About Dry Grasses
A disaffected teacher in snowy Eastern Anatolia confronts the moral compromises and quiet power struggles of life far from Istanbul.
Overview
A poignant exploration of isolation and resilience in a remote community.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Glacial
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- contemplative
- austere
- quiet evening
- serious film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Nuri Bilge Ceylan's long, dialogue-driven rural drama as a richly observed and visually austere meditation on alienation, power, and the human condition, with dark humor sustaining its deliberate pace.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Teacher Samet's relationships with students, colleagues, and Nuray turn everyday conversation and professional authority into instruments of influence.
The snowbound district in Eastern Anatolia gives the film an austere physical atmosphere that reinforces Samet's sense of removal from the center.
Long discussions among Samet, Nuray, and other residents interpret alienation, politics, ethics, and the region's social fabric.
Samet's frustration with compulsory service and his hope of returning to Istanbul shape his judgments and relationships.
Films like About Dry Grasses, and why
Winter Sleep
shared slow cinema pacing, wintry rural isolation, and psychologically detailed moral observation
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
shared contemplative drama, alienated protagonists, and austere Anatolian landscapes
The Turin Horse
shared long-form social realism, intimate power struggles, and philosophical dialogue
The Wild Pear Tree
shared melancholy, intellectual dialogue, and morally ambiguous provincial relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Release Date
- 2023-07-12
- Runtime
- 197 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (181)
Cast
- Deniz Celiloğlu
- Merve Dizdar
- Musab Ekici
- Ece Bağcı
- Erdem Şenocak
- Yüksel Aksu
- Münir Can Cindoruk
- Onur Berk Arslanoğlu
- Yıldırım Gücük
- Cengiz Bozkurt
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is About Dry Grasses about?
- A disaffected teacher in snowy Eastern Anatolia confronts the moral compromises and quiet power struggles of life far from Istanbul.
- What is About Dry Grasses like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of About Dry Grasses as glacial, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is About Dry Grasses violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in About Dry Grasses.
- What did critics think of About Dry Grasses?
- Critics broadly regard Nuri Bilge Ceylan's long, dialogue-driven rural drama as a richly observed and visually austere meditation on alienation, power, and the human condition, with dark humor sustaining its deliberate pace.
- Which films are like About Dry Grasses?
- Films with a similar feel include Winter Sleep, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, The Turin Horse, and The Wild Pear Tree.
- How long is About Dry Grasses?
- About Dry Grasses runs 197 minutes.
- Where can I watch About Dry Grasses?
- In United States, About Dry Grasses is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
