A Tale of Three Sisters
Three sisters returned from failed foster placements struggle to preserve their bond amid the poverty and suffocating stagnation of a Turkish village.
Overview
Three sisters navigate the harsh realities of life and family in their quest for hope and connection.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- oppressive
- intimate
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly value the film's atmospheric rural portrait, strong performances, and psychologically incisive portrayal of sisterly bonds under social pressure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The sisters are sent to town as besleme, combining foster-child status with maid work before returning to their impoverished home.
The gloomy village setting and stagnant routines make the sisters' lack of mobility palpable.
Reyhan, Nurhan, and Havva try to preserve their bond while dependent on their father and former foster households.
The plot explicitly turns on the Turkish practice of sending girls away as foster children and maids.
Films like A Tale of Three Sisters, and why
Winter Sleep
rural social realism, female-centered family conflict, and bleakly intimate drama
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Turkish arthouse drama, oppressive provincial setting, and restrained interpersonal tension
The Scent of Green Papaya
sisters struggling within a patriarchal rural society and melancholic social realism
Movie Details
- Director
- Emin Alper
- Release Date
- 2019-08-30
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (59)
Cast
- Cemre Ebüzziya
- Ece Yüksel
- Helin Kandemir
- Kayhan Açıkgöz
- Müfit Kayacan
- Kubilay Tunçer
- Hilmi Özçelik
- Başak Kıvılcım Ertanoğlu
- Emin Alper
- Selim Güntürkün
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Tale of Three Sisters about?
- Three sisters returned from failed foster placements struggle to preserve their bond amid the poverty and suffocating stagnation of a Turkish village.
- What is A Tale of Three Sisters like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Tale of Three Sisters as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Tale of Three Sisters violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Tale of Three Sisters as mild.
- What did critics think of A Tale of Three Sisters?
- Critics broadly value the film's atmospheric rural portrait, strong performances, and psychologically incisive portrayal of sisterly bonds under social pressure.
- Which films are like A Tale of Three Sisters?
- Films with a similar feel include Winter Sleep, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, and The Scent of Green Papaya.
- How long is A Tale of Three Sisters?
- A Tale of Three Sisters runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Tale of Three Sisters?
- In United States, A Tale of Three Sisters is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube.
