Zeki (Hilmi Sozer) is a gay 40-something singer who works the Turkish clubs in Europe. When he goes to Germany for the funeral of his old friend Mahmut, he’s asked by the neighbours to take Mahmut’s 11 year-old daughter Senay (Özlem Blume) to her mother, Cicek (Özay Fecht), who works as a belly-dancer. Trouble is, no one knows where Cicek lives, so Zeki and Senay embark on an odyssey through Germany, France and Turkey in search of her. Beautifully observed and acted, Tour Abroad is a far from sentimental film: Zeki becomes frustrated, the vulnerable Senay is forced into a world beyond her years, and there’s no fairy-tale ending, either. But the growing intimacy between these unlikely protagonists makes for a touching story, and one which challenges conventional notions of family.
Director: Ayse Polat. Germany, 2000. English subtitles. Colour. Dolby stereo SR. 91 mins.