“Yaşam Arsızı” (Sidewalk Sisters) is a Turkish documentary film which came out in the year 2008 directed by Yasemin Alkaya. The movie shows an up close and personal view of Elif, a single mother of two children and works as a nightclub hostess and her two sisters, Funda and Aysun, both suffering from chronic schizophrenia. Narrating such events into her stories, the film goes on to explore the subjects of hope, social prejudice and stigma, and mental health experiences over time.
Synopsis
Elif has got the overwhelming effects of her historian father and tries to be human as much as she can, no matter what. One can imagine how much weight there is on her cause even when thinking about such daggers directed to her heart. Her sisters Funda and Aysun in complementariness contribute to the argument with their profound experiences with mental disorders and the social stigma surrounding them in such discussions. The documentary provides an honest and eye-opening perspective of their lives and illustrates their ability to cope with such situations.
Cast
- Yasemin Alkaya as Herself
- Elif Çağlayan as Herself
- Aysun Çağlayan as Herself
- Funda Çağlayan as Herself
- Berivan Umut as Herself
Critical Reception
Among other things, ‘Yaşam Arsızı’ has been praised for this honest and considerate approach towards marginalized people. The film features a score of 7.0/10 on IMDb, which suggests good feedback from the viewers.
Availability
As of the end of2024, MUBI, an independent and international cinema focused streaming service, holds the rights to show ‘Yaşam Arsızı’.