered by their teachers, the adults begin playing blame games with each other. A particularly jarring scene is when Yusuf is sent to collect cakes and tea for the staff as an unconscious Memo lays forgotten on his sickbed. 

However, the film isn’t only about Memo and determining who is to blame for his sudden illness. It also deals with the very real issue of minorities in Turkey. Throughout the film, the teachers show contempt towards Kurds, constantly othering them and labelling them as lazy and less intelligent. They’re taught that their lands don’t exist and to be thankful for everything the Turkish state has granted them. We watch the boys stand outside in the snow, being yelled at by their principal and made to repeat phrases that are blatant lies. The teachers play the boys against each other, to destroy their connection to their Kurdish identity, as shown when they publicly punish one boy by shaving his head and using him as an example for the rest. 

Brother’s Keeper explores the tender relationship between Yusuf and Memo in a school environment as harsh and unforgiving as the snow-filled mountains they are stuck in. So if you like films exploring extreme nationalism, identity, childhood, and dysfunctional schools then this is the film for you. 

4/5

Brother’s Keeper is screening at the Europa Europa Film Festival, running from the 4th-27th of February. For tickets and more info check out the festival website here.